I wasn’t going to write about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them -- I really wasn’t! However, after sitting through a recent meeting at my school where several English teachers disparaged the movie, calling it “hard to watch” and “drivel,” I felt the need to take to the Internet in order to defend this cinematic diversion into a new era of Harry Potter lore.Now, I am what one might describe as a Harry Potter “superfan.” I also don’t fit the common trope of having read the novels as a child and possessing that sweet nostalgia, but, instead, coming to the fandom quite late, as an adult, and proceeding to empathize more with the Hogwarts educators than the rambunctious students. Then, when Alan Rickman died, I cemented my obsession with a tattoo. As one does.
So, I went to watch Fantastic Beasts with minimal spoiler knowledge and a cautious optimism. I wasn’t sure what to expect. But, I feel confident saying that the movie fulfilled what I wanted to experience from a new HP story line, without leaning too heavily on nostalgia from the prior movies (*cough cough* Star Wars).
The positives:
First of all, Fantastic Beasts passed the Bechdel Test. Hooray! Although, there is quite a lot of talk about men, I still think the movie is a clear “pass.” Also, the two main females, Queenie and Tina Goldstein, could not be more different. Tina is a pants-wearing, ex-auror, a “career girl,” while Queenie is more openly feminine. The magic of their relationship is that they are accepting of one another’s characteristics without being judgmental or undermining. They work their magic in tandem to create dinner, which I think is a perfect visual representation of their relationship. In addition, President Seraphina is also a black, female leader in the 1920’s -- a woman! And one who's obviously well-respected by her peers!
Of the two main female characters, I found myself thinking mostly about Queenie in the intervening days following my initial screening. Queenie, first introduced in a shift and proceeding to bake for the visiting men, I worried might be a typical “sex kitten” character trope. All ditz and no development. Instead, Queenie embodies the power of femininity -- even her magical empathy, the ability to read thoughts intentions and emotions, makes her more powerful than any of the other main characters, causing her to keep that power a secret. I got a distinct Luna Lovegood vibe from her, so she was my hands-down favorite character.The beasts themselves also had personalities and were far more interesting and “fleshed-out” than I expected them to be. They ran the gamut of cute to terrifying, and, if questioned, my favorite will always be the mooncalves.
Mooncalves, as common as they are throughout the world, are mysterious little creatures. Incredibly timid, Mooncalves only emerge from their underground burrows during the full moon.
The negatives:
This was JK Rowling’s first attempt at writing a screenplay, and it showed a bit in the occasional lack of fluidity and explanatory methods (for example, I all but forgot about Grindewald, until the end, as he had only been a newspaper headline). I think, as a debut, it was good, but there is definite room for improvement.
I was also confused about Grindewald’s relationship with Credence from the very beginning. I made all sorts of suppositions, including Grindewald being his father -- I still don't really get it. I happened to guess that Colin Farrell’s character was, in fact, Grindewald from his first or second scene and was waiting for the reveal, rather than experiencing any sort of surprise from it. I’m just saying, Voldemort held out a little longer. And Johnny Depp, really? *shakes head*
I also thought the clear appropriation of Native American mythos without including any Native American characters was, at minimum, disrespectful. Hopefully we will see more diversity in subsequent movies.
Overall:
Fantastic Beasts was a wild and fun-filled adventure -- just what I had come to expect from the Harry Potter universe -- replete with well-drawn characters, more diversity than in the past movies (still some work to do). Beautiful design, and fabulous costumes from an time period I possess a personal affinity for. Would it be too much to call it "visually stunning"? Essentially, I will not stand for it being called "hard to watch." If you liked Harry Potter, there is no reason you won't also enjoy Fantastic Beasts.
Rating: 7/10
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