The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic: FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

The 'Not-So-Critical' Critic: 

on FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM (2016, 133 minutes, PG-13)

  

The Quick of It -

There is a reason they have 'fantastic' in the title.  No, not for the awesome creatures themselves, more for the sense of wonder they bring.

Set in the Potter world, FANTASTIC BEASTS offers a whole new set of characters and settings, taking place before Potter was a seed in his mother's belly.  They started off by doing the most intelligent thing they could, put director David Yates behind the camera.  He was responsible for closing out the Potter series.  This allowed for a sense of continuity in the visual style.  With a total of four more in the works and him directing each, the future does look bright.

As an animal lover, this film resonates with me on many levels.  Don't get me wrong, not a PETA card carrying member or a vegetarian.  The human's set of teeth prove we are meat eaters, so don't judge.  Each critter in the film is great and adds a depth to the sense of urgency and the impulsive need to protect while watching the story unfold.

The casting left no room for error.  Leading with Eddie Redmayne (of THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING, THE DANISH GIRL, and LES MISERABLES), who plays the socially awkward Newt, and Katherine Waters (INHERENT VICE, STEVE JOBS, and MICHAEL CLAYTON) as the uptight and recently demoted MACUSA (The Magical Congress of the United States of America) agent Tina, they walk you through the American side of wizarding and witchcraft.  Colin Farrell is... well... Colin Farrell.  He plays Graves and makes me want to rewatch all his past films just so I can get a larger "Farrell Fix".  He is commanding and holds an air of knowing and assuredness you want to trust.  As the comic relief and glue to the main crew, Dan Fogler (of KUNG FU PANDA and BALLS OF FURY) could not have been better.  He is the gateway for us muggles, now also called no-maj, to glimpse into the wizarding world from an outsider's perspective.  To add a final role, Ezra Miller (our new Flash) played an abused teenager and he is quite creepy.  There really is little disappointment to be found with the casting choices.

One risk they took was incorporating more CGI.  They didn't have much choice when the beasts were involved, but they stepped away from the prostheses they typically used in the past.   This was somewhat endearing for the Hogwarts world and I enjoyed the retro feel, but they used CGI on the goblins and other potential creature-builds in FANTASTIC.  I have to conclude they also had no choice thanks to the character interaction and physical maneuvering that was required.  That was one of the weaknesses from before, like the goblin hands, very unnatural in movement.  You do not want to disrupt the illusion, and push audience members out of the story.  So, I give them a pass.

The story was exciting, but was also stressful.  I couldn't get over a few of his creatures being loose in New York at first.  I knew that things had to happen but I wanted them to be collected up before the rest of the story continued.  Absurd of me... I know.  Or maybe OCD kicking in.  If you can make your way on this fine day, do so.  You will be pleasantly delighted.

Grade: A