Let’s face it. . . so much of a film is its characters – the way they are written, their likeability (or lack thereof), and, just as vitally, who is cast in those roles. If we can’t root for the heroes, hiss at the villains, be wary of those in the grey milieu, or find ourselves somewhere in that flawed antihero, then we cannot truly be emotionally invested in the narrative – no matter how majestic the whizzes and bangs are.
So, like a large portion of my generation, I fell under the spell of the richly woven personas found in the Harry Potter novels. . . and later, the films. Soon, literature meshed with the visual world, and when people referenced someone like Severus Snape or Sirius Black, it was nearly impossible not to think of the late great Alan Rickman and the stellar Gary Oldman, respectively – the entire franchise a masterclass in casting.
With the Harry Potter spinoff, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the creator of that amazing original world, J.K. Rowling, took a shot at writing her first ever script. . . and to nobody’s surprise, the characters are just as fascinating. So, with Fantastic Beasts’ sequel, The Crimes of Grindelwald, apparating (appearing, for all those muggles out there) into theatres today, I thought it was the proper time to revisit its predecessor.
Transporting us back in time and away from England, the tale is set in 1920s New York City, where scampish Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), a magizoologist – that is, a studier of magical creatures, disembarks a ship and enters The Big Apple. . .looking to transport one of said beasts to Arizona.
Yet, one of Scamander’s most meddlesome creatures, a niffler (a cuddly, long snouted creature whose one and only goal is to steal shiny objects), escapes his wildlife suitcase, forcing our hero to track the elusive quasi-platypus.
What we soon learn is that New York is nothing like England. . . pulling from history, Rowling sketches a world of paranoia, where wizards follow strict laws (no fraternization between wizards and non-magic folk, magical creatures are expressly forbidden. . . – while breaking of said laws can lead to something similar to the death penalty), and there is a group of individuals called the New Salem Philanthropic Society that are attempting to quash wizards while also struggling to reach the general Populus so that they are made aware of the fact that these hidden-in-plain-sight magicians even exist.
After a number of fateful coincidences, Scamander is arrested by Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), a demoted dark wizard catcher (auror) who, by bringing the magical creature carrier in, hopes to be restored to her former position. . . only to discover that the magizoologist’s suitcase was accidentally grabbed by a man named Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) – a dreamer of a muggle who is hoping to get financing to start his own bakery. . . meaning that when Tina opens the case for her big reveal, all that is inside are baked goods.
With Kowalski unintentionally releasing a horde of unique creatures, and fearful whispers that the evil wizard Gellert Grindelwald (the Voldemort of seventy years ago – and surprise casting, for those living under a rock) may be Stateside, things are not well in New York.
Building an infectious chemistry between the rag tag team that slowly comes together, there is a tangible emotional bond between Scamander, Kowalski, Tina, and her mind-reading sister Queenie (Alison Sudol). Kudos to the actors, each bringing their dynamic personas to life – Redmayne an impish ‘live and let live’ type; Fogler a big hearted teddy bear; Waterston a grounded rule-follower, and Sudol (in her first role) an avant-garde, alluring flapper. Yet, this is only the beginning. . . keep an eye open for solid turns from Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller, Jon Voight and Ron Perlman (as a speakeasy owning goblin). And, then there is that comedic creature that is the niffler. . . so entertaining, it could easily earn its own spinoff (like the Minions from the Despicable Me franchise, or Joey from Friends. . . no, wait – that one does not work as well).
For those looking specifically for connections that link the Harry Potter franchise to this one, feel free to click on this link and check out my previous feature on the film: http://filmizon.com/fantastic-beasts-connecting-the-dots-to-the-potter-universe/
Helmed by Harry Potter veteran David Yates (the director of the final four Potter features), he finds a way to transport the wonder and amazement from the original franchise, while still finding new and clever tricks to awe and amaze. From the vivid depiction of New York City (from the bustling streets to secret speakeasies – painstakingly built from scratch as so little of this era’s architecture has survived) to the fantastic beasts, it is magic personified. Not without its controversies (some call Scamander’s character too much of a goodie two shoes – despite his penchant for divisive creatures, while Grindelwald’s casting has been met with some disdain), they do not detract from the overall entertaining quality of this exciting, and at times touching, popcorn flick. So, don’t let this one slip from your memory, it will feed the beast in the best possible way.