Yesterday, I finally went to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in the movie theatre. My thoughts can be perfectly summed up with this gif:
Just replace “fluffy” with: magical, awesome, amazing, fantastic (pun intended), unforgettable, …
Now, I have to admit, I’m totally biased. I would have loved this movie even if it was horribly cast, had an unbelievable storyline and wasn’t interesting or original at all. Luckily, that was not the case. Fantastic Beasts is an amazing movie! It is not only a sublime new movie set in the Harry Potter universe for all us Potterheads, it’s also a really magical feelgood movie to see with your family. You don’t have to have seen any of the other Harry Potter movies, it can be enjoyed exactly as it is. The storylines are also nicely wrapped up so you can enjoy this movie with its ending. There are a few general storylines that run through into the other movies, but the main storylines end (happily), which is part of what makes this such a feelgood movie.
First things first, a-ma-zing casting! Eddie Redmayne simply is Newt Scamander. He is socially inept, amazingly awkward and has such a big heart. He is writing his book because he wants to educate wizards that magical beasts are not dangerous and indeed need to be cared for. So that is what he does: he rescues magical animals, protects them and takes care of them, all the while trying to educate his fellow wizards to do the same. He is very good at what he does and he is also very proud of it. The best moment of the movie, for me, was when he was showing off his animals to the No-Maj (the American term for Muggles). He had his back turned to the No-Maj and only turned his head the slightest bit with this proud smile on his face. Swoon! Also, his outfits are to die for, I want a blue coat like his!
I also adored that the movie felt so British and doesn’t differ that much from the other Harry Potter movies. I mostly forgot that the movie was playing out in America since the American accents weren’t too pronounced (except for the No-Maj’s New York phrases from time to time) and since the main character was British, it still felt very much like the earlier Harry Potter movies.
The entire movie was just perfect, and I loved every bit of it. This coming from someone who appreciates magical, family, feelgood movies and as a Potterhead.
It was so good, I went to see it twice on the same day.
Happy reading (and in this case: watching),
Loes M.
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