Jump back 100 years (ish) from Potter's time and a young British wildlife expert with a bit of a clumsy streak has unleashed magical creatures while visiting New York on a research trip. This is the very basic premise which kicks off a rich and exciting adventure. Like she showed us in the latter Harry Potter books, Rowling is not only interested in telling adventure stories, she is interested in grand, epic morality plays with complicated layers of analogies to our real and unfortunately not magical world.
There are two things going on here. First, an adventure story about Newt collecting all the creatures he let loose while he meets charming friends to go on that adventure with. And second a political drama about the constructs of social oppression. The film's climax is a moving and remarkably accurate depiction of the violence done against people who are different due to zealotry and the struggle for power.
Charming and awkward, Redmayne is the perfect Newt Scamander, reluctant and odd action hero. He is so reluctant he often seems quite slow to act, a common tool to advance the plot which feels entirely in character. I did feel his rag tag group of hangers on were a little vanilla. I'm not sure any of them have the charisma of a Hermione Granger or any Weasley. If there is a fault in the film it is found here. We may not love these characters as much as others in this universe.
As the plot's evil is revealed, it becomes dark and quite terrifying. The implications of beatings and abuse makes this about a very real evil, the magic side of it is sidelined. There is the cultural purity movement and it's willingness to co-op religion to do its dirty work. There are also the political apologists looking to cover it all up. Fantastic Beasts is astutely accurate in its exploration of our real world through the lens of a magical adventure.
The film's greatest strength is here. It is in the moments of torment portrayed so wonderfully by Ezra Miller that the film reaches its real emotional punch. The film requires a certain amount of understanding of the history and future of this shared universe to get all that's going on and I worry something would be lost on audiences less familiar with the interrelations. Scamander's connection to the Lastrange family, for example, is one that has real meaning for those who are in the know. The film is just richer with a greater understanding.
Does the marriage between Rowling's adventure tale and her world building opus completely work? Perhaps it could have been balanced a bit more perfectly. But in the end its richness is there for those who have a passion for it.
A warning to those who have experienced abuse, especially to members of the LGBTQ community who come from communities which were not affirming of their identities. The film has a strong metaphorical story arc exploring this. It could be difficult for those who have experienced that kind of abuse to see it represented on the screen.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Colin Farrell
Director: David Yates
Writer: J.K. Rowling
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