Fantastic Beast & Where to Find them Movie

                Hello happy readers!  So this is a bit late to you, go figure I’m behind, but I saw the first showing offered in my area for Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them and I’ve been holding in my thoughts and feels for so long I might burst!  If you don’t know I’m a huge Harry Potter fan so the idea of having more movies in this world is the best news in a long time!  So diving right in, I LOVED IT!

Rating:  5 Fantastic Beasts

 

                It was AMAZING! 

                Basically I could see this movie over and over again.  And I plan to see it again soon.  It was such a good story and visually it was stunning!  One of the best things about this movie is that while it is the first movie in a new story it doesn’t feel like a set up.  It feels like a complete story that stands on its own.  But of course you want more because it was AWESOME!

                We know the world of Hogwarts already but this time we go back in time to one of Harry’s required readings authors before he finished his book in America.  This right here opens up so many new areas for us seeing how things differ between the two countries from Muggles to No-Maj (I still prefer muggle) or the Ministry of Magic to the Magical Congress.  The world was both magically similar but also completely new and exciting.  You can go in knowing all about Harry Potter and that series or you can go in knowing nothing and still be amazed and understand it all.

                I personally went into this movie not knowing a ton about it.  I knew it followed Newt Scamander who wrote the book I know of and have read like a dutiful Hogwarts student and that he comes to New York with his suitcase and beasts are in need of being caught as something is causing huge problems for the wizarding community of New York along with the.  And it was Harry Potter universe so yeah that’s all you need to know.

                Newt was perfect! He was charming and sweet but most importantly good.  He prefers the company of beasts to other people.  They are his passion.  He loves caring for them and understanding them.  He has such simple yet grand dreams that instead of banning and harming them we should endeavor to understand them.  He was portrayed perfectly and I can’t imagine anyone else every playing him now because this is Newt for me.  The rest of the cast did an amazing job as well but he stood out the most for me.  Kowalski also brought an added level of humor and wonder to the story instead of being the muggle who needs things explained to him as he could have been, but rest assured he is so much more.

                 Visually this movie was stunning!  The beasts were well crafted and looked so real.  Each one was so unique and beautiful (or horrifying) from Bowtruckle, Demiguise, Erumpent, Graphorn, Murtlap, Niffler, Occamy, Thunderbird, and of course Swooping Evil.  Some of my favorites and ones I could remember how to say to look up the spellings in my book and some weren’t in there so I’ll have to see about a more complete book in the future.  The team who pulled this off deserve an award because WOW!  And not just the creatures themselves but the suitcase!  First ummm I would never need a house again just put my suitcase somewhere and I’m good.  I mean that charm in there is insane.  All the different habitats for the beasts was so mind blowing I couldn’t even function. 

                 I mentioned before you could go into this without having seen the other Harry Potter movies or reading the books and be okay but if you are like the rest of the world and have seen the movies there are so many little bits that will give you “ah ha” moments and get your inner conspiracy theorist spinning.  I was dying to chat with other readers when I got out and couldn’t wait for them to see it. 

                There is so much happening in this movie and knowing there will be more just makes my little heart so happy.  I am beyond excited to see what J.K. has in store for us next.  Until next time I need to memorize everything in this and also I feel a Harry Potter movie marathon in the works as well!  I’d love to hear your thoughts and feelings about this movie so we can discuss. 

                Until next time…