Fantastic Beasts Review

I'm glad you guys survived the Black Friday shopping. Why don't you kick back and read this movie review? I saw Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. It was actually quite impressive and surprising in a lot of ways. So, let's take a look at the good, bad, and ugly elements of this film.

​First, I'm going to cover the positive components of this movie. J.K. Rowling has a really huge imagination. Her stories and films always have a ton of amazing fantasy elements. Fantastic Beasts is stuffed with wizards, creatures, mystery, clockwork mechanics, magic, and elements from the Roaring 20s. It's perfect for people who love elaborate world building.

​This movie focuses on the political side of the wizarding world. You'll get to see magical detectives and investigators in action. The story takes place in a much earlier time period than the Harry Potter franchise and the location is New York City. It's completely different than Harry Potter and yes, that's a good thing. We don't need this franchise to be a direct continuation of the Harry Potter storyline. I'm glad to see something unique. Fantastic Beasts is loosely tied to the Harry Potter series, but it has enough individuality to spawn a separate cluster of films.

​It takes a lot of noir elements from classic films. In fact, the entire movie is one big mystery. This film is somewhat darker than some of the Harry Potter installments. I would say certain elements appeal to adults on a substantial level. However, the movie is totally suitable for kids too. There are a ton of interesting creatures in this film. I think it might have more beasts than the Harry Potter movies combined. Many of the creatures are entertaining and amusing, which would be appealing to children. So, this movie has something for everyone. On a related note to the beasts, the visual effects are very good. I can tell Warner Brothers invested a lot of effort in this film.

​The plot isn't predictable in my opinion. Several peculiar things happen during the course of this movie and the big reveal doesn't happen until near the end. I'll give you a hint. Monsters aren't the only entities causing trouble in New York.

​I read a review that said steampunk elements are in this film. Well, there are a few steampunk elements. It's not a very big emphasis. I noticed quite a few clockwork mechanics in a big fantasy vein. It was quite creative, but subtle. Also, the costumes are really cool. I really enjoyed seeing the fantasy version of 1920s fashion.

​What are the negative parts of Fantastic Beasts? Not many. I guess it takes a little while for everything to get moving. Once things become interesting, it's really cool, but the pace starts out a bit sluggish. My biggest complaint is some of the characters. Although Eddie Redmayne is excellent as the protagonist, some of the other characters seem kind of bland. I blame the acting more than the writing. The special effects and writing are the film's strongest assets.

​That's pretty much it. I wanted to give a basic movie review for the long holiday weekend. We're going to see something totally different next week. I'm going to interview an artist and web comic creator named Vitaly S. Alexius. He's the creator of Romantically Apocalyptic; a very entertaining and beautifully drawn web comic series. Leave any comments if you have additional thoughts about Fantastic Beasts and enjoy the long weekend.