So I recently watched Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and I'm here to bring you my review. So without further ado...
The year is 1926, and Newt Scamander (played by Eddie Redmayne) has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident, were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob (played by Dan Fogler), a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt's fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.
This was a fun and very entertaining film. When the film was announced it seemed like this film was made simply because it could be marketed as a Harry Potter film and people who are fans of those films and books would go out and see this film which to be honest is exactly why it was made. The film really is an unnecessary when you look at the whole big picture of the Harry Potter universe and it just doesn't really add anything unless all you've done is see the film and not read the books. It tries it's best to not make it feel like is apart of the universe, but it does make several references to those films in not so subtle ways. Story wise, the film becomes predictable about 30 or 45 minutes in and at that point everything starts to get a little muddled and convoluted. The visuals are pretty sub-par and the whole film feels like it was completely shot with CGI and it does feel as magical as the other films in this Potter universe. Performance-wise, this film has some pretty outstanding performances mainly in the form of Eddie Redmayne who himself has an awkward sensibility and it fits in well with the character of Newt Scamander. Colin Firth was a pleasant addition to the universe and he could've easily filled a role in the other films and he would've fit well there as well. However the real standout performance comes from Dan Fogler who is just absolutely hilarious and every time he is on screen you can expect to laugh. Speaking of laughing, the comedy in this film is hit and miss and it sometimes feels forced, but at the same time some of them do hit the gut pretty hard for a really good laugh. One thing that hurts the film when it comes to the plot is the fact that there are so many different sub-plots going on at once and it really just makes it tough to judge how good a film is and you're never really given a good enough scene to help set-up the rest of the film. Most people will talk about the twist and by now it should'v be a twist, but it's something you can see from a mile away as long as you paid attention. Overall this is a solid film with great performances and fantastic humor, but it just doesn't have the same emotional connection as the Harry Potter films did as well as not having a solid story and some pretty tacky special effects. I give Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them a 7 out of 10.
So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, what would you rate it and what did you think of my review? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
The year is 1926, and Newt Scamander (played by Eddie Redmayne) has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident, were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob (played by Dan Fogler), a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt's fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.
This was a fun and very entertaining film. When the film was announced it seemed like this film was made simply because it could be marketed as a Harry Potter film and people who are fans of those films and books would go out and see this film which to be honest is exactly why it was made. The film really is an unnecessary when you look at the whole big picture of the Harry Potter universe and it just doesn't really add anything unless all you've done is see the film and not read the books. It tries it's best to not make it feel like is apart of the universe, but it does make several references to those films in not so subtle ways. Story wise, the film becomes predictable about 30 or 45 minutes in and at that point everything starts to get a little muddled and convoluted. The visuals are pretty sub-par and the whole film feels like it was completely shot with CGI and it does feel as magical as the other films in this Potter universe. Performance-wise, this film has some pretty outstanding performances mainly in the form of Eddie Redmayne who himself has an awkward sensibility and it fits in well with the character of Newt Scamander. Colin Firth was a pleasant addition to the universe and he could've easily filled a role in the other films and he would've fit well there as well. However the real standout performance comes from Dan Fogler who is just absolutely hilarious and every time he is on screen you can expect to laugh. Speaking of laughing, the comedy in this film is hit and miss and it sometimes feels forced, but at the same time some of them do hit the gut pretty hard for a really good laugh. One thing that hurts the film when it comes to the plot is the fact that there are so many different sub-plots going on at once and it really just makes it tough to judge how good a film is and you're never really given a good enough scene to help set-up the rest of the film. Most people will talk about the twist and by now it should'v be a twist, but it's something you can see from a mile away as long as you paid attention. Overall this is a solid film with great performances and fantastic humor, but it just doesn't have the same emotional connection as the Harry Potter films did as well as not having a solid story and some pretty tacky special effects. I give Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them a 7 out of 10.
So ladies and gentlemen what did you think of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, what would you rate it and what did you think of my review? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
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