Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

The adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York's secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school.

Director:

David Yates

Writer:

J.K. Rowling

Stars:

Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol

Won 1 Oscar. Another 14 wins & 52 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Eddie Redmayne	...	Newt
Sam Redford	...	Customs Official
Scott Goldman	...	Customs Official (voice)
Tim Bentinck	...	Witness
Tristan Tait	...	Reporter
Colin Farrell	...	Graves
Tom Clarke Hill	...	Photographer 2 (as Tom Clarke-Hill)
Matthew Sim	...	Photographer 1
Katherine Waterston	...	Tina
Samantha Morton	...	Mary Lou
Dan Fogler	...	Jacob Kowalski
Ezra Miller	...	Credence Barebone
Faith Wood-Blagrove	...	Modesty Barebone
Jenn Murray	...	Chastity Barebone
Cory Peterson	...	Bank Employee

Storyline

In mid-20s New York, Newt Scamander, the British young activist wizard, arrives in town, holding a mysterious leather suitcase which shelters a wide array of diverse and magical creatures that exist among us. Amid an already fragile equilibrium of secrecy, and the increasing disasters ascribed to the dark wizard, Gellert Grindelwald, Newt's precious suitcase will be lost--and to make matters worse--several creatures will manage to escape. Before long, this situation will catch Senior Auror Percival Graves' attention who will target Newt, in the background of an invisible, devastating, and utterly unpredictable menace that still wreaks havoc on 5th Avenue. In the end, is there a hidden agenda behind Graves' intentions; moreover, what will happen to the remaining fantastic beasts still loose in the streets?

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Plot Keywords:

suitcase | new york city | magic | wizard | based on novel | 

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Taglines:

J.K. Rowling invites you to a new era of the wizarding world.

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Genres:

Adventure | Family | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some fantasy action violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [France]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Khmer

Release Date:

18 November 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Animales fantásticos y dónde encontrarlos

Filming Locations:

Leavesden Studios, Leavesden, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$180,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$74,403,387, 20 November 2016, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$234,037,575

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$814,037,575

Company Credits

Production Co:

Heyday Films,Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min

Sound Mix:

DTS (DTS: X) Dolby Digital Dolby Atmos Dolby Surround 7.1 12-Track Digital Sound IMAX 6-Track Auro 11.1 Sonics-DDP

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The bartender house elf at Gnarlak's Speakeasy scoffs at Jacob's claim that his uncle was a house elf. Jacob doesn't realize that house elves are a different species, and thus can't be related to humans. Harry Potter enthusiasts will also scoff at Jacob's blunder. In America, when people feel awkward about situations like this, people often say "My uncle's a..." which is what Jacob does, as an American. His mistake is also understandable, because he's a No-Maj (muggle).

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Goofs

Just before entering Newt's suitcase, a spot is visible on Kowalski's shirt (precisely on his left shoulder). As the sequence goes on, the spot disappears.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Newt Scamander: [whispers to his case] Dougal... settle down now, please.
[Dougal grumbles]
Newt Scamander: It won't be long.

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Crazy Credits

An occamy slithers into the film title to form the S in "Beasts".

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Connections

Featured in Film '72: Episode #45.8 (2016)

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Soundtracks

Diga Diga Doo
Written by Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields
Performed by The Mills Brothers
Licensed courtesy of Decca Records France
Under License from Universal Music Operations Ltd.

User Reviews

SFX pretty good, characters & pacing lacking.

It's OK, I suppose.

Good parts: Period costumes & sets were beautiful. Special effects were (mostly) very good, and the Fantastic Beasts were individually great fun.

So-so parts: The acting was only OK. Newt (Eddie Redmayne) in particular left me dissatisfied. Yes he's playing an introverted character, but I saw no reason for the bond he seemed to build with Tina. The MACUSA wizards & witches were extremely underdeveloped, including the President. Their hot-and-cold treatment of Tina for her interruptions made no sense to me either.

Poor: The editing seemed off to me, in a way I haven't noticed since The Chamber of Secrets. --- awkward pauses littered the film, robbing it of its momentum. Newt's interaction with some of the larger beasts didn't look realistic (e.g. his stroking the Thunderbird's neck). And I personally dislike FX-heavy movies where the Big Bad is some amorphous cloud (not as bad as Green Lantern, but pretty bad).

Final thought: why do so many large beasts have bird's heads? This seems to be a thing with Rowling ...