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:

Explore a new era of the wizarding world before Harry Potter.

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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:

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

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

In the 1920s, "muggles" was U.S. slang for marijuana cigarettes. This may explain why members of the U.S. wizarding community don't use the term to mean non-magical people, but call them "no-maj" instead.

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Goofs

In Mary Lou Barebone's initial speech at the protest rally, she refers to "the wireless" as one of the marvels of modern technology. That is the British term; a speaker in New York City in 1926 would have said "the radio."

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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

Referenced in Film '72: Episode #45.10 (2016)

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Soundtracks

You're The Cream In My Coffee
Written by Buddy G. DeSylva, Lew Brown and Ray Henderson
Performed by Ruth Etting
Licensed courtesy of Wyastone Estate Limited, Trading as Retrospective

User Reviews

Twizard Rating: 93

A lot has changed since the first Harry Potter film was released in 2001. Heck, a lot has changed since the LAST Harry Potter film was released in 2011. The franchise helped change our modern interpretation of what a film series can be. And this prequel spin-off is proof of that. While this isn't a Harry Potter movie, it's part of the same world.

In the 15 years since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, blockbuster films have become consistently good. Critically acclaimed. It's not just popcorn entertainment anymore--we have higher expectations. And as the blockbusters strive for the quality of the more highbrow indie offerings being nominated for Oscars, they begin resembling them in a way.

The Harry Potter films, especially the first few, had a sort of snappy storytelling to them. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them does not. It's much slower like the later films in the previous series. Yet, the difference is, this is the setup to the next four films. By the time we got to the last few Harry Potter movies, we weren't exactly looking for a brisk narrative. And I was hoping for this in Fantastic Beasts--albeit, probably unrealistically.

Set in 1926, an English wizard, Newt (Eddie Redmayne), comes to America for McGuffin-like reasons (and unclear, at that). He gets into some trouble as some of the fantastic beasts escape from the suitcase where he's keeping them. As this is happening, he gets mixed in with a normal non-magical human, Jacob (Dan Fogler).

Other assorted things happen that are appealing to the audience. We get to go inside this magical suitcase and see dozens of unique creatures in this new expanded universe. It's really cool and aesthetically pleasing.

The movie is long and not enough happens to truly justify it. Instead of using the time to thoroughly explain some of the overarching story lines, the filmmakers spend it drawing things out. Perhaps because they feel like they have to.

Don't get me wrong, the film is great. It's thoroughly enjoyable. It does most of the things a good film should do. While the storytelling isn't quick, it's still very even.

This is what director David Yates is good at, as evident in the last four Harry Potter films he directed. Though Fantastic Beasts is missing the magical world that is Hogwarts, Yates knows how to bring alive New York City in the '20s and make it feel magical.

You will most likely enjoy Fantastic Beasts. If for no other reason than the fact that it's the ingress back into the beloved world of Harry Potter.And Easter eggs are scattered all around. Just don't go into it with the same expectations as its predecessors.

Twizard Rating: 93