Revisited - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

I love the Harry Potter series more than most things in my life. I love the books, the films, the story, the characters, the themes, and of course the world that holds it all which was both beautifully and expertly crafted by J.K Rowling. The series helped start my love for reading and writing which beforeI actually hated books and reading for if it wasn't for Harry Potter than I probably won't be writing this blog nor my novel right now so I have a lot of thanks to give since it not only helped set me on the career path I am on now as well as bring joy to my life when I needed it most. So when the final film released from the main novel series, it was a bittersweet moment for me as the story came to a close but than suddenly a new series was in the works and so a whole new set of adventures was going to be explored but there was one question that remained. Was it going to live up to not only the series itself that came before but also my own expectations?

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a 2016 fantasy film directed by David Yates. A joint British and American production, it is a spin-off of and prequel to the Harry Potter film series. It was produced and written by J. K. Rowling in her screenwriting debut, inspired by her 2001 "guide book" of the same name. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton, Jon Voight, Carmen Ejogo, and Colin Farrell. It is the first installment in the Fantastic Beasts film series, and ninth overall in the Wizarding World franchise that began with the Harry Potter films. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them premiered in New York City on 10 November 2016 and opened in theaters worldwide on 18 November 2016 in 3D, IMAX 3D 4K Laser, 4DX, and other large-format theaters. It received generally positive reviews from critics and emerged a commercial success after grossing $814 million worldwide, making it the eighth highest-grossing film of 2016.

The film was nominated for five BAFTAs, including Best British Film, and won for Best Production Design. It was nominated for two Academy Awards and won for Best Costume Design, becoming the first Wizarding World film to win an Academy Award. The first sequel, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, was released on 16 November 2018. Filming for a second sequel, as yet unnamed, was set to begin in spring 2020, with a projected release date in November 2021.On 16 March 2020, the same day shooting was to have begun, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted Warner Bros. to postpone the production.

In 1926, British wizard and "magizoologist" Newton "Newt" Scamander arrives in New York City. He encounters Mary Lou Barebone, the non-magical ("No-Maj" or "Muggle") head of the New Salem Philanthropic Society, who preaches that witches and wizards are real and dangerous. Attempting to recapture a Niffler that escapes from his suitcase of magical creatures, Newt meets No-Maj Jacob Kowalski, an aspiring baker, and they unwittingly swap suitcases. Porpentina "Tina" Goldstein, a demoted Auror of the Magical Congress of the United States (MACUSA), arrests Newt for breaking magical law. Since the suitcase in his possession only contains Jacob’s baked goods, Newt is released, much to Tina’s embarrassment. At home, Jacob opens Newt’s suitcase, inadvertently freeing several creatures into the city.

After Tina and Newt find Jacob and the suitcase, Tina takes them to her apartment and introduces them to Queenie, her Legilimens sister. Jacob and Queenie are mutually attracted, though American wizards are forbidden to have any contact with No-Majs. Newt takes Jacob inside his suitcase, magically expanded to house various creatures including an Obscurus, a parasite that develops inside magically gifted children when their abilities are suppressed; Newt extracted it from a young girl who died, as those afflicted rarely live past the age of ten.After they recapture two of the three escaped beasts, Tina returns the suitcase to MACUSA, but they are arrested, as officials believe one of Newt's creatures is responsible for killing Senator Henry Shaw Jr., who was actually attacked by an Obscurus. The Director of Magical Security, Percival Graves, accuses Newt of conspiring with the infamous dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, and decides to destroy Newt's suitcase and obliviate Jacob's recent memories. Newt and Tina are sentenced to death, but escape aided by Queenie and Jacob, who retrieve Newt's suitcase. A tip from Tina's goblin informant Gnarlack leads the four to recapture the last of the escaped creatures.

Graves approaches Credence, Mary Lou's adopted son, and offers to free him from his abusive mother in exchange for finding the Obscurus causing destruction throughout the city. Credence finds a wand under his adopted sister Modesty's bed, which Mary Lou assumes is his; when Credence is about to be punished, his Obscurus kills Mary Lou and her eldest daughter Chastity. Graves, assuming Modesty is the Obscurus' host, dismisses Credence as a Squib and refuses to teach him magic as he had promised. Credence reveals he is the real host, having survived due to the intensity of his magic, and attacks the city in broad daylight.

Newt finds Credence hiding in a subway tunnel, but is attacked by Graves. Tina, who lost her job trying to protect Credence from Mary Lou, attempts to calm him, while Graves tries to convince Credence to listen to him. As Credence returns to human form, MACUSA President Seraphina Picquery and the Aurors counterattack, disintegrating the Obscurus. Graves admits his plan to unleash the Obscurus and frame Newt, exposing the magical community to the No-Majs; he declares that MACUSA protects the No-Majs more than themselves. Picquery orders the Aurors to apprehend Graves, but he defeats them all, until Newt captures him with the help of one of his beasts, and reveals Graves is Grindelwald in disguise.

MACUSA fears their secret world has been exposed, but Newt releases his Thunderbird to disperse a potion as rainfall over the city, obliviating all New Yorkers' recent memories while MACUSA wizards repair the destruction. Queenie kisses Jacob goodbye as the rain erases his memories, and Newt returns to England. Jacob opens a bakery with pastries resembling Newt’s beasts, and when Queenie enters, he smiles at her, indicating that his memories may return.

Overall, there will be nothing that will ever replace the original Harry Potter series but I feel that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them did a great job of not only expanding the universe but also brining new characters as well as a interesting story that J.K Rowling does so well in crafting. Of course, the film is not perfect as some characters fall flat and some plot points feel forced but the film overall still feels like a Harry Potter adventure which can not be said for the new Star Wars films which feel hollow compared to its other counterparts. I would have liked maybe a story on the founding of Hogwarts or even Voldemort's rise but nonetheless, this film still delivers in my opinion and should be given a second chance by most fans as this film still carries the sprit of the past films and adds its own touch as well. I would recommend watching every Harry Potter film of course but try not to forget this one as it provides a good foundation for future films as well as give new life to a world we all have grown to love. This has been Revisited, thanks for reading. Ricardo Signing Off