Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

SPOILER-FREE!
It’s no big secret that adults enjoyed the Harry Potter series too, as books or on the big screen. This spin-off takes place on a different time-line – before the Potter events – and in a different setting, the city of New York, in our universe of 1926. Thus the fans of J.K. Rowling’s creation will immediately feel familiar with the hidden world of wizards amidst us muggles, yet several things are different – e.g. we muggles are called No-Maj. And in this setting several other rules are different…

Admittedly, this movie was a slow starter for me, the first 15 min felt like dragging on, despite all the absurd fun with the socially awkward scholar Newt Scamander and his peculiar piece of luggage, but then the movie gains momentum, and it keeps you mystified until the end.

One of the reasons is the wonderful cast, lead by the adorable Dan Fogler as the No-Maj Jacob and Eddie Redmayne as boyish-charming Scamander, whose brilliant performances alone make you wish for more spin-off adventures in the future. Hilarious and heartwarming – you’ll laugh a lot, and also cry a bit, therefore I recommend to pack some tissues. Although this movie caters to a different target group (age limit 12-13 years), it would be a bit unfair to claim that this is a “more mature story”, considering the amount of rather sinister content of the Harry Potter series. Voldemort’s raise to power would be a great way to teach 20th-century-history in schools, as perfect example of a fascist / terror / dictator regime takeover …

Anyway, teens as well as adults will definitely enjoy this movie. Not only because of all those fantastic beasts – some of them you wished to have as pets – and the richness of details (you probably only get to see on a DVD edition via pause / replay buttons), but the inevitable parallels you will draw to the real world when watching certain scenes, especially in the light of recent developments…

Summing up, great entertainment, the biggest disappointment that it’s over after 133 min.