Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them

Best Harry Potter-movie ever!

Since it was my sisters birthday she wanted to see this movie so you have to participate in the family homecomings. And I gotta say, it was a good movie. Taking place in 1926 it follows Newt, a British wizard who arrives in New York with a suitcase filled with strange animals and beast as he tries to protect them from both the muggles and wizards. Unfortunately he arrives at a time when New York is gripped by attacks from an unseen monster which the wizards (looking like a 1920's FBI, but with magic) tries to hunt down when the muggles believed it to be some kind of gas leaks or unstable buildings. By accident a muggle named Jacob switches his own suitcase with Newts and unleashes some of the beasts inside and one even happens to bite him. Newt on the other hand is arrested by Tina, a discharged aurora for breaking the laws of the American wizard community and risk them being outed for the humans. These three tries to get the animals back (together with Tina's telepathic sister) as well as find what is causing the destruction in New York.

For me probably the better Harry Potter-movie. First, the characters felt competent. Not a single one did I feel did something stupid out of character just to continue the plot, not the good guys, not the villains. I really started to dislike Harry Potter after listening to the books several times over and  every time I begin to feel more and more how stupid he was, obnoxious and stubborn that caused more problems then saved them. My other sister might complain that the American auroras killed of the main bad guy for the movie and chalk it up to Americans being stupid, but I can rationalise it. An obvious threat, murdered two people and another bad guy was looking to take control of him and his actions are a direct threat to expose the wizarding world, so obviously that was the only rational course of action. The beast was nice to see, and many good scenes with the fantastical element. Jacobs character was really good as a surrogate for the audience and you really feel for him making the ending emotional. 

The bad guys then, they begin with mentioning Grindelwald, the wizard that Dumbledore fought before Voldemort. I didn't get the beginning first as newspapers shows up about his attacks in Europe and then suddenly we see some wizards walking toward a castle and a wall of light blows them away, and I bought it was supposed to be a beast, but no, looked like judge Doom from Roger Rabbit. And in the end of the movie it made more sense I believe since it was Grindelwald who I guessed took the place of the main aurora boss Graves. Most of the movie I believed Graves to be a supporter of Grindelwald due to the talisman he gives and the hints about tracking down the other villain (and probably use it for his interest). But no, he is Grindelwald and played by Colin Farrell that turns into Johnny Depp. The other main villain is someone under the influence of an obscura (sp?), that is when a wizard suppress their magic and that takes a life on its own causing destruction and as known kills its host at 10 years age at the latest. And they build it up to be this girl in the anti-witches congregation where they are all adopted by the matriarch and beaten if they misbehave. But in reality it's this older boy who is shown being beaten, and Graves uses to find himself, but it fail. The ones killed have wronged him and the ending destruction is when Graves throws him away since he believes it's the girl. I liked that twist.

The ending is that after the auroras kills the boy and Newt apprehends Graves and reveals Grindelwald he uses the giant "thunderbird" he was gonna release to distribute a forget me water in a raincloud that showers the city and that includes Jacob. And here it is the emotional part since you feel that moment. But it still ends good for him since Newt gives him some silver eggs to get his own bakery and then Tina's sister decide to join him as well and hinting that his memory might not be completely forgotten. Then again an oblivion spell doesn't really erase it, but lock it away since in the fourth book the ministry women that Barty Crouch sr. put a spell on to hide his son from her still hold the memory since Voldemort could dig it back and use the information to gain another ally. 

Liked this movie and would happily recommend, but if you haven't seen or read anything about Harry Potter it might be a tough sell, especially since Grindelwald is hardly explained within the movie and much you just have to make by face value. Still, an adequate film.