Spoilers Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them: Discussion Thread
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Having seen the movie yet (work... 
), so I haven't voted in the poll, but going by the screenplay it looks like a fun addition to the franchise. Reminds me a little of an extended episode of Doctor Who...
Looking forward to the next film, which is apparently set during the late 30s to early 40s in Paris. Now I wonder what that could be about?
), so I haven't voted in the poll, but going by the screenplay it looks like a fun addition to the franchise. Reminds me a little of an extended episode of Doctor Who...Looking forward to the next film, which is apparently set during the late 30s to early 40s in Paris. Now I wonder what that could be about?
Saw it yesterday morning. Very impressed at the way the new story was laid out. There was a brief lull in between Act II and III but other than that it was MUCH better than II had expected, and I had avoided spoilers so the final reveal was very nice. Felt familiar, yet new to me. Very excited to see where this takes us.
I saw the movie Wednesday evening (16th) in 3D.
We knew the magical community from the Harry Potter books and movies. The location, people and time period however where very new.
I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next one in November 2018.
We knew the magical community from the Harry Potter books and movies. The location, people and time period however where very new.
I really enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next one in November 2018.
I really liked it! Exceeded my expectations!
I was pleasantly surprised how much this story was about Grindelwald. I did not see that twist coming at all. Well done, JK. I was also completely fooled on who the magic kid was going to be as well. I really liked the characters and the action and the setting and everything. Interesting that Newt was apparently autistic.
I do wish Colin Farrell was playing Grindelwald, though. He would have been a much more menacing villain.
I was pleasantly surprised how much this story was about Grindelwald. I did not see that twist coming at all. Well done, JK. I was also completely fooled on who the magic kid was going to be as well. I really liked the characters and the action and the setting and everything. Interesting that Newt was apparently autistic.
I do wish Colin Farrell was playing Grindelwald, though. He would have been a much more menacing villain.
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I thought those were the two most obvious "twists" of the movie. They all but spelled each out.
I'd just assumed that Farrell would have been able to sense if it was Ezra Miller given their intimate contact.
As for the other, since I'd already read that Johnny Depp was playing Grindelwald, and he appeared in the first scene, I just assumed that Graves was an acolyte to build up to GG for the sequel. I never imagined he was going to be the main villain of the first movie, which I assumed was more of a Hobbit style prelude to the actual story.
Don't get me wrong, I like Depp for the most part, but I really wish that Farrell was playing GG for all five movies. He makes a great menacing competent villain. I'm going to have a really hard time buying Depp as the ultimate evil. His 15 seconds of screen time already looked hammy, particularly with his comical appearance.
As for the other, since I'd already read that Johnny Depp was playing Grindelwald, and he appeared in the first scene, I just assumed that Graves was an acolyte to build up to GG for the sequel. I never imagined he was going to be the main villain of the first movie, which I assumed was more of a Hobbit style prelude to the actual story.
Don't get me wrong, I like Depp for the most part, but I really wish that Farrell was playing GG for all five movies. He makes a great menacing competent villain. I'm going to have a really hard time buying Depp as the ultimate evil. His 15 seconds of screen time already looked hammy, particularly with his comical appearance.
Finally got to see this today, and I really enjoyed it. It was great to see the Wizarding World from an adult perspective, and I loved the insights into the American magical community, though I wonder if things are still the same in the America of Harry Potter's time.
Given the way this movie ended, I'm assuming so. I do wonder why it seemed like so much of a bigger deal for American wizards and witches to avoid No-Majs compared to their British counterparts (who still keep themselves secret, but many fraternize with and marry Muggles), but I guess given the more violent circumstances American witches and wizards dealt with in their community's formative years, it makes sense. Speaking of which, since American wizards are forbidden from marrying No-Majs, there must be a lot more pureblood wizards than in Britain, although that also likely means there are fewer American wizards in general due to less breeding stock.
The friendship between Newt and Jacob was well handled, as was the burgeoning relationship between Jacob and Queenie. The moment when Jacob stepped into the Obliviating rain was pretty heartbreaking, but thankfully they ended the film on a hopeful note with Queenie appearing in Jacob's bakery.
I do wish that Percival Graves really was just Percival Graves and not Grindelwald in disguise. The scene where Grindelwald was revealed was, I think, the weakest moment in the movie, because it kind of just came out of nowhere. One second Graves is turning against MACUSA, then Newt subdues him and reveals that he was Grindelwald all along. No one even seemed shocked, or wondered about the real Graves, which, given his position in MACUSA, felt very odd. I think it would have been better if Graves had just been Graves, an American wizard fed up with his kind being forced to hide from the No-Majs when they should be ruling them. Then after he's captured, maybe at the end (or like during a post-credits scene) he's sprung from jail by Grindelwald and joins up with him. There were pro-Nazism elements in American society by 1926, so it certainly wouldn't be unrealistic for at least one American wizard to think Grindelwald has the right idea.
Regardless, I'm excited for the sequel. I'm guessing it will jump forward in time a bit, though I hope not quite all the way to the late '30s or early '40s, seems like a little soon to jump straight into World War II from the perspective of the Wizarding World. And I do hope they don't try to come up with a title including "Fantastic Beasts" for each movie. It worked perfectly in this one but it seems a little forced to continue the theme as the scope of the story widens.
The friendship between Newt and Jacob was well handled, as was the burgeoning relationship between Jacob and Queenie. The moment when Jacob stepped into the Obliviating rain was pretty heartbreaking, but thankfully they ended the film on a hopeful note with Queenie appearing in Jacob's bakery.
I do wish that Percival Graves really was just Percival Graves and not Grindelwald in disguise. The scene where Grindelwald was revealed was, I think, the weakest moment in the movie, because it kind of just came out of nowhere. One second Graves is turning against MACUSA, then Newt subdues him and reveals that he was Grindelwald all along. No one even seemed shocked, or wondered about the real Graves, which, given his position in MACUSA, felt very odd. I think it would have been better if Graves had just been Graves, an American wizard fed up with his kind being forced to hide from the No-Majs when they should be ruling them. Then after he's captured, maybe at the end (or like during a post-credits scene) he's sprung from jail by Grindelwald and joins up with him. There were pro-Nazism elements in American society by 1926, so it certainly wouldn't be unrealistic for at least one American wizard to think Grindelwald has the right idea.
Regardless, I'm excited for the sequel. I'm guessing it will jump forward in time a bit, though I hope not quite all the way to the late '30s or early '40s, seems like a little soon to jump straight into World War II from the perspective of the Wizarding World. And I do hope they don't try to come up with a title including "Fantastic Beasts" for each movie. It worked perfectly in this one but it seems a little forced to continue the theme as the scope of the story widens.
I voted B. It was a solid, entertaining movie. I liked the main heroes a lot. The villains (I include the American magical government in that category) were a lot weaker, but the end reveal was pretty exciting and explained a lot of Graves motivation to me, since his motivation been confusing me up until then. The American Wizards are generally a-holes (like most of their british government counterparts, to be fair) and their weird laws were eye scratching (although believable when compared to actual things the US did/didn't allow at the time), but I liked seeing the Wizard world in the US. Overall, I enjoyed the movie and I definitely want to see the sequels.
Trailers: Moana (seems interesting), Sing (obnoxious), The Space Between Us (
) and Rogue One (
).
Trailers: Moana (seems interesting), Sing (obnoxious), The Space Between Us (
) and Rogue One ().
Read an interview where they said Newt won't be the star of all five movies but he'll be in them. Sounds like sequel may star Dumbledore? I would love to see them share the screen-time but I don't want to forget about Newt. I'm fascinated to see what their relationship is like, DD caring for and protecting Newt because of his disability.
My problem with this notion is that the European witch trials and the inquisition are mentioned in the Harry Potter books as being something of a joke in the wizarding world. IIRC there was even one oddball witch who enjoyed being burned at the stake so much that she kept going back for more.
So with that in mind, how are we to credit that Salem was such a terrible ordeal for them?
So with that in mind, how are we to credit that Salem was such a terrible ordeal for them?
One would assume that most of those that crossed the Atlantic in the first place were either muggle born or at least half-blood. So the US magi have only had a few centuries of this state of affairs, compared to the old British magical families that have stayed mostly "pure" for about a thousand years.
Plus of course like any claim of racial purity the "pure blood" descriptor is a bit of a misnomer as most of them do include muggle ancestry. Something the upper-crust traditionalists types are desperate to keep under wraps while the more liberal families like the Weasleys wear as a badge of honour.
Plus of course like any claim of racial purity the "pure blood" descriptor is a bit of a misnomer as most of them do include muggle ancestry. Something the upper-crust traditionalists types are desperate to keep under wraps while the more liberal families like the Weasleys wear as a badge of honour.
I was genuinely surprised by this. It loses some momentum in the middle and at times plays out like a Harry Potter version of Pokemon-Go, but the world building was very nice, the characters all rather fun and engaging and the Obscurious was a fascinating idea, well realised, both as an SF effect and in corporeal form.
Given I can't recall much of what happened in the past 4 Potter films (and don't recall enjoying them too much either), I didn't hold out much hope here, but it was fun without being overbearing in its mythology and history like the Potter series became for me.
I just hope Depp's performances in later films veer back to character rather than caricature.
Fun, cute fluff for a Friday night out.
Hugo - 6/10
Given I can't recall much of what happened in the past 4 Potter films (and don't recall enjoying them too much either), I didn't hold out much hope here, but it was fun without being overbearing in its mythology and history like the Potter series became for me.
I just hope Depp's performances in later films veer back to character rather than caricature.
Fun, cute fluff for a Friday night out.
Hugo - 6/10
I saw it this weekend with the family and can report we were all very happy with the film.
I definitely hope there's more Newt in the future and I wouldn't mind more adventures with the sisters and the unsuspecting baker serving as our POV onto the battle that will likely develop between GG & AD.
I definitely hope there's more Newt in the future and I wouldn't mind more adventures with the sisters and the unsuspecting baker serving as our POV onto the battle that will likely develop between GG & AD.
Saw it yesterday and enjoyed it. It was a bit slow in parts but not enough to drag the story down. I wish I hadn't known Matt Smith was up for the part because I kept imaging how he might have done a particular scene but that's superficial. Redmayne was very good in the role and I hope we see more of him in the future. I would see it again.
I wondered also about the persecution of 'witches' in America. Unless someone knows something I don't we had a total of one incident in which about twenty people were executed and none burned at the stake which compares to how many 'witches' killed in Europe? I know we had mentions of the water tests but do we have any records of any 'witches' actually being drowned in such tests?
Yeah, I had a hard time understanding him. Still not certain what the names of half the creatures are.
I also thought it was a little strange that he'd hand over his bowtruckle to Gnarlack that easily, even if he did intend to get it back. (The bowtruckle was one of the names I did pick up since Gnarlack said it clearly.)
Speaking of Gnarlack, my first thought was that he looked like Ron Perlman doing an impression of Robert DeNiro. Then I read the end credits.
I kept flip-flopping on the kid (but my original guess was the correct one; I thought it was too obvious). Looking back, GG was not obvious to me at first (and couldn't figure out who the character was and what he was up to), but it became more apparent as it went. I figured it out before the people who were with me, right before the reveal.
You know, I keep having this odd thought that it'd be cool to see a building in the background on Central Park West under construction with Ivo Shandor's name featured. No emphasis, just an Easter egg. The time frame would be right, and (legalities aside) it would almost fit into the Potterverse.
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