Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Warning: This is not written by a "Harry Potter "fan.

In the wake of the upcoming J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World film "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald", let's quickly remind ourselves of what this "Harry Potter" spin-off franchise is all about. When the decision comes to revive an iconic and magical environment with various characters and timelines, fans expect nothing but a successful re-embodiment of their enchanting past. For the record, my fandom with "Harry Potter" is nothing compared to even the most average admirer of the franchise; however, I do recognize the cultural impact that emanates from the so-called Hogwarts and many of its spell-casters. After all, everything began in Hogwarts. Under such circumstances, a great majority of the world population would know the wonders of wizardry when they see it and finding a person who's never heard of "Harry Potter" would be rare. In such a case, "Fantastic Beasts" simply uses a different method of delivering magical wonders to the audience. Instead of displaying traditional spell-casting coupled with boastful swings of the wand, "Fantastic Beasts" primarily relies on, as you may have already guessed, magical beasts.

The story is set at least 50 years before "Harry Potter" was even born. We are introduced to a brand new character named Newt Scamandar (Eddie Redmayne), a Hufflepuff "magizoologist" who was expelled from Hogwarts following an incident with one of his creatures. On his way to Arizona, he carries a suitcase that contains various beasts and as a typical narrative would go, a few of them escape and run rampant in New York so on and so forth. Things get really interesting when Scamandar unveils the existence of a mysterious creature named "Obscurus", which manifests in gifted children who suppress their magical abilities. It is at this point where the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (listed as one of the "Most Dangerous Dark Wizards of All Time", second to Voldemort) attempts to harness the destructive nature of Obscurus from the abused children. As a magizoologist, it becomes incumbent on Scamandar and his expertise to save those children from succumbing to the dark side of the force magic and ultimately, save New York from destruction. The second "Fantastic Beasts" film picks up on the storyline by involving Grindelwald and his evil intents even further. And apparently, the dark wizard's threats are grand enough to capture the attention of Dumbledore, who is much younger than most of us are used to.

There may be an evil figure much like Voldemort at play in the sequel, but the theme of magical beasts really repackages the whole aura of "Harry Potter" into something that is equally enchanting. This is largely due to the baroque precedents that the past "Harry Potter" films have set up in terms of the environment, the characters and the soundtrack. The charming music accompanying a huge chunk of the film alone brings back memories. When watching wizards gesturing their wands to prepare a full meal in thin air or flying to and fro on broomsticks at their secret headquarters while listening to the nostalgic soundtracks, it's difficult to perceive "Fantastic Beasts" any differently within the realm of wizardry. In addition, while New York or any parts of the United States is stylized in a much more modern fashion than "Harry Potter's" medieval settings in the United Kingdom, the ambiance is still highly captivating and feels magical nevertheless. The only difference is that the magic in "Fantastic Beasts" is more Americanized and the display of an experienced wizard amusingly interacting with very dangerous beasts. You can also feel the rich history behind the buildings of New York, which is partly why I thought Newt Scamandar, a British wizard, fit so well in an American setting. A lot of it has to do with the intricate set designs, the lighting, the costumes and colors as well, all of which are indeed worthy of "Best Costume Design" and "Best Production Design" at the Academy Awards. For avid fans, "Fantastic Beasts" should be nothing new at its core. But as far as bringing back the nostalgia is concerned, it does a fantastic job.

The sequel faces a challenge as to differentiating Grindelwald from Voldemort. For most fans or even the general public, no villain in "Harry Potter" will ever top Voldemort. As the trailer suggests, more attention is seemingly allocated towards Grindelwald and just wizards in general, as hinted by the inclusion of young Dumbledore. If the beasts are supposed to be as involved as they were the first film, the plot may run the risk of over-complicating itself and in fact, the premiere at Paris already garnered criticisms of the "needlessly complicated, low-stakes plot". But be that as it may, the writing has never been a serious issue for the "Harry Potter" franchise and I doubt that the "needlessly complicated" plot will have a devastating effect on the overall experience.

At this point, most fans are happy enough with "the more, the merrier" principle. The "Harry Potter" series has never been milking out one film after another like the Transformers franchise. Fortunately for the "Harry Potter" films, the producers do it the right way. Sure, there are corporate reasons to tap into a profitable fan-base once again and go for those numbers, but at least the company does it with respect. On these mutual grounds, there is every reason to be happy about the new "Harry Potter" spin-off that is called "Fantastic Beasts". Newcomers will discover a whole new dimension of magic other than "Warcraft" and be stupefied by the cultural influences of these films. And if they buy into it, there is no telling of what magical adventure awaits by retracing back to the very first "Harry Potter" film. But above all, "Fantastic Beasts" is a calling to the fans. It is a calling to bring them back where they have always belonged. And the fans have long awaited for this day, when "Harry Potter", after many years, would finally proclaim, "Welcome back home."

Off topic but, Dumbledore or Gandalf?