Five-Word Review: Delightful, Perfect Series Starter; Disjointed

Rating: 7/10 (20 November 2016)

'Fantastic Beasts' kicks off an all-new franchise in JK Rowling's Wizarding World, set in 1920s New York. Gellert Grindelwald has alienated old friend Albus Dumbledore with his extremist, revolutionary ideas and begun terrorising Europe. Dumbledore, meanwhile, becomes a professor at Hogwarts where his students include Newt Scamander, who is more comfortable around magical animals like Bowtruckles and Nifflers than people. Upon travelling to New York City, however, things do not go to plan.
Right out of the gate, this is a wildly entertaining and simply delightful film. Within the first minute the world and setting are perfectly established, and the Roaring Twenties NYC is gorgeously realised, with a very 20s feeling about the film. The best magic from the Harry Potter films is retained and expanded upon - one of the best things is seeing the wider use of magic outside of an education environment, and a particular highlight is a scene where a strudel is exquisitely assembled and cooked using magic, all seemingly in one shot.
And speaking of the visual effects, they are fabulous. Gone are the shonky creatures like Fluffy and the Cave Troll from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone back in 2001. The breathtaking visual flair is evident, from the intricate plumage of the Occamy to the Demiguise's silky coat (which is used to make Invisibility Cloaks). The standout, however, is the Niffler. A dragon-like obsession with treasure makes for some hilarious slapstick comedy where the adorable little creature, like a mix between a dog and a mole, rampages through a bank and collects a veritable trove of trinkets.
The plot, an original creation from Rowling, is surprisingly good, with some dynamic turns (though this occasionally gives way to poor pacing) and solid twists. The wider magical world is something I've been wanting to see since my first experience with HP, and Fantastic Beasts sets up this world wonderfully, with lots of space for future expansion. One thing this film does really well is kicking off a new franchise - there's a clear feeling that there will be lots of material for future sequels, and just enough teasing of some elements to be intriguing.
There are lots of nice touches in the film which really make it more watchable, from Newt's remarks about the Eastern Front of World War One (dragons), to the NYC-cranky-cab-driver voices of the house elves. Ron Perlman unexpectedly shows up and steals his scene with a delightful caricature of a speakeasy owner that is fabulously over-the-top, and overall the film feels separate enough from HP to work on its own but also connected enough to be accessible to fans.
The standout character is, somewhat surprisingly, Dan Fogler's Kowalski, a Muggle (No-Maj) who is equal parts comic relief and relatable schmuck. The rest of the acting is sometimes a little off, though Ezra Miller is fantastic and Eddie Redmayne seems a good choice for the role of Scamander. At first I thought his acting was sub- par, but I think the fault lies with the writers - whether deliberately or not, he is not characterised very much, though this is probably to leave room for expansion in the sequels.
In fact few of the characters have much development due to the often rushed nature of the film and its abundance of different elements, resulting in a film which is often disjointed and messy. It's also a little too tonally uneven, with some moments just being a bit too broad to hit home and clashing with its darker moments. It's at its best during its lighter moments, not taking itself seriously and having a good time.
All in all this is a must-watch for any HP fan, and should be a delightful watch for any viewer. Despite its flaws, it's a very solid start to a franchise which I hope will be just as good as its predecessor. 79/100.