A Series Beginning On A Standalone Film

Rating: 8/10 (24 November 2016)

'Fantastic Beasts' as a movie, which holds great expectation and pressure to show the audience that the Wizarding World can exist outside of the Harry Potter series. There were undoubtedly like any movie - problems with 'Fantastic Beasts', yet I believe it is actually one of the best films set in J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World to date.
Let's start with the issues, of which there are a few. Now the movie, as most people will know is based off of the Hogwarts text book of the same name from 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'. The film is about the adventures Newt goes on while in possession of the creatures, instead of it being a book to motion picture film, like the Harry Potter novels. However, there is a slight problem, which is that J.K. Rowling is going to be releasing 5 films in the 'Fantastic Beasts' series. Now as heavily suggested throughout the film, this series will focus on the character of Gellert Grindewald - the second most dangerous wizard of all time. And as the films start in 1926 and end in 1945 (the year Albus Dumbledore takes down Gellert Grindewald) it is surely no surprise this is where the main story arc is heading.
However, if this series story arc is focusing mainly on the character of Grindewald with the strong presence of Dumbledore, then why is it that J.K. Rowling tries so hard to set up a story with four new characters in a new era of the Wizarding World, if only to discard them for a larger story arc. It would be the same if after 'The Philosopher's Stone' Harry, Ron and Hermione were cast aside for the story to focus on Lord Voldemort more than the trio. We are obviously going to see Newt and the others starring in the other films however, I feel that the series as whole would have benefited from starting with the characters it meant to go on with.
But now with what I found positive about the film: J.K. Rowling's script is what nearly every Harry Potter fan looked for in the Harry Potter film scripts. The Harry Potter films missed out easter eggs, references and scenes that J.K. Rowling wrote in the novels however, her writing her own script for 'Fantastic Beasts' allowed her to include all these things in the movie. The characters were expanded fantastically, it was fun for the child audiences, yet had dark themes, which fit for the adult audience. The links between 'Fantastic Beasts' and Harry Potter were well and suitably placed, as were the links to the further movies.
The film, as just a film and not the first movie in a series was a very good film that had likable characters that had depth alike it's story, that showed we do not need the trio or a remake in Hogwarts to keep the Wizarding World alive. It mixed real history in with a fictional world, while we were watching a film where you could connect emotionally further than ever before as no one knew what would come next or what would happen to who. Not to mention the visual and special effects throughout the film, which vastly surpassed any Harry Potter film before it.
Overall I was extremely impressed with the film as a fan of the Wizarding World and an aspiring filmmaker. It was a brilliant film to boot the fictional world into a new era, demonstrating there is more stories to tell outside of Harry Potter. However, although I do not disagree with the decision to make the film the first in the 5 film series; but I feel that 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' would have been a fantastic standalone film - or possibly trilogy that followed on with Newt's adventures. However, a series that will no doubt follow the story of Gellert Grindewald and the ultimate climatic duel between Grindewald and Dumbledore would have benefited from an opening film that linked more to this. Or even if it does, which I feel J.K. Rowling will pull off; is 'Fantastic Beasts' the best name for the series and the beginning name of the series?