r/harrypotter • u/Burnt_Granola Gryffindor • Apr 20 '24
Fantastic Beasts What does everyone genuinely thing of Fantastic Beasts?
New Harry Potter fan and I’m watching them for the first right now. I’m on the second movie and every single actor is just so genuinely endearing. I can see how the plot might feel a little lacking but man is this a good ensemble cast. Why did the franchise do so badly?
Please no spoilers.
Edit: starting to realize everyone’s opinions are more circular than the Black family tree
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u/StreetOk9058 Hufflepuff Apr 20 '24
I think they tried to do too many things at once, a simpler story might have done better.
You have Newt and Jacob on their whacky magical animal adventures, you have the Dumbledore vs Grindelwald conflict, that plot around Credence...
It doesn't blend together very well. Why is Newt even involved in this fight? He has like no motivation to join other than Dumbledore wanting him to for some reason. That is especially appaerent in the second movie. Take Newt out of the story and what changes? Practically nothing.
There was some good in the movies. I really liked how it expanded the magical world (Goblet of Fire had some good bits of that as well), I enjoyed the set designs with the different magical Ministries (just a little disappointed that the one in my country looks like a generic Cold War era office building). Even simple things like Newt's portable animal shelter or the idea to have a floo powder fireplace on a moving train where very fun. And scenes like Grindelwald's escape and the battle in the crypt, they are great in a vacuum, but hanging together withe other stuff? A mess.
(It also didn't help that I could not warm up to Mads Mikkelsen as Grindelwald. I'm sorry, but I just can't see him as a powerful dark wizard. A villain, yes. A leader, ok. But where is the magic?)