Fantastic Beasts Series (Harry Potter Spinoff Films)

[Roger]

There is literally no world-building outside of the UK in the Harry Potter series (note: there is outside of England. Hogwarts is in Scotland for example) aside from the mention of Durmstrang (which is supposed to be in Scandinavia but takes in students from all over Europe) and Beauxbatons (France). Even then, those are just schools with locations. I think Fleur mentions the French ministry equivalent once in HBP but that's it.

It all falls apart rather easily, JK is terrible with numbers and detail in general. As someone who was obsessed with reading all of her interviews to form theories between book releases it's something I noticed a long time ago. At one point she tried to say the magical (human) population of the UK was somewhere around 3000, but there were 40 students in each Hogwarts year (40 whose names she wrote down in Harry's year, meaning around 10 students per house per year).

Rowling has plenty of math screw ups but that one make sense: you got 40 for every year multiplied by 150~ minus unnatural deaths. you don't need alchemy to get crazy old as a wizard Aberforth, Bode, Bathilda Bagshot, Dumbledores OWLs examiner all didn't.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Also: It is going to take five films to find all of the Fantastic Beasts.




X

 

[ForceStealer]

Five? Feeling confident I see.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Nah, confidence is the prequel trilogy establishing where to find them.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Johnny Depp is apparently going to be in the sequel: http://io9.gizmodo.com/johnny-depp-is-joining-the-wizarding-world-of-harry-pot-1788467770




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[X-SOLDIER]

Holy Christ. This movie had NO BUSINESS being as spectacular as it was. I can see why they felt so confident. I just…. Wow.




X

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Any thoughts as to why the Rotten Tomatoes rating isn't quite as glowing as yours?

 

[Flare]

Do you mean the Fantastic Beasts movie, X? I didn't even know it was out yet. I kind of stayed away from trailers and stuff and figured I'd just watch it later at some point; didn't want to get hyped up just because it was a Harry Potter universe film.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Yes, I am Flare (I'll change the topic title to be more clear).

To get to Tres' question, I think that when you're adapting material like Harry Potter, there're a large number of reviews that will look at how well you captured that adaptation, because it's already well-loved. The jury is already in on the story itself, and is assisted somewhat by nostalgia for them.

If there were already a Fantastic Beasts book, I assume that you'd have a lot of reviewers doing the same, but instead they're viewing it like something new and not only casting judgement on their opinion of the story, setting, & characters but also its portrayal.

Insofar as my opinion?

I'm not an enormous Harry Potter fan. I read a couple of the books and properly enjoyed the movies, but they're VERY much centered around the single prophetic hero which is interesting to a point, and as I've said in other places when talking about films – I'm 100% more of a world-building fan than I am of character-driven plots.

This movie is basically giving a window into how 1926 America deals with the setting and makes the wizarding world feel bigger and more real than ANY of the Harry Potter films did for me, not to mention we get to spend it seeing and learning about all sorts of magical creatures that are all spectacular. Add to that the fact that I absolutely LOVED all of the main characters and genuinely cared about them as soon as they were introduced and the movie balances its humor, dark pain, and emotional moments really damn well, I just don't have any reason not to like it more than Harry Potter.

It does use the history of Harry Potter really well, and there're some excellent things to dig around at and speculate on, which is also one of my favourite things in any fantasy story so... yeah. basically all of that.




X

 

[Flare]

Well I do like the sound of that. Right, I'll be sure to check the movie out then. I was such a Harry Potter nerd I think I just didn't want to be disappointed, and I wondered if this movie was just being made to milk more out of the series. But the way you talk about it makes it sound pretty good.

Side note, I was pretty fascinated with Rowling's info on the North America wizarding school on Pottermore.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Oh yeah, if you're big into the Harry Potter lore and backstory and all that, I feel like there's a lot here for you, especially in the bits that end up connecting to other known elements of the general Harry Potter world itself. It honestly doesn't feel like a cashgrab, but really feels like there're more cool stories to tell in the universe.




X

 

[Lex]

I'm 100% more of a world-building fan than I am of character-driven plots.

This would be the real answer to Tres's question about the actual rating vs. yours then, because the major criticism the movie is getting seems to universally be that the actors play second fiddle to special effects and setting, and the plot is quite basic.

I'm a fan of balance between character driven/ plot driven, but it's really hard to do.

All that said, I really think I'm going to like it. Can't wait to see it at some point, and glad people seem to be coming away with positive impressions . I too am a huge Potter nerd (or was) so I'm looking forward to getting more of a glimpse into the world. Books over movies any day though XD

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

I'm 100% more of a world-building fan than I am of character-driven plots.

This would be the real answer to Tres's question about the actual rating vs. yours then, because the major criticism the movie is getting seems to universally be that the actors play second fiddle to special effects and setting, and the plot is quite basic.

That would indeed explain things then.

This was pretty much the big divide between fans of "LOST" as well.

 

[Lex]

Omg I loved Lost XD

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Nicolas Flamel, the creator of the Sorcerer’s (or Philosopher’s) Stone, will play a role in the sequel.





X

 

[ChipNoir]

I am in no way remotely looking forward to another Harry Potter movie crammed full of distractions and no plot.

 

[Flare]

I liked the first Fantastic Beasts movie a lot more than I thought I would, so I'm definitely looking forward to seeing more I was just having fun reading some of X's posts on this movie again when I saw this thread pop up XD

 

[X-SOLDIER]

X

 

[Sprites]

I'm not gonna lie I'm super excited for this, but if feels like its been far too long since the first one came out

 

[X-SOLDIER]

X

 

[Ghost X]

Looks watchable

 

[X-SOLDIER]

It's a pretty movie but it's got some weirdly jarring cuts and pacing. It feels like the characters are there do do whatever the story necessitates, rather than the story coming about as a result of the actions of the characters themselves, particularly in one case, for me (spoilers). It seems to be missing the cheery spark of the original that I loved so much, and re-centering around other things at its expense – as intriguing as those developments may be.




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[ChipNoir]

It looks like it's trying to be the Wizarding World Movies equivalent of Prisoner Azkaban, skewing darker and more mature.

But so far it also looks like exactly the same sort of "Look pretty and do nothing" film the first movie was. Hard pass till it hits Red Box or Netflix.

 

[X-SOLDIER]

I'm curious what you mean by, "look pretty and do nothing" since this one was basically running its story forward full-tilt (at the expense of its characters, imo).




X