Even though Fantastic Beasts slipped to number 2 on the Thanksgiving holiday box office (it’s hard to beat a Disney Princess with a boat and the Rock in her corner), it is still a bona fide hit.  Audiences are already clamoring for the next installment, eager to find out what happens next to Newt, his creatures, and his friends; however, some of the most exciting unanswered questions of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them don’t concern what happens next, but what happened before that case of critters took a bite out of the Big Apple.

One of the wonderful aspects of this new cinematic sojourn into the Wizarding World is its mystery. Unlike the previous eight Harry Potter films, this one is not working from a novel that has already laid out its plot and characters for us. Astute Potterphiles have, until now, not seen a film without knowing, at least generally, what to expect. As more of the story unfolds in upcoming installments, here are five thoughts on unanswered questions from the film that we hope to have unraveled in the future. Beware, there be dragons (and nifflers, and major spoilers) ahead.

[Read more…]

It’s a foregone conclusion that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will make a Gringotts-vault full of money this weekend and beyond, meaning that large numbers of people who are casual or totally uninitiated Potter watchers and readers will come out in droves to see the awesome CG artistry and to enjoy some nice escapism. Most of these folks are not terribly worried about symbolism and structure, as they just want to enjoy themselves at the movies. They will have a great time. They will love it. They will eat lots of popcorn. They will gasp and laugh and cheer. Those of us who do fret about things like symbolism and structure, who have read the Hogwarts saga repeated times, and who are seeking something deeper than  the extra-large tub of butter-substitute soaked popcorn at the cineplex will also find plenty to please in the adventures of Newt Scamander and his critters.

In the coming weeks, as more folks get to see the film, and we don’t have to tiptoe so much around spoilers, we will dig in more deeply to the plot points and structure of the new film, examining both strengths and weaknesses, making predictions about future films, and weaving in our usual deep-mining insights. But, in the meantime, here are  five aspects (since there will be five films) of the new movie that are sure to delight those of us who want more than a couple of hours of distraction and some thrilling special effects. Without letting any nifflers, er, cats, out of the bag, here are some reasons to love the new movie, for those of us who have already graduated from Hogwarts with full marks on our “N.E.W.T.s ”

[Read more…]