Films - Films - Films

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the new film from the magic world of Harry Potter turned out to be just not the same, to say the least. It definitely leaves us with a lot of unanswered questions.

Finally! After the eight Harry Potter, or should we say, Magic films of the wizard and witches community in Britain, without, of course, a notable US American movie face, finally a magical story taking place on American soil. And with it comes the loveable accent of the US magic population, a before ever so neglected part of J. K. Rowling's fantasy universe. A few details of continuity might have been overlooked storywise but everything is done straight forward and amiable. So what?

Again, Eddie Redmayne shows us his humble demeanour which he also exhibited in movies like The Theory of Everything. You know, the not-looking-at-you-but-only-peering-up-shyly-and-quickly-looking-away-again mode. The servility, not in a bad way though,  but still so modest, self-effacing, unobtrusive, even meek that it hurts after a while. But do we want this manner of a hero in a story? Again and again?

Besides the disappointing fact that Redmayne obviously has less variety in acting than what we might have hoped for, the problem with the film could be that we do not know anything about the magic world in the US. We have no slightest notion who all these authorities are that we are confronted with. We never had the chance to visit Ilvermorny School for Witchcraft and Wizardry in order to learn it. Therefore, while not knowing the basics, we also do not know about good and evil in the US magic society, or its other shades. For example, do they really have to import a villain in order to fight one?

So, not knowing nothing, we can hardly fear for the people we scarcely get to know or be angry with one or the other, or engage in a movement for their rights. It's just not our magic world anymore, that we Muggles had gotten some insight to, since that was so much connected to Hogwarts and Hogsmead and Platform 9 3/4 or even the British scenery and it's life style that it just doesn't feel like being back in the magic world at all somehow.

It's hard to find ourselves in NYC now, even if we travelled back in time a few centuries. So, if at all, the feeling only comes back when special effects put a completely destroyed city back together again.

Yes, of course the story introduces us to some of the characters. Still, the most impressive character is not the leading one who shyly  smiles about, nor the villain who seems to run around not knowing what he's doing, but the only Muggle, who is not even allowed to stay friends with us since he is forced to forget everything in the end. Could that memorable bite not have made him immune to the rain of forgetfulness so that the magic world would have to accept him? After all, he is the true hero facing this chaotic world of witches and wizards with bravery and toughness.

Which brings us back to the US magic community of which we know so little. Who is who, and why is this or that important? Or which house would we have been in, and what do the houses stand for at Ilvermorny? And most of all, is Tina, the most boring witch of all, now the master of the Elder Wand? If only there was a proper book, a novel, to back up the film's story gaps.

You might now argue that the most important thing about this film is not the characters, or even the story but the magic creatures. An argument which of course the title would underline. Yes, we might have been eager to meet some of the creatures, and they are very sweet, everyone will admit that. But the creatures without a great hero and a great story would make the film a very extended double Care of Magical Creatures lesson. Then our answer would be very clear: When have we ever given Rowling the idea that Care of Magical Creatures was our favourite subject?

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