u/Topsydney

It will soon be 10 years since the first movie came out in theater (and the last one four years ago). Time flies!

My inner fan has resurfaced in last weeks, and I've rewatched all three movies. Despite all their flaws and production issues, I can't help but enjoy them.

Some points I noted while watching them again.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is extremely enjoyable and "simple," ideal for getting back into the Wizarding World, although unlike many people, I don't consider it a "Christmas movie." The film alternates (somewhat clumsily) between funny scenes and more "difficult" ones, such as the scenes involving Credence and Grindelwald. I mean, when you go from a scene where Newt and Jacob are hunting creatures like Pokémon to one where Credence is being mistreated , there's a kind of imbalance. The dichotomy doesn't work very well sometimes. This reminds me of a scene from when I saw it in theater: the one where Credence takes off his belt to get beaten by his adoptive mother; I remember being extremely uncomfortable. Speaking of Credence, after watching all three films, I think he's the perfect blend of Rey (search for identity that leads to surprising family revelations) and Kylo Ren (do I need to say more?) Also if they'd had a child, it probably would have looked like Credence. Otherwise, the movie is visually stunning and features an introduction of incredibly interesting characters and really cool creatures.

[ Removed by Reddit in response to a copyright notice. ]

It will soon be 10 years since the first movie came out in theater (and the last one four years ago). Time flies!

My inner fan has resurfaced in last weeks, and I've rewatched all three movies. Despite all their flaws and production issues, I can't help but enjoy them.

Some points I noted while watching them again.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is extremely enjoyable and "simple," ideal for getting back into the Wizarding World, although unlike many people, I don't consider it a "Christmas movie." The film alternates (somewhat clumsily) between funny scenes and more "difficult" ones, such as the scenes involving Credence and Grindelwald. I mean, when you go from a scene where Newt and Jacob are hunting creatures like Pokémon to one where Credence is being mistreated, there's a kind of imbalance. The dichotomy doesn't work very well sometimes. This reminds me of a scene from when I saw it in theater: the one where Credence takes off his belt to get beaten by his adoptive mother; I remember being extremely uncomfortable. Speaking of Credence, after watching all three films, I think he's the perfect blend of Rey (search for identity that leads to surprising family revelations) and Kylo Ren (do I need to say more?) Also if they'd had a child, it probably would have looked like Credence. Otherwise, the movie is visually stunning and features an introduction of incredibly interesting characters and really cool creatures.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: it goes without saying how controversial the movie is. Its writing is pure J.K. Rowling style, with themes she loves, complex plots, twists, and of course, Paris, which she adores. I find the movie a little less visually stunning, but the action scenes are very cool. I love the scene in Père Lachaise Cemetery; Johnny Depp is incredible in it. J.K. really went all out with this one, which was both a good and a bad thing, because although it's the most "authentic" film of the franchise, it objectively didn't appeal to audiences. This led to a rewrite of the script for the third movie sadly.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secret of Dumbledore: although I enjoyed the movie as much as the other two, it feels less like J.K. Rowling's writing than Steve Kloves's. Which is a bit of my problem with the movie: I feel like we didn't get the movie we were supposed to get. All the rewrites, the filming delays due to Covid, some actors who weren't available… It's no longer J.K. Rowling's writing, at least not entirely. Besides, I noticed that she didn't participate in the movie's promotion, neither in interviews nor in behind-the-scenes features (she went to the premiere, but very briefly; I don't think she even went on stage). Overall, I liked the movie (good actions scenes, stunning sets) and I think it's a good conclusion to the saga. Some storylines were wrapped up, others weren't, but we can accept that. Ultimately, it's a "safe" movie in the sense that it doesn't take risks (unlike the second one), with too many exposition scenes and a lot of dialogue. However, it's very beautiful, and the characters are endearing. The casting has been incredible in all three films; there isn't a single miscast. Still, I think we could have had a very different movie if the second one had been well-received and if it hadn't been for Covid.

Sorry for my poor English. It's not my first language.

Here are my thoughts! I'm trying to revive the fandom a bit (although it was never dead).

What about you? I'd love to hear your opinions!