DEBATE: Fantastic Beasts

I think this is a really interesting discussion to have among Harry Potter fans and can't wait to hear other's opinions about it as well. For myself, I found the new Fantastic Beasts film to be (while somewhat enjoyable) a bit of a let down.

I think a lot of this stemmed from the fact that J.K. Rowling's creation of the Harry Potter world, story, and Hogwarts in particular, were so carefully crafted, and painstakingly designed from start to finish. Everything had a place, an explanation, and fit into the larger story as a whole.

I felt the world of Fantastic Beasts and New York was nowhere near as carefully crafted, and really pandered to a younger audience, rather than an older audience who was not only familiar with the Grindewald story, but comfortable with the darkness that comes along with it.

To me, the film honestly felt like two hours of inconsequential sideshow to the main event (Grindelwald and the inevitable duel with Dumbledore) with predictable and generic villains. While there were undeniably very cute scenes, and Eddie Redmayne was fun to watch, knowing the Grindelwald story enough to know that Newt could have a limited impact on the final story, made much of the film feel irrelevant. While there's lots of running around and action, nothing really happens overall, and the most important information is swept under the rug in favor of chasing cute CGI animals around.

Because of this, I thought the character development (which I normally think Rowling does a fantastic job of--just look at how each book subtly changes their behavior to the age group they're now in) was severely lacking, as there wasn't any real conflict to overcome for the main characters. Newt was still Newt, Grindelwald was still Grindelwald, Queenie was still Queenie (though arguably the most changed of any character as she must deal with the loss of Jacob, though we've yet to see exactly how that impacted her) and Credence's fate is left unknown.

In this way, I thought the film really failed to balance satisfying the older audience, and reaching new fans. Many of the people I talked to who weren't big fans of the films really enjoyed it, but didn't pick up on any of the Grindelwald story.

Unfortunately for me, it was the real undeniable magic of Harry Potter that was missing for me. This film did not make me want to delve into the world as much as the original books did. If these films had come out first, I doubt I would be sitting on this site now, as the amazing development and immersion just didn't feel the same, and that was gaping hole in the experience for me.

However, that said, just because I did not think it lived up to the story of the Boy Who Lived, doesn't mean you still can't enjoy it. It is nice to see a revival in the Harry Potter culture, from both old fans and new. Because it panders so closely to a new, inexperienced audience, it opens up a new door for the reach of the Harry Potter universe, and includes a whole new generation.

Due to this new reach, I do believe it is important to incorporate some of the new lore and knowledge from Fantastic Beasts into HE, as this could be a real way of gaining and keeping new members. If a new generation is interested in the world (though this is yet to be seen to the extent of the originals, again harkening to the basic nature of the world) and characters, that is a perfect way to draw them in to the site. Not to do so I believe would hinder the ability of the site as a whole to continue to reach new audiences and adapt with the world of Harry Potter. However, I would prefer it to be an extra addition to the site, rather than a takeover, as it is Hogwarts and the original stories that has been the inspiration for me, and the site would not feel the same if that wasn't the major focus. It will be interesting to see how the world continues to shift and shape in the upcoming four films, and whether they will be able to balance some of the darker themes to a great purpose then.

You are bitter and I reject your notions! Still, here are 300 HP.