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Fantastic Beasts

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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, is a must-watch for any movie fanatic, Potterhead or not. Its fitting score and enveloping camerawork draws the audience in, and keeps them there on the edge of their seat with a cohesive plot. The cast is directly reflective of the characters’ personalities, a feat for which the Harry Potter movies are well-known. Eddie Redmayne plays Newt Scamander, a British wizard who wishes to educate the wizarding world about thousands of magical creatures and their properties. He has kind eyes and a concerned demeanour while he searches for his escaped beasts. His caring and selfless nature is reflective of Hagrid’s, a similarity which Potterheads cannot overlook. Characters such as Tina and Queenie Goldstein, Jacob Krakowski, and Credence, are surprisingly fleshed out, giving the audience a chance to connect to them and appreciate their humanity. On the other hand, Mr Graves provides an antagonistic character, moving the plot forward with his less-than-noble actions. Most of all, the magic is unforgettable. The movie starts off with Hedwig’s theme, bringing with it a sense of familiarity and of home. The creatures are full of personality, each having their own charm. Their brilliant colours and extraordinary size, coupled with their names and their habitats, are reminiscent of the inherent magic of Hogwarts. It is impossible to not feel at home with the protagonists, especially for Potterheads. But even if you are not an avid Harry Potter fan, you will enjoy the movie for its thrill and its characters, and perhaps be sucked into the Potter universe at last. A must-watch of the winter season, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a stunning flashback into the wizarding world we all love, and a brilliant adaptation of a book that is essentially a manual rather than a novel.     Image Caption: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Movie Poster Image Credits: visitdunfermline.com     Vineeta Rana [email protected]]]>

Harry Potter fans around the world are always in want of getting that ‘magical’ feeling back. And what better way to tingle the senses than the latest magical flick of Fantastic Beasts! We all know how stretching a concept too far can make it lose its charm (Golmaal 4?) but this is completely different.  The movie scheduled for release on 18th November in India promises all the thrills and magic of the earlier Harry Potter versions.

The story is set in the America of 1920s where Newt Scamander (author of the textbook Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them) played by Eddie Redmayne, arrives in New York with a battered suitcase full of magical creatures. All hell breaks lose after it gets exchanged with a No-Maj (the American equivalent of a Muggle) Jacob Kowalski played by Dan Fogler who accidentally lets the creature escape. The Wizarding community is threatened to exposure by the magical beasts who run amok.  Running the risk of a war with the No-Majs, Scamander has the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) breathing down his neck while he frantically attempts to round up all the creatures. He is helped in his quest by Tina Goldstein played by Katherine Waterston.

Even as I apologize for ruining the storyline for the highly sensitive Potter-heads out there, here are a few interesting facts about the upcoming film:

Fantastic Beasts will be J.K. Rowling’s screenwriting debut. After having drafted three versions, the final version was sent to David Yates, who directed the previous four films in the franchise. With inputs from producers David Heyman and Steve Kloves, the script finally had the right balance of dark and good.

The Americans No-Majs are dangerous. The European muggles could be handled with a simple Obliviate charm but the No-Majs are not messing around. Wand wielders and armed police are seen fighting and on the brink of a war. Scamander’s little accident seems to have threatened the entire wizarding community.

Gellert Grindewald is back and there is a brand new Dark Wizard in town. Very less of Grindewald is known except for the fact that he dueled Dumbledore in 1945 and was held prisoner in a fortress. And this is exactly what Rowling plans on changing. With Fantastic Beasts, many aspects of the wizarding world previously unknown (and fantasized by fans) will be revealed. This alone is a dream come true for Potter-heads!

Finally, the best part. There will be four more films, that is, four more sequels to Fantastic Beasts! Director Yates has confirmed that he will be directing all four upcoming films which will also be scripted by Rowling. This has to be the best news for fans in a long time.

It remains to be seen whether the film can bring back the magic of old but as of yet, it looks to be holding all the promising cards. Here and hoping!

BONUS: Google has partnered with the film to allow Android users to cast spells! Just open the google search app and say lumos, this will turn on your flashlight! Say Nox and it will turn off. Silencio switches your phone to silent mode. There are more fun features you can enjoy. Click here for more.  

Image credits: cdmfansided, cosmopolitan.co.uk, laineygossip, maxresdefault, odeonfrastly, the geekianreport and warnerbros.co.uk


Arindam Goswami

arindamg@@dubeat.com