Harry Potter passed me by. Not on a broomstick bound for Hogwarts, but as a cultural phenomenon. On the book front, I’m more into fiction than fact. When the first film first came out, I was on the wrong side of twenty (plus VAT), childless and had more fantastical thoughts in my head than you could shake a wand at. And wherever the tide of public opinion swings, I generally run in the opposite direction. I watched the first one. That was enough.

On top of that, J. K. Rowling and I were on opposite sides of the Scottish referendum debate and her politically fuelled tweets and commentaries – including “I’ve heard it said that ‘we’ve got to leave, because they’ll punish us if we don’t’, but my guess is that if we vote to stay, we will be in the heady position of the spouse who looked like walking out, but decided to give things one last go.” – made me think that, like her bespectacled boy-wizard, she had been supping from The Goblet of Fire.

Personal and political points aside, I am glad to report that her latest big-screen creation, a prequel to the Harry Potter octet which is based on her 2001 book of the same name and marks her debut as a screenwriter and third outing as a producer, may not be as the title suggests fantastic, but it’s not far from it. Hugely enjoyable, appealing to audiences of all ages (the BBFC rating is 12A) including those who have ample or nada appreciation of the franchise, with a sprinkling of morals and references to political events of the day, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them is a sure-fire hit.

Opening with a scene of Armageddon reminiscent of 9/11 followed by a montage of newspaper headlines decrying a “terror threat” by a “dark wizard” who “strikes again” and ending with a shot of The Stature of Liberty under which a Daily Mail-inspired front page strikes fear into the hearts and minds of its readership with the bold-fonted legend “IS ANYONE SAFE?”, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were watching a documentary about the pussy-grabbing, wall-building, Muslim-barring President Elect aka The Donald.

But the “dark wind with eyes”, which is ripping up the neighbourhoods of New York and threatens to trigger a war between the underground Ministry of Magic and the non-magical community referred to as the “No-Majes” (which in Hogwarts-speak we are reliably informed means “muggles”) is not Trump or some terrorist organisation like ISIS, but a monstrous creature of unknown origin who we later find out is an Obscurus: a force for good turned evil after suppressing its magical powers which inhabits the body of a young child and lashes out in times of stress. Think The Incredible Hunk and then some!

Into the midst of this hurly-burly meanders Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), an eccentric young wizard of good Oxbridge stock who has crossed the Atlantic Ocean with a suitcase full of eponymous Fantastic Beasts. Many of which escape and their subsequent cat-and-mouse chase forms the bones of the plot. One of which, a giant thunderbird by the name of Frank who was trafficked in Egypt, he wants to return to the wilds of Arizona.

The two plot strands of hunting down the Obscurus and capturing the Fantastical Beasts intertwine with comical and colourful effect. One of the highlights being a slapstick run-for-your-life sequence through the leafy walkways and picturesque ponds of Central Park in which Jacob Kowalksi (Dan Fogler), a penniless soldier-turned-cannery worker with dreams of opening an artisan bakery, is pursued by an enormous Erumpent whose rhinoceros-like horn comes mightily close to puncturing his horizontally-challenged girth.

Eddie Redmayne is perfectly cast as the bashful eccentric Newt, with his trademark pretty boy looks, endearing vulnerability and all-round good-eggedness a winning combination. The supporting cast (which basically involves everyone else because Redmayne is virtually ever-present) are a delight, particularly Fogler whose physical buffoonery and facial gymnastics is straight out of Laurel and Hardy. And the array of Fantastic Beasts on show are wonderfully imagined and expertly created by the CGI team, all of whom evoke cries of cutesy-Newtsy-ness.

But there are lessons in life to be learned as well and J. K. Rowling skillfully avoids shoehorning them into the action, opting instead for subtlety, humour and a less-is-more approach to dispensing with morals such as: tolerance and understanding of outsiders and those who are different from us; care for the planet and the natural world; and, above all, let children be children. Let them play, let them imagine, let them dream. Though one double entendre used to describe why Newt’s relationship with Leta Lestrange was destined to fail sounded straight out of the Frankie Howerd school of comedy: “She was a taker, you need a giver!”

Titter ye nots aside, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them is a rare breed: a ninth film in a franchise (the first of three prequels), which is every bit as successful as the first – commercially, critically, popularly and stylistically. I only managed the first Harry Potter film, but given how much I enjoyed this spin-off, rest assured I’ll be in attendance at J. K.’s next instalment, which is due for release in 2018 and will feature one of my favourite movie actors who made a brief cameo appearance in the closing sequence. Appetite duly wetted!

Video courtesy of: Warner Bros. Pictures International

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Peter Callaghan
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