Like many of my contemporaries, I am a Harry Potter fanatic. I have read all the books more than once, seen all the movies way more than once, and have longed for my Hogwarts letter my whole life. In 2011, the cinematic portion of the series came to a close with the final Harry Potter movie–or so we thought. In 2016, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them premiered across the world, and the Harry Potter legend continued.
Fantastic Beasts is a prequel to the original Harry Potter saga and takes place around 50 years before Potter’s birth. The series centers around Newt Scamander, author of the Fantastic Beasts textbook that is later used at Hogwarts in the original series. The second of installment of the spin-off premiered November 16, 2018. I, of course, saw it the night before it “came out” since premiere dates now mean nothing in the movie world, and it was amazing. Here’s why:
1. Eddie Redmayne
Need I say more? Okay, I will. The man is not only beautiful, but he is also insanely talented. He portrays the adorably awkward genius that is Newt Scamander with ease. He has been able to hold up this franchise on his own two shoulders, and led on with easy grace. Even if you hate Harry Potter, just come see this movie to support this angel of a human.
2. Callum Turner
Going into this movie, I thought no one could hold a flame to Eddie Redmayne, but I was happily mistaken. Callum Turner portrays Newt’s brother who is the complete opposite personality wise; yet, they compliment each other perfectly. Oh, and Turner is also one of the most beautiful human beings on the planet.
3. The Rest of the Cast
If those two men weren’t enough to convince you, the rest of the cast is stellar. There are a ton of new characters introduced, such as Zoë Kravitz as Leta Lestrange, Johnny Depp as Grindelwald and Jude Law as Dumbledore, as well as the return of all your favorites from the first movie. The cast has amazing chemistry and allows the viewer to reenter the world we all missed so much.
4. The Fantastic Beasts
One of the best parts of the series is the amazing creatures Rowling and the animators have created. If you fell in love with the creatures from the first movie, then you will be elated with the second.
5. The CGI
Falling back into the wizarding world is always an exciting time for fans. When it looks as real as it does in this movie, it is an incredible experience. The creators, editors, graphic designers and everyone involved in the creation of this world have one-upped themselves, leaving the audience feeling that there really is a place full of wizards somewhere on Earth.
6. Origins
If I fully stated why I loved this movie so much, it would contain so many spoilers it wouldn’t be worth seeing the movie anymore. If you are a hardcore Potter fan, this is the movie for you. SO many new and old characters’ backstories and connections are revealed in this movie, setting up for an amazing rest of the series.
7. It Leaves You Satisfied (And Wanting More)
Even though I would have stayed in the theater for another 10 hours, the movie moved quickly and succinctly. It had a satisfying ending, yet I cannot wait for the next movie to arrive. The over 2-hour run-time may seem daunting, but trust me, it felt like 10 minutes had gone by.
I absolutely loved the newest Fantastic Beasts movie and definitely recommend it to every Potterhead out there. Have you seen it yet? Let me know what you thought it the comments below!