Review of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) by Hmf_47 — 21 Nov 2016

Honestly, I'm baffled the by the overly positive reception this movie is getting. While it's not one of the worst of the year, it's a meandering and overblown mess that feels created out of a corporative decision rather than a genuine desire to expand a universe.

As someone that isn't very deep into Harry Potter, I felt quite alienated several times, since it seems like you need to be familiar with the lore to fully appreciate the story. David Yates' direction is merely serviceable, nothing more, nothing less. J.K. Rowling's script, on the other hand, lacks focus and sympathetic characters with discernible motivations (Kowalski and the mind-reading woman are completely pointless). The actors do what they can, but they can't overcome the limitations they have to work with. There are some attempts at cathartic scenes, but they're never really earned. What's particularly frustrating is that there are some interesting themes (immigration, repressed sexuality), but the movie doesn't actually develop them.