Review of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) by Alex Y — 28 Aug 2017

I'm sure I've seen worse movies before, and will again, but for the life of me I can't think of any right now. Nothing in this film makes any sense. It feels like two low-quality Harry Potter fanfics being frankensteined together and granted life by the raw elemental power of corporate greed.

There is no regard for consistency of how the magic works, character motivations and qualifications feel like they're made up on the spot at the start of each scene, and all of the actors genuinely look like they have no idea where they are or what they're doing.

Even films this densely rooted in fantasy need something real for the audience to hold on to, yet there's not a single subplot, line of dialogue, or unfolding event that anybody in their right mind would consider even slightly "realistic".