Yes, we went to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, even though it is rated PG-13. Ed and I don’t let Lily and Emmy watch PG-13 rated movies, but we made an exception with Star Wars last Christmas, and made another exception this weekend (perhaps because I really wanted to see this movie myself). What did I think? Well, it’s a mixed bag.
First of all, I didn’t realize that this movie isn’t adapted from a book. J.K. Rowling wrote the 41 page Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them for a charity, and it is a “textbook” that Harry Potter used at Hogwarts. As I was reading an article on USA Today about the movie, I realized that yes, I am your parent that has this book in the basement, as a caption of a photo explains. I bought it, along with Quidditch Through the Ages, from Scholastic Book Club when I was teaching second grade many years ago. While I was a avid Harry Potter reader and read all the books as they were published, I didn’t have any interest in reading these little side books. The actual story of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is only available as a screenplay and is not a novel.
Since I read the Harry Potter books so long ago and have only seen the first three movies (Lily wants to read each book before seeing them), I am happy to report that you do not have to read the Harry Potter books to understand what is happening in this movie. The Harry Potter references are there but not critical. Lily reports that the spells were familiar and Dumbledore is mentioned once. Grindelwald is an important name in the movie; unfortunately I didn’t remember who he was since he has a minor role in the books, but it didn’t spoil my understanding of what was happening.
So, should you take your kids to see this movie? The beasts themselves actually were fantastic, and it was fun to watch them all interact with the main character, Newt. Some beasts escape from Newt’s magical suitcase, and Newt needs to recapture them. That alone would have been enough of a plot for me, but there was also a much darker plot woven into the script. The story line included fantasy violence and death which I was uncomfortable with, and frankly, was unnecessary. The ending was very ominous and would also be hard for younger children to understand. I think my 9 and 12 year old girls were okay with it, but I’m glad they aren’t younger.
The characters in this movie, however, were an absolute delight. I enjoyed “getting to know” the four main characters: Newt, Tina, Queenie, and Jacob Kowalski. Katherine Waterston, the actor that played Tina, reminded me so much of Maura Tierney, especially when she had a little mustard on her lip from eating a hot dog! However, I couldn’t find any connection between them, except for an adorable picture of Maura Tierney attending the movie’s premiere. It must have been just my imagination.
Overall, it was a fun movie, but if you are hesitant to take your kids to see it, I would recommend either seeing it yourself first or waiting until it comes out on DVD. If you have seen it, what did you think about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?
I am not big on Harry Potter (as opposed to my sister, who has all the books. In several languages!), but this film sounds like something I would like for some reason. Might be Mr Redmayne…
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Oh, yes, you would enjoy it very much, especially Mr. Redmayne’s performance. He was brilliant!
Still want to see this as I am a huge Harry Potter fan, but you are right as I thought it would be too dark for my girls and wasn’t planning on taking them. So, thank you for confirming that here for me 😉
Janine Huldie recently posted…How to Make the Perfect DIY No-Sew Doggie Christmas Stocking #Txt4Pet
Yes, I think it would be a little too scary for your little ones! But if you can get out to see it, I highly recommend it for Harry Potter fans!
My husband took my 11 year old to see it over the weekend and they both loved it. However, my son did notice some dark elements throughout and did not like that about the movie. Overrall, they enjoyed it! I won’t let my 9 year old see it just yet I think.
Yes, I was a little worried about my 9 years old in the theater as I was watching it! She was sitting with her cousins all the way on the other end of the row!
Ginny Marie recently posted…Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; a Parent Review
Thanks for your review! We haven’t seen it yet and so I appreciate hearing what you thought about it. I do quite love the Harry Potter world, so I am glad you liked it 🙂
Jen recently posted…My Teen: She Believed She Could So She Did
Then you definitely need to see this movie! I hear there’s already a sequel in the works, and the characters are just so fun!
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You’re not totally imagining it. When Waterston came on-screen, I thought Maura Tierney must have had a daughter! (Actually, I thought it was Maura Tierney until I thought about how long it’s been since ER.)
I found your post because I was looking for a connection, too; Google led me straight here. Haven’t found any other connection yet, either.
Ha, I knew I wouldn’t be the only one to see the resemblance! ER was longer ago than I like to admit. It used to be my favorite show! Thanks for your comment.
Ginny Marie recently posted…Dirty Laundry
I thought the exact same thing! That’s how I found this review. I really did think it was her, but couldn’t remember her name or where I’d seen her. Glad I’m not the only one who thought so.