Fantastic Beasts

So I just saw Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them. First impressions:

• I thought it wasn’t bad but somehow…I think I expected more. I don’t know why I expected better after Cursed Child, but… It wasn’t a letdown in the same type of way CC was, though, it just…I’m not really sure what the “more” I was expecting is. Maybe I thought it would be more dynamic? Maybe I thought the worldbuilding would be better/more exciting? IDK.


• The worldbuilding wasn’t terrible or anything, though. The beasts themselves were pretty cool. Especially the small, funny ones. The worldbuilding surrounding the American wizarding community, however, was pretty meh. I mean, I know that wasn’t the focus of the movie or anything but seriously it was kinda…odd at times.


• I loved Newt though? I don’t care if he’s a “Hufflepuff stereotype.” Hufflepuff stereotypes FTW, man. He’s just the sweetest thing <3 (Actually, I generally liked the four main characters, with Jacob probably being my second fave after Newt.)


• On a strictly fandom note: I’m a little disappointed at the lack of shipping material. (I’m a really hard sell on het, ok?)


• But the lack of the Compulsory Heterosexual Kiss at the end was surprising. Maybe because they’re planning to bring this cast back for the future movies. (Are they?)


• Depp as Grindelwald still annoys me.


• Back to fandom: the shipping preferences (granted, which might still evolve/change as more people see the movie) are...not unexpected for fandom but...somehow still kinda unexpected lol. I could have predicted a sizable following for Graves/Credence (especially after finding out that Credence is in fact meant to be an adult not a teenager as I thought while watching the movie), but I didn't think it would be the most popular. Also Newt/Credence is surprising? Newt/Tina is predictable, of course - your standard favored canon het ship. I really did think we'd get more Newt/Jacob? I know it requires working around canon love interests and the aesthetics aren't quite there - I guess? - but still. They'd be cute...


• I wasn’t expecting Credence to be a very popular character to begin with? Like I felt sorry for him but he was mostly kind of a non-entity, tbh. I might get more into him if/when I re-watch. The fact that I thought he was like no older than 16 didn’t help. (Although I don’t know if him being an adult makes it better or worse..I think it definitely signals that he’s even MORE messed up than I originally thought.)