Concur with your assessment of Colin, Vonnie.

I was especially impressed with his wandwork. He really made it physical and imposing.

Weird to think it's this specialized element of acting that only matters to the HP movies, but I thought his particular solution was fantastic. Others have tended to make it more balletic or like fencing, but I thought his was more like a whip.

I thought his was more like a whip.

Yeap. Everything about him seemed so concentrated and intense, with nary a wasted movement. I could also go on and on about his costuming choice -- those dramatic black and white collars on his vest! The scarf!

I could also go on and on about his costuming choice -- those dramatic black and white collars on his vest! The scarf!

I *lurved* that costume! So cool.

So, Newt is totally a Hufflepuff, right? And I know they were not in Hogwarts (and Jacob is not even a wizard) but Queenie and Jacob are also totally Hufflepuffian. Tina is a Ravenclaw, I think.

My main objection to Fantastic Beasts was how little the fantastic beasts themselves actually mattered. I'm pretty sure the A plot would have played out more or less identically if Newt had apparated directly to Arizona, instead of traveling for no apparent reason by steam ship to NYC first.

Also how is an eagle whose magical power is making it rain native to the American Southwest? Does JKR even know where Arizona is?

Well, it was a Thunderbird, so I suppose she imagined it might be around thunderstorms from time to time .

I do agree with you on the lack of Beast plot action, apart from the Niffler setting the whole thing off really. That may be something more important in future parts though .

I spoke to another person today whose heart sank when he saw Johnny Depp, and who wished he and Colin Farrell had traded parts. It must be a thing .

I suppose an advantage of being a casual observer to the whole Harry Potter phenomenon is not being that horrified when someone turns out to be Johnny Depp.

Queenie and Jacob were thoroughly adorable, and oh how I loved Ezra Miller (have done since Perks of Being a Wallflower).

Both Matilda and I were almost suffocatingly relieved at the end when we saw that Jacob's memories seemed to have been at least partly protected from the Obliviate spell (presumably by Queenie's kiss, since love is already established as the Deepest Magic in the Potterverse), and we'd be perfectly happy to see an amiably shambling movie or two just following them both around.

I found them both adorable. It's hard to make a character who is at heart just a good, decent person work onscreen, but I thought Jacob worked wonderfully well. His hopeful wave at the pastries when asked if he had collateral made my heart turnover with love.

I looked Jacob up in IMDB afterward because he was so earnestly, doofily endearing and because he looked so familiar but unplaceable -- turns out I had indeed seen him before, heavily bearded, in Hannibal of all things!