Reflecting on my childhood, I vividly recall the excitement of celebrating my ninth birthday at a local cinema, coinciding with the release of the very first Harry Potter film. Seated amidst friends, I could barely contain my enthusiasm. Having read the book, I found myself both eager and uncertain about how the story would unfold on screen. A moment later, the theater erupted in a collective gasp as a distinguished wizard with a silver beard and a pointed hat graced us with his presence—an indelible impression that I wish the younger generation, introduced to the world of Harry Potter through the Fantastic Beasts prequels, could have shared.
However, the beginning of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them starkly contrasts with that iconic moment. Instead of a grand introduction, the film opens with a character dressed in the mundane apparel of the time. Newt Scamander, while outfitted in an eccentric bow-tie, hardly represents the magical wizarding world. In fact, it’s challenging to identify any character in the Fantastic Beasts series who embodies the wizardly allure of Albus Dumbledore as he did on that memorable night in Privet Drive.
Fantastic Beasts: Wizards Dressed as Muggles
Even Dumbledore and McGonagall forgo Wizarding Attire
In stark contrast to the original Harry Potter series, where witches and wizards consistently donned dark robes and pointed hats, the principal characters in the Fantastic Beasts franchise appear in contemporary clothing. For example, in Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald, Johnny Depp’s character, Grindelwald, sports a triple-breasted coat reminiscent of the Napoleonic era, but it does little to evoke the mystique of a wizard.
Moreover, the younger iteration of Albus Dumbledore, played by Jude Law, forgoes traditional wizarding attire in favor of a dapper three-piece suit. While this lends him a sophisticated appearance, it strays from the magical world established in the Harry Potter films. The flashback Dumbledore we witness in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is adorned with proper robes and hat, a detail that diminishes the continuity of his character in the subsequent prequels.
Minerva McGonagall, similarly, is always seen in her classic wizardly garb in the original series. Even while teaching the Gryffindor students to dance in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, she retains her robes. The absence of this attire for both her character and Dumbledore in the earlier films raises questions about the consistency of the universe across timelines, especially considering their adherence to tradition in later years.
Harry Potter’s Opening Scene Contradicts Fantastic Beasts
Wizards in Robes Amid Muggle Surroundings
Critically, in the very opening of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, both Professor Dumbledore and McGonagall arrive at the Dursleys’ doorstep on Privet Drive, attired in their wizard robes, despite being in a wholly Muggle neighborhood. This pivotal moment serves as the initial touch of magic for millions of viewers worldwide as Dumbledore’s robes and pointed hat make a striking impression.
Professor McGonagall’s iconic transformation from a cat into a witch clad in wizard attire exemplifies the enchanting spectacle that the original series is renowned for. In stark contrast, the prequel films depict the younger McGonagall in contemporary dress, missing the opportunity to present that same magic.
The juxtaposition of the immediate wizarding attire in the Harry Potter series with the absence of such clothing in the Fantastic Beasts films underscores a lack of coherence. As evidenced by Dumbledore and McGonagall maintaining their traditional garb in a Muggle setting in the original series, it stands to reason that their younger selves—along with Scamander and Grindelwald—would also wear wizard attire, enhancing their identities as magical figures, regardless of the era.
Why the Costume Shift Detracts from Fantastic Beasts’ Appeal
The Lack of Wizard Attire Diminishes the Magic
Films set in the Harry Potter universe are not solely driven by character development and narrative complexity; they rely heavily on the strength of their world-building to immerse viewers in a magical experience. The Fantastic Beasts series falters in this respect as its costume design markedly diverges from the established aesthetic of the Harry Potter franchise. This choice detracts from a decade’s worth of immersive storytelling seen in the original films.
The absence of distinctive wizarding attire within the Fantastic Beasts universe results in a visualization that feels disappointingly ordinary. Characters like Scamander and Grindelwald resemble their Muggle counterparts, which dilutes the enchanting quality that once defined the Harry Potter films, even when those same characters appear throughout.
When viewers are not convinced they are experiencing a world infused with magic, the risk of disengagement increases, especially when faced with lackluster characters and convoluted plots prevalent in the Fantastic Beasts sequels. If J.K. Rowling’s original universe had maintained that sense of wonder, audiences might have more readily embraced these prequels.
Even if some subplots within the original Harry Potter films fall short, the enchanting world serves as a lifeline for the audience. We remain captivated by Harry’s journey because the visual landscape around him feels authentically magical. Regrettably, the same cannot be said for the Fantastic Beasts films, where the freshness of the setting quickly wanes due to the inconspicuous attire of the wizards and witches, casting a shadow over the legacy of the franchise.