"Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them" is a retro spinoff from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter world. It is directed by David Yates and stars Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander a magizoologist and the clumsy hero of the story.
"Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them" is set in 1926 New York. Newt arrived with a suitcase full of magical creatures. A couple of the creatures got lose after his run-in with Jacob Kowalski played by Dan Figler.
There was a rise in anti-wizard sentiment in the movie "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them." A former investigator of the USA's Magical Congress, Tina Goldstein, played by Katherine Waterston, brings in Newt to avoid a possible conflict between wizards and the No-Maj or non-magical community. They soon needed to team up when a mysterious force, more bothersome than Newt's escaped pets, arisen.
According to critic Brian Truit of USA Today, he felt like "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them" crammed up too much story in two hours, just like most firsts in franchises. Other than Newt's zoo, a group of Second Salemers is creating trouble for the magic folk. There's Credence Barebone played by Ezra Miller secretly meeting Percival Graves played by Colin Farrell, a manipulative MACUSA security. In addition to all the fray, the bigger dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald also came into the story.
Truit further expounded that "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them" was lighthearted with inconsistent darker scenes. It also carries heavier themes like tolerance and inequality between wizards and No-Majs. The Redmayne-Jacob tandem worked its magic. Their friendship was the fuel to the movie.
The magical beasts are truly fantastic in terms of visual effects. The over-all production design of "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them" is top notch. Critics say that the theme of the movie felt more charming than the other "Harry Potter" movies.
The movie had lots of Easter eggs for the Potterheads. Johnny Depp's appearance amazingly blended with the larger than life story. Brian Truit concludes his review stating that "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them" will be a fantastic delight for Potterheads and other spectators. The movie is rated PG-13 which opens theaters nationwide Friday, November 19 with previews Thursday night, November 17.