Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – review

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The most anticipated movie of 2016 has arrived, and neither fans of the Harry Potter series nor curious newcomers will be disappointed. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, directed by the ever reliable David Yates, and written by J.K. Rowling herself, is as magical and charming as the previous films in this franchise (the second most lucrative of all time). The iconic author’s first screenplay departs from, and elaborates on, Rowling’s 2001 book of the same name, which is a “textbook” written by magizoologist Newt Scamander.

The setting is no longer the beloved Hogwarts, but a bustling New York City in 1926. During the Prohibition era, Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) arrives in America in search of magical creatures to rescue and study. Extensive destruction caused by a dark magical force called an obscurus has left the city in a state of panic. As a result, the magical community is being witch-hunted by the New Salem Philanthropic Society. This group of fear-mongering zealots is lead by the fanatical Mary Lou (Samantha Morton). The awkward yet endearing Newt Scamander soon becomes the responsibility of Tina (Katherine Waterston), a disgraced former auror at the MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America). They accidentally befriend a clueless “no-maj” (American term for muggle) Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), and together they scour the city tracking down Scamander’s comical menagerie of bizarre beasts. Meanwhile, Director of Magical Security, Percival Graves (commandingly played by Colin Farrell) hunts down the obscurus with the help of troubled New Salem teen, Credence (Ezra Miller).

The movie speeds by as the audience is swept along with Scamander on his adventures. From capturing giant creatures in Central Park, to brawling with goblins in underground jazz joints, the action is as exciting and creative as anything we’ve come to expect from Harry Potter. The stellar special effects impress against the spellbinding background of 20s New York. More nostalgic and innocent in tone than the last number of films in the series, Fantastic Beasts is a welcome addition to the Harry Potter world. With enough references and trivia to satiate Rowling’s worshippers, it also injects new vibrancy into the series that might serve to win over neutral viewers.

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