Written by Jesus Figueroa (Thisfunktional.com)
Take another trip into the Harry Potter Universe, but this time the trip takes audiences back into history to discover “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.”
The wondrous imagery on screen is matched with a splendid story told with a different tone than the Harry Potter franchise established.
Wizard-writer Newt Scamander, played by Eddie Redmayne, comes to New York in 1926 where he comes into contact with a secret community of witches and wizards.
Redmayne is charming and grabs the attention of the audience by being bizarre and curious onscreen. This role was brilliant as he can play off of his supporting cast which dazzle at his side.
Newt comes into a No-Maj, American for Muggle or someone who does not practice magic, named Jacob, played by Dan Fogler, who unintentionally causes obstacles for Newt on his travels.
Fogler is part of the heart of the movie and with such an innocence and naive nature that quickly he becomes an audience favorite. Despite not having any magic, Fogler’s performance is brilliant.
To increase the troubles, a witch by the name of Porpentina, played by Katherine Waterston, wants to get back in good standing with the secret witch and wizard society and brings in Newt to turn him in for almost revealing the witch and wizard community in New York.
Waterston plays a fantastic female lead. She is able to fit well as a strange and quirky counterpart to Redmayne. The two actors mesh together well and create an enjoyable partnership.
With a brilliant story, which takes twists and turns to keep the audience’s attention, the action sequences full of magic and wonder have substance behind them.
The conflict only grows as the story progresses and keeps the villain a mystery.
Writer J.K. Rowling did a fantastic job of sticking to this Harry Potter universe well, but gives audiences a taste of how truly magical and action packed this universe can be.
Director David Yates keeps a steady pace going throughout, which is just fast enough to always feel like the movie is going forward and not dragging along.
The ending is surprising, it doesn’t matter how much of the story is figured out during the movie, there’s ways an element which catches the audience off-guard.
I give this movie 4 out of 5. It’s just about perfect. There’s so many good elements, great actors, beautiful cinematography, amazing visual effects, especially on a giant Real D 3D premiere screen, but there could have been more magical fantastic beasts involved in the story. It’s a movie that is worth paying the extra money to watch in theaters and every surprise will catch people’s attention.
“Fantastic Beasts And Where to Find Them” is out in theaters Nov. 11.
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