Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is written by J.K. Rowling and directed by David Yates. This movie takes in the same universe as Harry Potter, set in the 1920s. Newt Scamander (played with upbeat charisma and charm by Eddie Redmayne) travels to New York, and some creatures in his magic suitcase escape, and he must search for them. The story has a pretty solid and fast pace for most of the movie. The ending did drag on a little bit long for me, and it probably could have been wrapped up a little bit smoother. The writing does have some of its weak spots, admittedly. Without giving anything away, one character had a bit of a plot reveal. As I started thinking about it more, I realized there were things that probably should have been added in to allow this particular moment to work. The tone also doesn’t always gel quite right to me. All of that aside, Fantastic Beasts does have a lot of strong moments to it. The characters are genuinely likable and relatable. The designs of the different creatures Scamander cares for are pretty cool. I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski at first. But Fogler puts a lot of heart into his performance, making the character work. I also want to compliment the performance of Ezra Miller as Creedence (a standout in the film). Here, his acting as well as the writing and directing, make a truly relatable, sympathetic villain. Despite the movie’s narrative flaws and shortcomings, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a movie that I really do have to recommend you see, especially if you are a fan of Rowling’s Wizarding World.

7 / 10