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From:TheBahamasWeekly.com Screen Scene Newt Scamander is an eccentric young wizard who will write the textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, but right now he has traveled to New York from London doing research for his manuscript. Jacob Kowalski is a factory worker with aspirations of owning a bakery and is a No-Maj who happens to be exposed to the magical community of New York City after encountering Newt. Porpentina Goldstein is a by the book witch who is a former Auror for the Magical Congress of the United States of America, demoted after a run in with the leader of the New Salem Philanthropic Society. Percival Graves is the Director of Magical Security for MACUSA who is looking for a creature causing a disturbance in the city which he blamed on Newt.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a good example of world building for the Harry Potter universe, since you can’t know where you are going unless you know where you have been. My problem with it is that it comes off as a foreigner's take on America with a very condescending attitude and while the main Harry Potter movies seemed more magical, this spin off is very alien. I kinda felt like I was watching a Men In Black movie, but replacing the aliens with magic and less charismatic character interaction. Eddie Redmanye did an incredible job with his portrayal of Newt and Samantha Morton brings menace to her character of Mary Lou Barebone, but I have to spotlight Dan Fogler and Alison Sudol for the beautiful budding relationship of Jacob and Queenie Goldstein. David Yates knows his way around the world of Harry Potter, but I get the feeling he wanted to stretch his legs a bit in the way he directed this prequel. J.K. Rowling knows the world she created and I always like the sweeping grandeur of the worlds she makes with a hint of reality, but certain touches in this screenplay seem heavy handed. The end of the movie brought to mind Jupiter Ascending which shows that certain aspects of this film could make any plot device work if you don’t over use it. I rate this movie a rating of 3 out of 5. In Theaters
See other reviews by Rouén HERE.
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