Review of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) by Pipec — 18 Nov 2016

Scamander's Lumos Maxima Is Sufficient For Another J.K. Rowling's Heptalogy.

It was predicted by the selfsame Rowling: "If I have a sufficiently powerful idea, I will come back", it is. The return to the wizarding universe most acclaimed of all time was as logical and pressing as the return to Katniss Everdeen's Panem or a galaxy far, far away in "Star Wars". "Fantastic Beasts" fulfills all its aims with faultless expertise: conceiving the spinoff wished by all fanatics drawing on Harry Potter's rich mythology to forged a style of its own which stands out with power of franchise, introducing to the most apathetic or uninterested people of Rowling's writings and laying a consistent foundations for extensive franchise which has in front of its wand.

Seductive prequel begins in in the midst of the 1920s, in New York precisely, a period of economic prosperity. Magizoologist Newton "Newt" Artemis Fido Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) born in 1897, who was expelled from Hogwarts due to an incident with one of his beloved offsprings, does expeditions across five continents to register, protect—from the most dangerous specimens in the planet, "humans—" and categorize magical creatures in order to write a meticulous textbook of preservation about them, entitled "Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them" (with a foreword written by Albus Dumbledore: "Never tickle a sleeping dragon"). These trips take him to 'The Big Apple', where meets the baker Jacob Kowalski (Dan Floger), who accidentally takes Scamander's fabulous carrying case. That mistake ends with the catastrophic opening of the suitcase, which four celestial animals escape ("Night at the Museum" style). While Kowalski, Scamander, Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) — a police belonging to the 'MACUSA' — and her charismatic sister Queenie (Alison Sudol) are in the exhaustive animal search and capture, in Europe, malicious and powerful dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) causes great vicissitudes, which will be connected ominously with animal chase in North America.

The charm, excitement and fantasy projected before us were theoretically 'as if by magic', nonetheless, such magic is performed by explicit magicians. The first of them is who has been behind the art of wizards all this time, J. K. Rowling, who now holds the start of this new story with her own hands, since in addition to assembling almost naturally the new piece within Harry Potter's vast universe, wrote the screenplay of all the characters involved. British (screen)writer makes a well-built beginning as such; it's for that reason that first installment is crammed with information, narrative threads as: The Magical Congress of the United States of America (which is strictly dissimilar to the British), varied range of suggestive characters, meaningful range of facts, ambitious catalog of creatures and the presentation of who perhaps will be the king-villain of the saga (akin to 'Thanos' in "MCU").

Second miracle worker is director-producer David Yates, who was in the middle of Gabonese jungle with "The Legend of Tarzan" in July and concluded masterfully the story of Harry, Ron and Hermione with "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 & Part 2" in 2010 and 2011 respectively; he enigmatically returns to inaugurate a new and long chapter, which probably also will direct. His tremendous experience is imposed on the fluidity of the story, the refreshing and vital blocking and assiduous harmony of every complex aspect on the screen. It is open to view that Yates and Rowling are understood well and for the sake of their all 'muggles', that honest connection must endure.

Our third magicians are the art, production and boundless special effects team, they demonstrated some of their aces under the sleeve, the others are kept for future films. Simply by the imaginative, surprising and sophisticated recreation of the 1920s, radiant —and sometimes terrifying— creatures, thundering lightning flashes of wands, flying food and objects in the movie, parallel worlds of the suitcase of Newt and more are a compelling Academy Awards nomination. Maybe there is a little excessive use of CGI, but if the current blockbusters abusing technology for purposes like these, they have the clear path.

Lastly, but no less important, the true wizards of the story. Oscar-winning Eddie Redmayne wears the coat that made Radcliffe shine in his time. The new hero for a new era of magic has an inherent connection with his stooped over way of walking, his shy personality and bangs manage to create an overwhelming and interesting atmosphere. His team is equally effective, however, Dan Floger ("No-maj") is who amuses us and provides part of the comicality in the film, and in addition, gives us glimpses of silent film. On the dark side of witchcraft and wizardry, Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller and the short cameo by Johnny Depp become the subplot into something scary, creepy and not too suitable for kids— substantially, pointing out in the excellent performances and background music by James Newton Howard.

"Fantastic Beasts" fortuitously becomes us absent-minded of the original series, with a spin-off packed with magic, joy, new opportunities and surprises to come. The faithful muggles—or No-maj— of Rowling have a lot to be happy with the return to the essence of Harry Potter with a golden and striking wrapping which promises fabulous visuals, stories, and possibilities. Open that suitcase, we are on the right way.