Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Colin Farrell
Directed by David Yates
J.K. Rowling’s hugely successful wizarding world is still in good hands on the big screen due to a stalwart director, a refreshing setting, and some talented lead actors in the Harry Potter prequel Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne stars as Newt Scamander, an oddball ‘Magizoologist’ and writer from Hogwart’s School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, who visits 1920s New York with a case full of magical monsters. Yes, several of the animals escape, leading to various thrilling chase sequences, but a more sinister element to the story takes the form of a mysterious dark entity terrorizing the city.
Considering David Yates helmed the final four Potter films, it’s no surprise the filmmaker has strong command of the subject matter and steps confidently back into this particular realm. Rowling herself penned the movie’s screenplay, which is both accessible to newcomers and provides enough fan service references. Redmayne is a sheer delight as Scamander, embodying his role with chameleon-like precision, and also has effective support from Colin Farrell, Katherine Waterston, a scene-stealing Alison Sudol (whose sultry character delights in reading others’ minds), and Dan Fogler providing some comic relief and physical humour.
The real stars, however, are the numerous creatures that appear throughout the flick. Thanks to stellar visual effects and imaginative conceptual designs, the beasts in the film are truly fantastic and dazzle the imagination. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them may suffer from pacing problems and a crowded plot, but it still contains many wonders to behold.
