"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" Movie Review

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them seemed like it'd be a rather dull spin-off. None of the trailers made me excited or even wanting to see the film. So why did I go see it? Two reasons: Eddie Redmayne and J.K. Rowling. I have never been so happy to be wrong. Turns out, the film was rather, for lack of a better word, fantastic.

The story follows Newt Scamander, a wizard who was travelling from London to New York. His luggage? Why, a magic briefcase full of all manner of rare, unique, and incredible creatures. One of them escapes in the bank and, while attempting to catch it, Newt meets Jacob Kowalski, a Muggle on his way to the loan office to try and get a loan in order to start up his bakery. Jacob is soon pulled into the wizard's world of magic as they try to catch the beasts that managed to escape. A far greater turmoil awaits the men at the end of their journey which will test their wills, strengths, and loyalty.

The acting was perfectly paced, led by the brilliant Eddie Redmayne. Colin Farrell brought a dark tone to his role, making him a mystery. You never knew whether to trust him or not, which made him all the more interesting. What becomes of Farrell's character is a huge twist indeed, one that will make jaws drop. Speaking of which, if you're paying close attention, there's a rather major Easter Egg towards the end, which excited me to no end.

The true success of the film, however, lied within the briefcase. The beasts were magnificently astonishing. Their look, purpose, actions, and habits were all displayed vibrantly and brilliantly on the big screen and, in most cases, stole the spotlight from the human actors.

In conclusion, this film exceeded all my expectations and made me hopeful and anxious for the next four installments. The only issues were the lack of emotion until the final few minutes, and the slower parts that dragged momentarily but nothing too hindering. I give the film a total of 3.5 out of 4.