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Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
J.K. Rowling's first direct-to-screen work (screenplay) is set in the same world of Harry Potter, albeit in the 1920's and set in America, New York City to be exact. Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), the famous writer whose book Harry studies at Hogwarts in the future, visits New York on his way to Arizona and is sidetracked when he tries to capture several on-the-loose "fantastic beasts." While searching for them, he meets a Muggle, or in America, a "Non-maj," a person without any magical powers who assists him in his search. He's Jacob Kowalski, (Dan Fogler), a would-be-baker, who, when he sees Newt's use of magic and the creatures he's tracking, is not scared, but amazed, and eager to help, unlike most Non-majs. These two are worlds apart but like each other and find common ground and have an easy-going relationship. Newt wanders around shyly, with a whimsical attitude about almost everything, and Jacob at first thinks he's dreaming but soon accepts the other world he's stumbled into. There are two lovely ladies who become involved with Newt and Jacob, and they are Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) and her sister, Queenie (Alison Sudol). Tina works for The Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), and is a demoted Auror who arrests Newt for being an unregistered wizard performing magic in public. America, it seems, it more secretive about the wizarding world than the U.K. and Tina takes her job seriously. But when the Congress and the President of MACUSA are not interested in Tina's arrest of Newt due to something serious and mysterious happening on a major level in New York, Tina is left with Newt in her custody. So, she does what any ex-Auror would do: she takes him home. Jacob is along for the ride also and it's at Tina's apartment where he meets Queenie, and the attraction is immediate.
Waterston is perfectly cast as the no-nonsense Tina who learns to adapt to Newt's sense of wonder. Sudol is a blast as her sister who is more than eager to break the rules, especially when it comes to a would-be romance with a Non-maj. The rest of the cast is fine, especially Colin Farrell as a higher-up in the magic Congress by the name of Graves---the name fits: he seems especially grave all the time; Ezra Miller is excellent as the troubled young man Creedence Barebone who is adopted by the very strict Mary (a terse Samantha Morton); Faith Wood-Blagrove is a fine young actress who plays Modesty Barebone, another child adopted by Mary, who is troubled also; Carmen Ejogo is beautiful but doesn't have a lot to do as President Picquery; the same goes for Jon Voight as Henry Shaw Jr., whose son's run for Senator enters into the plot.
The special effects are excellent, especially the madness of a furious force that threatens to tear New York apart; the effects of the creatures are fine and more often than not reflect the comedic tendencies of the creatures; Newt has a magical suitcase that has larger space than it first appears---the effects here are also great. There are mentions of characters from Harry Potter's world that will sound familiar to most fans and one character that appeared in older form in a Potter film also appears here, played by a different, younger actor. This movie is mostly light-hearted, except for some late-in-the-game seriousness, but is fine for the whole family. Directed with expertise by David Yates who, appropriately, directed four of the Harry Potter movies. Fun stuff.
J.K. Rowling's first direct-to-screen work (screenplay) is set in the same world of Harry Potter, albeit in the 1920's and set in America, New York City to be exact. Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), the famous writer whose book Harry studies at Hogwarts in the future, visits New York on his way to Arizona and is sidetracked when he tries to capture several on-the-loose "fantastic beasts." While searching for them, he meets a Muggle, or in America, a "Non-maj," a person without any magical powers who assists him in his search. He's Jacob Kowalski, (Dan Fogler), a would-be-baker, who, when he sees Newt's use of magic and the creatures he's tracking, is not scared, but amazed, and eager to help, unlike most Non-majs. These two are worlds apart but like each other and find common ground and have an easy-going relationship. Newt wanders around shyly, with a whimsical attitude about almost everything, and Jacob at first thinks he's dreaming but soon accepts the other world he's stumbled into. There are two lovely ladies who become involved with Newt and Jacob, and they are Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) and her sister, Queenie (Alison Sudol). Tina works for The Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), and is a demoted Auror who arrests Newt for being an unregistered wizard performing magic in public. America, it seems, it more secretive about the wizarding world than the U.K. and Tina takes her job seriously. But when the Congress and the President of MACUSA are not interested in Tina's arrest of Newt due to something serious and mysterious happening on a major level in New York, Tina is left with Newt in her custody. So, she does what any ex-Auror would do: she takes him home. Jacob is along for the ride also and it's at Tina's apartment where he meets Queenie, and the attraction is immediate.
Waterston is perfectly cast as the no-nonsense Tina who learns to adapt to Newt's sense of wonder. Sudol is a blast as her sister who is more than eager to break the rules, especially when it comes to a would-be romance with a Non-maj. The rest of the cast is fine, especially Colin Farrell as a higher-up in the magic Congress by the name of Graves---the name fits: he seems especially grave all the time; Ezra Miller is excellent as the troubled young man Creedence Barebone who is adopted by the very strict Mary (a terse Samantha Morton); Faith Wood-Blagrove is a fine young actress who plays Modesty Barebone, another child adopted by Mary, who is troubled also; Carmen Ejogo is beautiful but doesn't have a lot to do as President Picquery; the same goes for Jon Voight as Henry Shaw Jr., whose son's run for Senator enters into the plot.
The special effects are excellent, especially the madness of a furious force that threatens to tear New York apart; the effects of the creatures are fine and more often than not reflect the comedic tendencies of the creatures; Newt has a magical suitcase that has larger space than it first appears---the effects here are also great. There are mentions of characters from Harry Potter's world that will sound familiar to most fans and one character that appeared in older form in a Potter film also appears here, played by a different, younger actor. This movie is mostly light-hearted, except for some late-in-the-game seriousness, but is fine for the whole family. Directed with expertise by David Yates who, appropriately, directed four of the Harry Potter movies. Fun stuff.