From the moment I heard the Harry Potter theme play in the beginning, I knew Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them would be great. Harry Potter fans everywhere seemed unable to contain their excitement as November 18 finally arrived. And this movie did not disappoint.
One of my favorite things about this movie was that even though it's based off of everything Harry Potter, it still felt like its own movie. There were definitely some fun parts that were a reference to the originals, but producers kept them separate enough to allow the audience to enjoy this new storyline.
Also, how could anyone not appreciate Eddie Redmayne as Newt? I thought Redmayne did a fantastic job playing Newt. He perfectly captured the quirky, passionate, and slightly goofy personality of Newt in Redmayne's own style. Plus Newt's passion and care for all the magical creatures was so adorable, you couldn't help but love him just for that.
I also loved how they intertwined the two stories of what was happening with Newt in New York, and what was happening with Graves and Credence. They intertwined these two stories while also keeping the central idea of magical creatures present, which I thought was perfect.
I was also pleasantly surprised at how humorous this movie turned out to be! There were several moments where I found myself literally laughing out loud. Newt, Kowalski, Tina, and Queenie had such unique and different personalities from each other, that somehow they all worked so well together.
Lastly, what really surprised me was the ending. I should've guessed that Graves was actually Grindelwald (or at least that this had to deal with Grindelwald somehow since the beginning hinted at it so much), but somehow it slipped my mind. But what really surprised me was the surprise actor that played Grindelwald. I don't think anyone expected to see Johnny Depp! However, it was a pleasant surprised because I think everyone loves Depp.
This movie ended nicely as well. It didn't leave too much of a cliff hanger that would make fans go crazy, but left it hanging in just the right way. Of course we'll still be anxiously waiting at the edge of our seats for the next one to come out.
