"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" is a welcome return to the wizarding world that you would think finds strength in its creatures but instead finds strength in its characters. This can be a good thing as much as it can be a bad one but for me leans toward the positive because of the sum of its parts.
Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), Porpentina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), Queenie Goldstein (Fine Frenzy) and Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) are the centerpiece characters of this film. This group of friends bring that classic Rowling wit and whimsy to the film. The film focuses on three main plot threads: the first is the search for mythical beasts in New York; the second, the rise of a certain dark wizard to power; and third, a mysterious dark force that has left a path of destruction in its wake. Redmayne and his cast mates play their parts very well. Each has their own quirk that imparts relatability to the audience. This is especially important considering the strong characters in Rowling's past creations.
Newt is an odd little man with a real passion for his creatures. Porpentina is a shrewd but intelligent and sympathetic presence throughout. Queenie is a bubbly, fun loving woman with an interesting skill set that I won't spoil here. Finally, Jacob is the clear comic relief who, in my opinion, has already given Ron Weasley a run for his butterbeer.
All the cast members bounce off one another organically with a clear attention to the script. The direction on the other hand is rather simplistic for the most part which is what tends to happen with CGI-ridden films (although the chosen frames and tints shift the tone appropriately).That, coupled with a host of subplots (wizards vs muggles?), take the focus off the fantastic beasts and constitute this movie's weaknesses. They are minor weaknesses, though, as the drive to include all these elements in tandem is a respectable one and works 90 percent of the time.
Overall, Newt's role is as a sort of tour guide through the world as well as creature encounters taking place. It satisfies a very different fantasy appetite. The main issue is, despite this, there are too many threads turning the camera towards them for the beasts to get their time in the sun.
When you start your movie with a main villain tease you know it isn't going to focus entirely on the creatures. Still, the efforts made are commendable in their degree of success. For that, Rowling's latest outing receives a solid recommendation from me. It's a good year for those enthused by fantasy.
8/10: Very good, quenching that fantasy thirst that "Doctor Strange" didn't already with a trip back to the wizarding world.
