If you at all are interested in the magical wizarding world of Harry Potter, then you will most certainly enjoy the newest movie adaptation from J.K. Rowling, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

    This spellbinding movie follows Newt Scamander, young wizard from England, into mid-1920’s New York City, New York. Upon arrival, Newt carries with him a suitcase filled with fantastic and mischievous beasts, and some of them manage to escape into the streets of the Big Apple.

    Newt and his non-magical (no-major) human companion, Kowalski, set out to find the precious beasts with the help of Tina and Queenie, two American sister witches.

    At the same time, mysterious disasters have been happening around New York, and the Magical Congress of the United States of America, also known as MCUSA, are trying to track and stop this source.

    The movie also follows a peculiar no-maj family, calling themselves Second Salemers, who are activists against wizards, and add to the hint of mystery and suspense.

   The main character Newt, an awkward and amicable Hufflepuff, will be a sense of familiarity to Harry Potter fans. The subtle references to the Harry Potter world that we all know and love seems almost nostalgic, as if remembering a childhood home.

    As an avid Harry Potter fan myself, it was nice that the movie made subtle allusions to the Harry potter series, but the references were not constant nor overbearing.

    Going into the movie, I had high expectations, which were certainly fulfilled. The film still provided the same atmosphere as the previous series, but still introduced a whole new world of wizarding.

    Being that the movie was mainly about finding the missing magical beasts, there were many opportunities for the movie to display it’s CGI and special effects, which were fabulously delivered. All of the beasts were creatively and well made, and greatly contributed to the atmosphere of the movie.

    Not only did the movie have high standards set for it because it was a J.K. Rowling film adaptation, but it was the predecesor to a movie seriese with a legendary music score. And, as expected it met those standards.

    James Newton Howard, the music score composer is also famous for his composing of the Hunger Games series, The Dark Night, and Snow White and the Huntsman.  

    Fans of every age, whether you’re new to the Harry Potter world or an old and familiar fan, will enjoy this magical, feel-good film.

Director: David Yates

Writer: J.K. Rowling

Stars: 4/5

Rating: 7.8/10

Time: 2 hours, 13 mins

Genre: Adventure/Fantasy   

(Information taken from IMDb)