'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' captures the Potterverse magic

24 Nov 2016

I'm a pretty big Harry Potter fan, like really big. I mean I travelled to Italy with my sister in 2011 and, of all the amazing things we did and places we saw, I'm pretty sure we were most excited about seeing 'The Deathly Hallows Part 2' (the last Harry Potter movie in the series), which released in Florence during our trip.

That, and I just recently requested (read forced) my boyfriend watch ALL eight Harry Potter movies with me, from little kiddies to moody teens. Not too sure I cultivated the same amount of fandom.

So it was with a fair amount of excitement I attended the media screening of the latest JK Rowling offering, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ last week. The film is loosely based on the 2001 book of the same name by J. K. Rowling. Set in 1926, this movie is neither a sequel nor a traditional prequel to Harry Potter and the Hogwarts family, however, it is set in the wizardry world he is from and includes a few references to characters and storylines from the Harry Potter series.

'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' captures the Potterverse magic

Basic synopsis:

“Newt Scamander has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident, were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.”

Additional info:

“David Yates, best known for his work on some of the final Harry Potter films, is the director of ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’; with music by the acclaimed James Newton-Howard. The cast includes Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne as well as Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller, Jon Voight, Ron Perlman, Gemma Chan, Katherine Waterston, Samantha Morton and Carmen Ejogo.”

My verdict:

Look, if you’re seeking a replica of the teen action you found with Harry Potter you might be disappointed. This movie is quite different and aimed at a more adult audience (which makes sense really, as most Harry Potter fans are all grown up now). That said it really is “fantastic” in its own right, and instils that captivating magical charm of the Harry Potter books and movies.

The first in what is set to be a series of five titles over the next few years, Fantastic Beasts really sets the scene for the upcoming movies. Watch this if you’re a Harry Potter fan or even if you are new to the Potterverse. It’s an action-packed, enthralling adventure of wizards, witches, muggles (No-Majs) and magical beasts.

Accio wand!