It seems like the J.K. Rowling and David Yates tandem has done their magic in the big screen yet again. The first reviews of the Harry Potter spin-off "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" are overwhelmingly positive.
The new movie offers innovations, but at the same time capitalizes on the nostalgia of the die-hard Harry Potter fans, Yahoo! Movies reported. But it will still appeal quite well among those who are not big Potter fans, but are into fantasy movies. However, the latter may not be very convinced on the notion of five series feature-length movies from this spin-off franchise.
There was much hype and anticipation before the movie was released. Along with these excitements, there is also a mix of anxiety that the spin-off may not match up to the original Harry Potter franchise. But the reviews have cleared off these anxieties, calling the new movie an inventive and familiar installment to the Harry Potter cinematic universe, Independent reported.
Eddie Redmayne stars in this movie as the young ideal Newt Scamander, an adventurous wizard who has a passion for collecting magical creatures. He is sheepish around muggles, or otherwise called "no-maj" (No Magic) in America, but he is a genius when it comes to the magical creatures. He carries around a simple leather suitcase with him.
But just like Mary Poppin's bag, it is far larger inside than it seems. Inside, it has a world on its own where magical creatures live. Think Noah's Ark, but for magical creatures. One disadvantage that the leather suitcase has is that it doesn't have a good cover, and the possibility of the creatures escaping is terribly high.
The story kicks off as Newt arrives in 1926 New York City. Costume designer Colleen Atwood also has some magic spells of her own with the lovely and believable wardrobe that the characters have in the movie. Somewhere in the hullaballoo of the creatures escaping, Newt's suitcase gets switched with someone else's, an unsuspecting no-maj baker named Jacob, played by Dan Folger.
As the movie unfolds, one can see that Redmayne has a magical chemistry with the CG creatures. Some character development and back story, however, may be needed to make the movie seamlessly perfect.
