Newt Scamander travels to New York and must round up his collection
​of magical creatures when they escape his enchanted suitcase.​

FAMILY/FANTASY

Fantastic Beasts and
​Where to Find Them (2016)

Directed by David Yates

Written by J.K. Rowling

Starring Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler,
Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller, Alison Sudol, ​Jon Voight,
​Samantha Morton, Carmen Ejogo

Prequel to 2001's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Based on characters created by J.K. Rowling

Oscar Wins - Best Costume Design

Oscar Nominations - ​Best Production Design

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Connor Eyzaguirre

​November 17, 2016

8/10

The Harry Potter universe and fandom has grown to insane lengths, now rivaling the Star Wars and Star Trek fans. Needless to say, when J.K. Rowling announced she was heading up a prequel series featuring the American side of the Wizarding World in the 1920's, fans went ballistic. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the magical story fans never knew they wanted to see. It's the long-awaited return of one of the most celebrated stories in history, with enough fresh material and original characters to stand on its own merits and not just as a prequel.

Eddie Redmayne stars as magical creature enthusiast Newt Scamander, who will one day write a book that Harry Potter read in his studies. Redmayne is a decent protagonist, though at times he feels like a secondary character in his own movie. Alongside him is seldom-seen funnyman Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski, a No-Maj (American word for Muggle) who gets pulled into the action. Fogler steals the show as Kowalski, as it's the first time in the entire franchise that we've gotten to see the magical world through the eyes of a regular person. The rest of the cast feels out of place, especially Jon Voight as a businessman with zero impact on the story and Colin Farrell as the obvious bad guy hiding in plain sight. Don't get me wrong, Farrell gives a good performance. It's just hard to tell what his motivations are or even what his endgame is.

This film had a lot to live up to, and I think it delivered to fans and newcomers alike. It may not have the same high-end stakes or noble heroes like the original series, but it celebrates the incredible world that J.K. Rowling has created and gives us a whole new piece of the story to enjoy. I can't wait for the inevitable introduction of young Dumbledore in the sequel and his long-awaited battle with the dark wizard Grindelwald. For the past five years, it's felt like there was something missing from the yearly film lineup and now, everybody's favorite magical franchise is back in action.