Great return to magic, but not without it's problems

Rating: 8/10 (16 November 2016)

Newt and co. inhabit a 1920s era New York, trying to capture all the creatures that have escaped from his suitcase. In the meantime though, something far more dangerous brews in the city. One of the first things you'll notice when watching the film is how beautiful it looks. Stuart Craig has (as usual) done an incredible job with the set design, bringing to life a very convincing environment for the story to take place. I am no historian, but the atmosphere created by the buildings, the props, decorations and the environment in general all work together in creating a setting that not just looks like New York a century ago, but feels like it as well. Obviously New York isn't the only place the people go, and all the other places in the film are just as excellently made. This was all brilliantly captured by cinematographer Phillipe Rousselot, whose use of anamorphic lenses and some great lighting and grading meant that not only did everything look good, but it also didn't feel too clean, something which helps sell the 1920s look of the film.
The acting of the main four was also quite good. Not award-winning for certain, but definitely good enough that it doesn't detract from the film in any major way, and the consistency between the main actors means that no-one in particular really outshines their co-stars. It also helps that all of Rowling's characters are well defined, unique and excellently created. Every one feels like a real person that may have actually lived at some point in time, each with their own story, and all of them very enjoyable to watch. The character of Jacob Kowalski is especially useful in adding some much needed humour to what would otherwise be quite a dark and serious film.
Adding to the magical atmosphere of the film was the excellent music. James Newton Howard, who has worked on films such as The Dark Knight and The Hunger Games, has created a beautiful score that really adds a layer of 'magic' to the film (similar to what John Williams did with the first three Harry Potter films). It, along with the brilliant VFX, really sells the idea that we are taking a look inside the wizarding world. There is one scene in particular when Newt first enters MACUSA that is especially breathtaking. Speaking of VFX, it really is quite wonderful. Except for one scene, the CGI never calls attention to itself, and blends in seamlessly with the real elements in the frame. The one scene where it does call attention to itself is when it shows some humanoid creatures. The skin and animations aren't exactly believable, and it really detracts from what was a fairly important scene (for comparison, Kreacher in Deathly Hallows looked real, while the humanoids in Fantastic Beasts look more like Grawp from Order of the Phoenix).
While Fantastic Beasts gets a lot of things right, it's not without its share of faults either. One of the biggest problems with the film is its introductory sequence. It does a great job at bringing the audience into the wizarding community in America, but unless you already have a basic understanding of the wizarding world before watching the film, you may find that it is a little confusing at first. The film simply assumes that you know how magic in the Potter universe works and doesn't really attempt to explain much of it properly to newcomers. Another thing that also isn't explained very clearly is the Obscurial (don't worry, not a spoiler), and it reduces how enjoyable the film is because instead of being able to follow the progression of the story you may be left trying to fill in the blanks.
While the editing was decent as a whole, the movie would likely have benefited from a faster pace and also if it didn't adopt a completely chronological order of events. Even though the climax and the build-up to it was pretty good, showing some scenes later than they did would have made the end even better. The linear edit also means that when a certain 'big surprise' occurs, fans of the Potterverse might be able to predict it, which really takes away from what would have otherwise been the strongest part of the film.
Another failing is the ending. After the climax, the film runs for over 15 minutes longer, and during that time not much of importance happens, and that extra time would have been better used introducing newcomers to the wizarding world. Fantastic Beasts also fails to properly set up future films in the series – it ends as though it's a standalone film which really kills a lot of excitement for future instalments of Scamander's story.
With all that said, most of the problems in the film are actually smaller than I have made them seem, and some are simply a matter of opinion. And when a film is as great as this one is, nit-pick is all you can do to find faults. With enough humour to lift up what would otherwise be quite a dark film, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a wonderful return to Rowling's magical world, and whether you are a big fan of Harry Potter or don't know anything about his story, you are sure to enjoy watching this film (though if you are a newcomer I suggest you take friend to help explain some things).
8.2/10 – Definitely go watch it, one of the better films of 2016
NOTE: About halfway through the movie does get fairly dark, so be careful when taking children under the age of 12 (depending on their level of maturity).