Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Rating: 8/10 (27 November 2016)

I heard about this for the first time when I saw the trailer, and then I realised it was a new prequel series to the wizarding world of Harry Potter, I looked forward to it, screenplay by creator J.K. Rowling, directed by David Yates (Harry Potter: Order of the Pheonix, Half-Blood Prince, Deathly Hallows Parts 1 & 2; The Legend of Tarzan). Basically set in 1926, wizard Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is visiting New York, en route to Arizona, he carries a magically- expanded suitcase that houses multiple magical creatures. While exploring Newt encounters and listens to No-Maj (non-magical human, the equivalent term for Muggle), and the head of the New Salem Philanthropic Society, Mary Lou Barebone (Minority Report's Samantha Morton), claiming that witches and wizards are real and dangerous. A Niffler escapes from Newt's suitcase, he tries to capture it, in the process No-Maj cannery worker Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) mistakenly carries away Newt's suitcase. Demoted Ministry of Magic Auror Porpentina "Tina" Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) arrests Newt for being an unregistered wizard, taking him to the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA) headquarters, President Seraphina Picquery (Selma's Carmen Ejogo) and Auror Percival Graves (Colin Farrell) dismiss the case. While Jacon opens the suitcase and unintentionally allows several creatures to escape, a dark, destructive force called the Obscurus has caused several mysterious destructive incidents around the city, the force is inadvertently manifested by young magical children forced to conceal their powers, unleashed during periods of anger and stress. Graves approaches Credence Barebone (We Need to Talk about Kevin's Ezra Miller), Mary Lou's adopted son, offering to free him from his abusive mother, to help him find the host. Tina and Newt manage to find Jacob and the suitcase, Tina takes them to her apartment, with her sister Queenie (Alison Sudol) who is a Legilimens, who can see and extract people's feelings and memories, Queenie and Jacob are mutually attracted, but American wizards are forbidden to marry or interact with No-Majs. Newt takes Jacob inside his magical suitcase, where Jacob encounters many compartments containing various creatures, there is also a contained Obscurus that Newt extracted from a girl in the past, he convinces Jacob to help him find and capture the missing creatures. They manage to recapture the Niffler, and an Erumpent, they re-enter the suitcase, which Tina takes to MACUSA, officials believe Newt's Obscurus is responsible for the destruction, and for killing Senator Henry Shaw Jr. (Josh Cowdery), the decision is that Newt's suitcase should be destroyed, and Jacob's memory to be obliviated. Graves interrogates Newt and Tina, Newt is accused of conspiring with the infamous dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), Newt and Tina are sentenced to death, but they escape with Queenie and Jacob, the foursome, with a tip from goblin gangster Gnarlack (Ron Perlman), then recapture the last of the creatures. Credence finds a wand, Mary Lou assumes the wand is his, but his adoptive sister Modesty (Faith Wood-Blagrove) claims it is hers, then the Obscurus is unleashed, everyone is killed, except Modesty and Credence. Graves arrives and dismisses Credence as being a Squib (a non-magical person of wizard ancestry), refusing to tutor him in magic, then Credence reveals himself as the host of the Obscurus, who killed Shaw, and in rage it unleashes upon the city. In the underground tunnel Newt tries to calm Credence down, but is attacked by Graves, Tina knows Credence, she arrives and attempts to calm him, Graves tries to convince him to listen to him, Credence eventually settles into human form. Picquery arrives with Aurors, it is decided Credence's life must be forfeited to keep magic hidden, he is apparently disintegrated, but Newt notices a tiny Obscurus shred fleeing, Graves admits to unleashing the Obscurus to expose the magical community to the No-Majs, he lashes out, but is subdued by Newt, Graves himself to be Gellert Grindelwald in disguise, he is taken into custody. MACUSA fears it is too late to protect the wizarding world, but Newt releases his Thunderbird to disperse a potion, via a downpour, over the city and erase New Yorkers' recent memories, while wizards repair all city damage. In the end Jacob reluctantly agrees to be obliviated, Queenie kisses him as the rain erases his memory, Newt leaves to head for Europe, but assures Tina he will return when his book is finished, he also anonymously leaves Jacob a suitcase of valuable Occamy eggshells, made of silver, allowing Jacob to fulfil his dream of opening his own bakery, his breads and pastries unknowingly inspired by Newt's creatures, and a visit by Queenie seems to spark his erased memories. Also starring Jon Voight as Henry Shaw Sr., Ronan Raftery as Langdon Shaw, Jenn Murray as Chastity Barebone, Zoë Kravitz as Lestrange, Dan Hedaya as Red and Humans' Gemma Chan as Madam Ya Zhou. Redmayne is suitably eccentric as the magizoologist; Fogler is really likable as the innocent, perplexed and good-natured Muggle, and there is great support from Waterston, Farrell and others. It is a fairly simple story, a bunch of magical creatures escaping a suitcase that's bigger on the inside, characters try to recapture them, and there's also something nasty destroying the city, you are engaged by the massive spectacle scenes filled with brilliant special effects, but there are also slower scenes seeing the weird and wonderful beings that work really well, definitely one for all the family, a great fantasy adventure. It won the Oscar for Best Costume Design, and it was nominated for Best Production Design, and it won the BAFTA for Best Production Design, and it was nominated for Outstanding British Film of the Year, Best Costume Design, Best Sound and Best Special Visual Effects. Very good!