new and familiar

Rating: 7/10 (2 December 2016)

British wizard Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) arrives in New York with his magical suitcase filled with fantastic beasts. In America, a Muggle is called No-Maj. Newt gets mixed up with No-Maj Jacob Kowalski and they accidentally switch suitcases. Newt gets taken in by former Auror Tina Goldstein of the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA). There are disturbances in the world and dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald is suspected although lead Auror Percival Graves suspects a magical beast. There is also anti-wizard No-Maj Mary Lou Barebone who leads a group intent on exposing wizardry. Tina's sister Queenie takes a liking to Jacob.
The movie brings us back to the world of Harry Potter before his time and in America. Newt Scamander is a Doctor Dolittle type. Jacob is a fun likable sidekick. There is a need for joy of discovery and he's the one who provides that. It's a little annoying that animals keep escaping the suitcase. I guess it's supposed to be cute but it just bothered me. Let's put a better lock on that, Newt. His hangdog mannerisms don't engage me. He's no Harry Potter but the movie gathers a good gang around him. This may be setting up some stuff for later on. It looks like a relatively good start but Newt goes back home at the end. The series' success is no guarantee at this point.