Fantastical enough

Rating: 7/10 (28 November 2016)

A fun, fantastical film that extends the universe of Harry Potter. With the screenplay written by J.K. Rowling herself, you can expect some 'Harry Potter' talk in the film. Honestly, being someone who isn't educated with the world of Harry Potter, some terminology did get lost on me. There are too many creatures with names that you can't really follow which they are referring to.
In regards to the cast, I do have some doubts. While I agree that Redmayne has the ability and look to fit his character, I think his role in The Danish Girl may have affected his acting here. His tendency to bow his head, and tilt it to the side is characteristic of his previous role, and is out of place in his character as Newt. A bit more charisma from him as the protagonist could have helped the flow of the movie. Farrell, and Waterston did their roles well enough, and while Morton portrays a typical character, she was likable. Another likable character is played by Fogler. His role as Kowalski is pretty much to provide the laughs, and he is easily the best character in the film.
I was quite surprised to find out that Miller was the actor behind Credence, as I did not recognize him. He did extremely well in his role of a disturbed child seeking guidance. The emotions he portrays are intense, and fit that of his character perfectly.
Visuals play a major element in this film, and the creatures are all agreeably detailed. Some are anthropomorphized (given human attributes), while others are more animal like. Either way, the detail is impressive, and you can tell from the overall shape what type of animal inspired the different creatures.
The wizardry effects of magic are also well done. It is nice that the filmmakers included mundane uses for magic (like housework), and not just that for fighting. All the fancy light effects add to the overall theme of the film, and bring color to certain dark settings. I also noticed the soundtrack at certain points - especially during comedic scenes. The background music during these scenes are quite amusing, and definitely exemplifies the atmosphere.
Overall, a funny and magical enough film.