Pointless, Superfluous & Unwarranted, Fantastic Beasts Is Anything But Fantastic

Rating: Null/10 (1 March 2017)

The breathtaking mythology of J.K. Rowling's wizarding world was brought to silver screen through the collective wizardry of an epic ensemble that dazzled the hearts & minds of muggles around the world and it still remains one of the most beloved film franchises of all time. But we are living in an age where no series is ever allowed to rest in peace, and so this magical world is back again, with a spin-off that doesn't have an ounce of the original's magic.
An absolutely pointless, superfluous & unwarranted return to the wizarding world, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a dull, needless & wholly redundant spin-off that nobody ever asked for and is even worse than the weakest Harry Potter film. Lacking an interesting set of characters, far too preoccupied with its beasts, and devoid of everything that made its predecessor so delightfully captivating, this subsidiary of a much superior franchise isn't worth a dime.
A spin-off of the Harry Potter film series, the story of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them follows the adventures of Newt Scamander, an eccentric & introverted wizard who arrives in New York with a suitcase full of diverse, magical creatures but finds himself being chased by American wizarding authorities after his suitcase mix-up with a muggle results in several creatures escaping out in the city, thus threatening the exposure of the magical world.
Directed by David Yates, there is an attempt to create its organic world from scratch but it indulges in so many trivial moments and moves at such tiresome pace that the interest fizzles out real soon. Yates' direction is substandard but the fault mainly lies with the script. Written by J.K. Rowling, the film brings its magical creatures to life in fine detail but the human characters lack sturdy arcs and have nothing to make the audience invest in their journey.
Production design team does well to recreate the 1920s New York setting, and its set pieces are sumptuously decorated. Cinematography employs colour tones that impart a slightly vintage vibe to its images. The use of CGI is excessive yet the very segments they are applied to remain hollow from within. Editing is poorly carried out, for its 133 minutes runtime is severely felt plus it fails to keep the interest alive. And lastly, James Newton Howard's score is only mildly effective.
The film packs a capable cast in Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller & others yet nobody leaves a lasting impression. Redmayne comes off as too eccentric in the role of Newt Scamander, Fogler plays an oafish muggle, Waterston's character isn't remotely interesting, Sudol is an overdose of sugarcoated mediocrity, Farrell at least tries to make his character stand out, while Miller contributes well with what he's given.
On an overall scale, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is arguably the worst thing to come out of J.K. Rowling's imagination and is as lifeless in storytelling as it is bland in characterisation. Failing to bring anything new to the table, it is a tediously crafted, awfully written & shoddily narrated fantasy that's overlong, uninspiring & frustrating, and is lacking in originality & creativity. In short, the new era of J.K. Rowling's wizarding world is off to a highly disappointing & instantly forgettable start, and is anything but fantastic.