wonderful addition to Wizarding world...beware Spoilers

Rating: 10/10 (25 April 2017)

Fantastic Beasts and where to find them, proved to be a wonderful movie and the latest chapter in the Wizarding world of JK Rowling,. This one set in the JAZZ age US 1926 sees magiczoologist Newt Scamander come to US on a mission to find a new animal for a birthday present for someone (Leta Lestrange? Dumbledore). A comedy of errors ensues as bags get swapped, eggs get laid, beasts run loose, and the shambling outsider, more at homes with animals than with the most vicious creatures on earth: his fellow humans; brings mayhem and finds what looks like true love! But not before getting arrested by a down on her luck Auror, Tina Goldstein,demoted but hopes to get her old job back . Meanwhile some strange force is at work causing chaos and fear in NY. New acquires new friends who work to recover his animals and uncover the mystery of the strange force. Fantastic Beasts proves to be a wonderful addition to the canon by Rowling, who may not know much about Syria; but knows how to write an engaging story with wonderful characters. 4 of the lead characters are quirky, each a little out of joint with their lives, while a fifth has a dark agenda. Unlike the Harry Potter series, FB takes place with characters who are mature wizards and witches, so magic is carried out with abandon and casually. The Goldstein sisters magic plates and food at a meal; character apport (teleport) here there and anywhere, except into MACUSA HQ. While we learn Queenie Goldstein can read minds (legilimens) with ease. (very useful for blackmail) An article has compared FBs wizards and witches to the Marvel and DC superheroesthe former being more human and humane and the latter: militarised supermodels. Its Dr Who vs Star Trek for 21st century. A whimsical dinner shows us the 4 characters with their foibles looking anything but super ; with sister Queenie holding a one sided conversation with wannabe baker Jacob (Can you stop reading my mind for a moment) Kowalski, while the more prickly sister Porpetina (aka Tina): cautious curious and fearful and Newt look liking ill at ease, and wanting to be somewhere else. As the story proceeds, the 4some are drawn closer together, and a near shared execution at the hands of the mysterious mr Graves (about whom Newt has growing suspicions) drives Tiny and Newt together as both then go on the run; 'Mr Scamander' being replaced by "Newt' and a visibly less officious and more relaxed In the midst of all the marvelous magic hocus pocus and animal hi jinks, there are 2 surprising sets of love stories, with Queenie and no-maj Jacob on the short axis and Newt and Tina on the longer one, needing that most potent of plot devices: an execution, to catalyse the relationship . The final scenes show clearly the sisters unwilling to let their men go, but we till have to wait till part 2 to know how they are brought back together. Alas i can only give it 10, as i enjoyed this even more than the harry potter stories