Magical

Rating: 5/10 (18 December 2016)

When I heard that David Yates would direct a J. K. Rowling adaptation of her magical Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them book, I was excited. Here would be a snippet of how Newt Scamander collected his research and composed his textbook. Then I heard that it would be set in America, and my enthusiasm was dampened.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a very entertaining piece of cinema. It's depiction of American wizards in the Harry Potter Universe is fascinating for fans of the classic fantasy series; and its CGI is breathtaking in how the beasts are depicted. Furthermore, the way Newt Scamander's story is told shows the depth of Rowling's story telling abilities, and present Yates with his first opportunity to show us his version of Harry Potter outside of the constraints placed on him by his predecessors in the original series.
But the film is ultimately disappointing in its subject matter. Instead of taking the audience on the adventures behind the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 'textbook', the film dreams up a plot divorced from the central intrigue of Rowling's source material. While Rowling does a sterling job at adapting her book for the screen, she fails to grasp the magnitude of the possibilities that it presents. Her plot is devoid of substance because it tries to dream up an unnecessary detour in Scamander's fact finding adventures.
So that leaves this film with a mid-line rating. The breathtaking CGI, Yates' competent direction, and Rowling's adequate translation onto the screen make for magical entertainment. But Rowling's failure to give the plot any substance leaves much to be desired.