A Fantastic New Side of The Harry Potter Universe

Rating: 8/10 (31 December 2018)

With Harry Potter being a franchise I grew up experiencing I was of course very excited for Fantastic Beasts, I know everyone wasn't satisfied with this film but I found it to be a very exciting new adventure in the Harry Potter universe that left me excited for more to come.
The magic of HP mostly carries over to this new world, it's great to see this new part of the universe from an adult perspective that makes this new series seem more mature than its predecessor. The American Wizarding community was built very well with fantastic visual effects, production and costume design that puts you in that 1920s setting.
The new characters also mostly lived up to expectations. Eddie Redmayne played Newt perfectly, such a lovable and understated protagonist that allows us to feel his love for these beasts through him. Tina was a cute addition to the film, she had a great chemistry with Newt that built there relationship slowly. Queenie wasn't as developed as much as I would like but she was still a likeable and find part of the cast. Kowalski was my favourite character in this film, the perfect comic relief who had a great arc of his own and allowing us to see his a human would react to this amazing world in a satisfying way. The beasts themselves also lived up to their magical potential. They all looked distinctive and visually alive that allowed them to seem as terrifying as they did adorable.
The film despite its magical elements, does have a lot going on and not all the plot elements mesh well together. There are a lot of subplots going on between the beasts and the American Ministry and they don't always play off each other well and do occasionally drag down the pacing. The tone isn't always on point with many of the lighter elements clashing with the films darker and more mature moments that leave the audience confused as to what emote they should be feeling.
Fantastic Beasts is a great new addition to the Harry Potter world. It seamlessly builds the world to new heights while having its own feeling and sense of magic. The beasts themselves are visually striking and the new characters all make their mark. The pacing may sometimes be spotty and the tones may not always clash but it's a perfectly entertaining movie that sets up a new side of this world that can only continue to grow.
8.4/10 - A- (Fantastic)