Fantastic Screenplays and How to Write Them.

Rating: 8/10 (16 November 2016)

When the film opened with the WB logo along with the Harry Potter theme, I couldn't help but cross my legs in excitement. At that moment I knew I had to let go of my potter fandom in order to see where this stands as a film. And not beam whenever I hear the name Dumbledore or see a Portego Maxima being cast. And I'm glad I did because this is without a doubt, a pretty good film.
JK Rowling's first screenplay exceeded my expectations. It had everything a screenplay of this kind should have. A well rounded plot, a conflict, rich characters , smart and witty dialogue. And most importantly in this case, establish and introduce a franchise. Which It did.
We follow the likable protagonist Newt Scamander (A British writer and wizard) around New York, with his side-kicks Tina (An investigator for the Magical Congress) and Jacob ( A hilarious muggle), as they try and re- capture the magical creatures that have escaped Newt's briefcase and caused all sorts of trouble around the city. While Percival Graves (an Auror) Investigates an orphanage in order to solve the case of a mysterious creature targeting certain individuals in the city.
The film carried the burden of having to introduce dozens of new characters, creatures and elements that are essential to the franchise. And it carried it all well thanks to the the humorous character Jacob Kowalski who gave the film a light-hearted feeling that made everything else easy to digest.
The entirety of this A-list cast were superb. You kind of expect that. Redmayne's portrayal of Newt was smooth. Dan Fogler who played Jacob the muggle has definitely stood out, some might say "stole the show".
David Yates directs this film effortlessly. There couldn't be a better choice for the wizarding world since his style works best with it. The film felt focused overall on what it wanted to deliver. There weren't many scenes or sequences that felt entirely unique though. And If there were, they were overshadowed by the overuse of CGI, which is always a necessity for films of this type.
Overall this film is a unique experience that is as thrilling, suspenseful, fun and fantastic as any HP film. And it has the potential to stand out as it's own franchise that's as good, if not better.