November 20, 2016 -- I was surprised at how good this film is, being an extension of the Harry Potter “Cinematic Universe,” to borrow a phrase from Marvel Studios. I was expecting the familiar repetition, the darkening spiral downwards, constrained by the chains of destiny, of the Potter stories. Instead this seems newer, fresher, more upbeat, even though the time line is set 70 years earlier. Instead of long, increasingly depressing slog to an inevitable conclusion, this film seems to open up possibilities.

In this story, a magical beast wrangler, Newt Scamander (played by Eddie Redmayne of “The Theory of Everything”) arrives in New York with a suitcase full of magical creatures, and a lot of other things. In a suitcase mixup with a muggle, Kowalski (Dan Fogler of “Europa Report”) the creatures in the suitcase escape and have to be recaptured.

Scamander, Kowalski and semi-official witchcraft investigator Tina (Katherine Waterston of “Steve Jobs”) start catching and collecting the creatures. All three get caught up in a dangerous situation involving a deadly magical force, magical creatures on the loose and a mysterious wizard who just might be up to no good.

Based on the 2001 book by J.K. Rowling, the scuttlebutt is that this is just the first of a five movie deal involving at least some of the characters seen in this movie. There are some very appealing characters in this film that I'd like to see again, including Kowalski, Tina, Scamander and Queenie (Allison Sudal of “Other People's Children”). Queenie is Tina's sister.

The most enigmatic of characters is Scamander, who, far from being self-sufficient, seems wistful, longing for friendship and love. He finds friendship with Kowalski, and he seems to make a romantic connection with Tina, setting up some future possibilities, hinted at in the film.

Muggles have played very minor roles in previous films, but Kowalski, a warm and engaging character, gets a prime role in this film. There is a hint of romance in his character, and it looks like he might show up again. Queenie is also a warm character, with a kind of longing which looks like it will lead to something in future films. A powerful dark wizard also shows up in the film, and he'll be back too, as a villain, according to the news.

The big difference between this, and the Harry Potter films, is that the main characters are adults, and are played by adult actors with considerable previous acting experience. That makes casting a lot easier. This is a movie geared towards adults. It is a kind of grown up version of the Harry Potter magical universe. Given the early success of this film, it looks like more are coming, and I am on board with that. This film rates a B+.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in digital formats, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2016 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
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