Fantastic Beasts shows there's still some magic left in the Potter-verse

I'm not a fan of the growing trend where every film property needs to have a cinematic universe.  It feels contrived and the source material doesn't always warrant the expansion.  For instance, the recent Ghostbusters film was meant to be the opening of a larger universe, but it felt more of a retread of the original classic than a launching pad of a ghost busting world.  Every film that comes out now feels like it's trying to be the gateway to a larger series of interconnected films.  I get why studios are doing it.  Every executive around the world looks at Marvel and licks their chops.  BUT the one thing they fail to do is properly build their source material.  The Marvel Cinematic Universe because of its deep bench of superheroes and the fact that they can all appear together or separately depending on the film.  Not all franchises has this in their arsenals... which leads me to Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them.  When Harry & Co. finished their fantastic run with the 8th and final film, it was a crowning achievement... it also felt like a finishing point to a wonderful story.  I am a huge fan of of Harry Potter (both book & film form), and am glad that they are expanding the Potter-verse to more films while resisting the urge to reboot the franchise (for now).

The Potter-verse doesn't end with Harry.  There was an entire world of magic for thousands of years before the boy who lived began his journey.  JK Rowling (making her screen writing debut) sprinkled little bread crumbs throughout the books, as well as the films.  This is where Beasts starts.  Set 70 years before The Sorcerer's Stone, Beasts tells the story of a wayward wizard (played delightfully weird by the always reliable Eddie Redmayne), who brings a suitcase full of magical creatures to New York City and proceeds to let them loose by accident.

Beasts is not a perfect film.  In fact, the first act feels like a bad comedy.  Beast gets loose.  Hilarity ensues.  Rinse and repeat.  However, about a third of the way in, the film picks up.  There is a darker subplot that brings this film out of comedic doldrums and makes it into an appealing film.  There is a group of anti-magic people (called the New Salem group), who are hellbent on exposing (and destroying) the magical world.  Our heroes get caught up in trying to stop a dark power that's unleashed upon the city that is somehow tied to this group.  There are some genuinely exciting moments in this film, but it often feels like a franchise starter film first and a movie second.  The Fantastic Beasts themselves almost feel like an afterthought at times, and some plot lines are introduced that will be resolved in future installments.  However, the excellent cast (especially "non-Mag," the American term for Muggles, lead played by Dan Fogler & and a wicked Colin Farrell) and the closing action sequence keep this film entertaining enough that you can forgive some of the lesser fleshed out portions of it.

If you are a fan of the Potter films, I would definitely recommend it for you.  You'll enjoy being back in this world and will look forward to future installments.

2.5 stars out of 4.