‘Fantastic Beasts’ stuns muggles everywhere

Earning an 87% audience approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is a magical movie that will have audiences dazzled from start to finish.

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is J.K. Rowling’s prequel to her popular “Harry Potter” series. Fantastic Beasts is portrayed as a required textbook among all first-year students at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Warner Bros. released the “Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them” movie adaption on Nov. 18.  The movie takes place in New York City in 1926, 70 years before Harry Potter’s story began.

The main character of the story is Newt Scamander, who is an expert in magizoology, which is the study of magical creatures. The movie’s plot features Newt arriving in New York after completing a tiring global excursion to find and document a wide variety of magical creatures.

His initial brief stop in New York turns into an exciting adventure with new friends after some of Newt’s fantastic beasts escape his magical suitcase and are exposed to both the wizarding and muggle worlds.

In typical Rowling fashion, the new and unique characters managed to win the hearts of every audience member. I noticed adults and children sharing similar reactions throughout the movie. Whether that was through uncontrollable giggle fits or even a couple of tears, the film captured the attention of everyone.

As a big Eddie Redmayne fan, it was an entertaining experience watching him bring Newt Scamander to life with the special spin only he can achieve. New character Queenie Goldstein, played by singer-songwriter Fine Frenzy, was also a personal favorite. Her charming and witty personality captivated the hearts of movie-goers over the weekend.

Dan Folger stole the show as muggle, Jacob Kowalizki. He won over audiences by reacting to the Wizarding World in a way any Harry Potter fan probably would. His humor, bewilderment, intrigue and fascination of Newt, his fantastic beats and all other things magic is something all audiences can enjoy.

I especially enjoyed a brief but unforgettable Johnny Depp cameo. The fleeting moment was a fun one that only further confirmed my love for this movie. Reportedly, Depp has been confirmed for a sequel.

Though I would have selfishly liked to see more of Depp and more cameos from the Harry Potter cast, this movie exceeded all of my expectations. It just goes to show Rowling can capture audiences no matter the characters, time or realm of the wizarding world.