Review of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) by Fawn O — 22 Nov 2018

A historical installment to the Harry Potter Universe, "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" draws upon its unique magical source material as J.K. Rowing sews together another charming and rather adorable tale of the ever-so-bashful Newt Scamander, a mystical zoologist and author globally exploring and researching mythological creatures, some of which being a collection in a bedazzled, spatially impossible suit case that accidentally breaks open to release never-before-seen species wrecking havoc upon an already oppressed and nervous 1920's New York. As fun and exhilarating as it can be, sometimes the story suffers from a lack of depth or intensity we came to know from the Harry Potter films, rendering the execution somewhat flat and emotionally perforated, something I never thought could happen in this notoriously strong franchise. And Johnny Depp--spoiler alert!--in the role of the one and only Grindelwald leaves a semi-bitter after taste already affecting my opinion of future beastly films. But, we'll hope for the best.

[B+] -- 77%.