Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

FREED from the leash of a book series, this offspring of the

Harry Potter world romps, soars, charms and terrifies in all sorts of fantastic ways. Written by J.K. Rowling herself, and directed by David Yates, this is a tale meant to be told through film, and it shows.

Fantastic Beasts is set 70 years before the events in the

Harry Potter series, against the backdrop of a magical world terrorised by the dark wizard Grindelwald.

Our rather unlikely hero is Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), an English wizard who is travelling the world documenting all its magical creatures. A stopover in New York, however, results in him losing some of his creatures, setting him on a quest to retrieve them while also introducing us to the secretive American wizarding world.

Redmayne is, well, fantastic as the awkwardly lovable Newt, and is joined by a great cast. Visually, the movie is an absolute treat – watching the magical action unfold in the midst of 1920s New York is particularly breathtaking. Together, like Rowling’s best work, they tell a story that is equal parts entertainment and heart. –