The arrival of the new cinematic franchise “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” has been heralded with the kind of through-the-roof expectations you’d expect from the deeply devoted fans of “Harry Potter” books and films.
The movie, with a screenplay by author J.K. Rowling, comes with no book attached, save for a single mention in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” — as a textbook about magical creatures by a fellow named Newt Scamander.
From that kernel comes a full-blown adventure that is blockbuster big, with special effects befitting a story built around the beasts of the title. The whopper of a tale is unleashed in a lush cinematic landscape that is at once all new — the American world of witchcraft and wizardry, in 1926 New York City — and familiar — there are wand-wielding good guys and villains aplenty.
Ms. Rowling has invented Newt as a sort of magical Jane Goodall, whose life is dedicated to preserving and protecting creatures from the scariest enemies of all — humans. The consequences of self-righteous intolerance and blessings of friendship and empathy loom large in the telling of her tale.
With those lofty goals, “Fantastic Beasts” also wreaks mind-numbing destruction worthy of an Avengers movie. There’s a lot of story and a lot of action, at times in overwhelming bursts.
We enter a world where American wizards and witches spend much of their time keeping themselves hidden from the No-Maj (nonmagical humans), in particular folks such as the head of the New Salem Preservation Society — an orphanage where children are abused and used to spread anti-witch sentiment.
Into this world at odds comes British wizard Newt Scamander, fresh off the boat from Ellis Island. (What, no portkey available? No cross-Atlantic apparition spell?) Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne does wide-eyed innocence like no one else, and as Newt, he’s also painfully reticent, which is endearing and infuriating — his voice is often muffled by character tics and having to say odd creature names.
He keeps his beasts close — in a suitcase that’s more Doctor Who’s TARDIS (it’s bigger on the inside!) than Mary Poppins’ bag of tricks. The suitcase is a portal to a zoo filled with mischievous and dangerous, or what Newt would call misunderstood, magical beasts. Upon his arrival in New York, he is immediately sent on the hunt for a niffler — akin to a small black land platypus — that gets loose in a bank and does what a niffler does naturally: collect shiny things such as coins and jewelry.
Also at the bank is the No-Maj Jacob Kowalski (a delightful turn by Dan Fogler). An ordinary joe caught up in extraordinary circumstances, he represents someone we see too little of elsewhere — a person with an open mind and a kind heart. He is carrying a similar suitcase to Newt’s, and from that moment, the two become entangled, to the betterment of both.
Newt and his niffler attract the attention of Porpentina “Tina” Goldstein (Katherine Waterston of “Steve Jobs”), a witch who catches him in the act of committing an offense against the Magical Congress of the United States of America — the equivalent of the UK Ministry of Magic. She is determined to show her worth as an auror, a protector against the Dark Arts, and he is determined to protect his creatures — you just know these two will make a good team.
While Newt is aided by newfound friends, including Tina’s sister, Queenie (the luminous Alison Sudol), there is an ominous presence on the loose, creating havoc in the streets. The destruction is fuel for New Salem taskmaster Mary Lou (Samantha Morton), who is particularly cruel to her son, Credence (Ezra Miller, sporting a bad haircut). It’s here that the film leans far to the dark side and earns its PG-13 rating.
New Salem is under the scrutiny of the great auror Percival Graves, played by Colin Farrell with a spot-on American accent. He is the head of security for the Magical Congress, but it is obvious he has his own agenda. A side story involves a Hearst-like newspaper magnate (Jon Voight) and his golden-boy son, running for political office while revealing himself as a bigoted elitist.
You can feel the darkness of the coming storm as swirling agendas become entwined, but there are many light moments to savor — for instance, that niffler on the loose and Jacob’s reactions to a magically prepared meal.
For Potterheads, there are numerous touchstone references, such as house elves, Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore and Leta LeStrange, a family name we know from future Dark Arts loyalists. And yes, we hear of the evil Gellert Grindelwald, revealed to be played by Johnny Depp in upcoming movies.
This introduction of the planned franchise gets it right by dropping us at the starting line of a great adventure — a magical beginning that whets the appetite for the next time Ms. Rowling decides to cast a cinematic spell.
