Movie Review - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fantastic Beasts and where to Find Them **½ (out of 5) (PG-13) J.K. Rowling’s semi-spinoff from the Harry Potter franchise is up to snuff in its fanciful beasts and CG effects, but not likely to spawn another round of fan frenzy. Eddie Redmayne plays a shy British wizard (Hogwarts alumnus, naturally) who comes to New York in 1926 to tend to his titular beasts. He finds a well-organized community of peers, struggling to keep their existence secret from the “no-maj” (a/k/a muggles, east of the Atlantic), fearing that such creatures running around could blow their cover. Meanwhile, one evil wizard is trying to provoke a war between his kind and the rest of us.

The script gives us over two hours of this adventure, with the dramatic, suspenseful side dominating over the whimsy and levity. The result is a film that might make younger viewers restless and uneasy, while failing to deliver a satisfying combo package for more mature tastes. Casting is also a problem. Redmayne overdoes the timid, reclusive crypto-zoologist shtick, and no one else steps up with a performance that resonates. The biggest names in the supporting cast are Colin Farrell, Johnny Depp and Jon Voight; don’t expect much from any of them in terms of screen time or highlight-reel moments.

Trimming about 40 minutes from the adventure side, and replacing it with half as much footage for the audience to bond with the creatures - especially the cute and playful ones - would have given us a more entertaining film, and given its producers a big leg up on the inevitable merchandising ... just in time for the holidays. (11/18/16)