Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller, Samantha Morton

Rated: 7/10

It’s 1926 BHP, as in Before Harry Potter. Here, JK Rowling is the maiden screenplay artist, mind you, without a book to take essence from; there’s also a politically convulsing sepia-shaded New York, born and brought up through the magical wand of the great David Yates; it’s actually a very special precursor of the Potter world in which an expelled student of Hogwarts, but a favourite student of Dumbledore, goes to New York where a brittle peace between the Magis and non-Magis are threatened by a black force of an untamed witch without form or scruple.

That’s the kind of pedigree this one comes with — and makes somewhat of an impact in the seasoned hands of director Yates. The tapestry of old-time New York, far away from the very English Hogwarts, is different yes but no less spell binding.

The edginess of Eddie Redmayne (remember The Danish Girl?) as the master of the queer — extremely harmless as he calls them — beasts on the run is very different from the Potter mould but he makes an impact nevertheless.

The cinematography, the locales and the periodicity that Rowling concocts and Yates serenades, are the real magic potion of this Potter prequel done up, conceived and executed with a lot of artistry.

And just to give it that all-important human element, there’s also a muggle amidst all the wizards and their instruments of magic, the fantastic beasts of course, as also a love story between the baker and the mind-reading Marilyn Monroe kinda witch.

No, not as far reaching as the Harry Potter series, but definitely a JK Rowling conception to be with and a Yates progeny to love and nurture.

Oh yes, there’s a topping too, in the form of one Mr Johnny Depp — so what if he’s there only for a few minutes. He’s magic with or without the props. So, go for it, not forgetting the imaginatively conceived beasts, one of which comes with a libido for all that glitters and the other one for those body fluids that flow uncontrollably on the sniff of a particularly blue scent.

Not Potter but from the same mould, more for the Rowling fans than for first-timers to a wizard mount.

Source: Sunday Pioneer, 20 November, 2016