Fantastic Beasts (and where to find them)

[Dave (imported)]

Fantastic Beasts and where to Find Them

This is, of course, JK Rowling's story predating the Harry Potter series. I know, it's been out for several months and I've been watching other movies first. Call me fickle to Harry Potter.

I thoroughly enjoyed it.

HOWEVER -- It is not "Harry Potter and the {whatever}" translated into the USA, although the magical spells are the same and things like "invisible extension charms" and moving from one place to the other is fairly much the same.

It's set in 1926 or so and Newt Scamander is a Brit traveling through the USA with a suitcase full of magical beasts. Needless to say a few of the beasts get out. I first thought that was going to be the plot -- Newt chasing down his lost beasts. It's not that movie.

Newt's beasts aren't what is troubling New York City and destroying things. Something much more destructive is out and about.

NYC has trouble go its own with a hidden and very powerful Villain. In fact, this Villain will eventually face a young Albus Dumbledore and this villain is killed by Voldemort in the 6th or 7th Harry Potter Movie. So now you know the connection to the present time. This Villain wants to control a rather awful thing called an "Obscurus" or "Obscurial" which is what happens when magical abilities are suppressed.

To return to Newt Scamander and his beasts - Newt meets a "muggle" (now called "No-Mag" for no-magic) named Jacob Kowalski (a wannabe baker) when one of his beasts (the Niffler) escapes. That involves him in with the Magical Authorities of the USA (called, MACUSA) and from there he meets a defrocked Auror (a girl who is a love interest) her sister (a mind-reading sexpot) and various other people.

So there is the plot. Newt is the catalyst for what happens.

I will say that Jacob Kowalski is a good man and gets his bakery.

Newt gets his heart-string twanged.

NYC and MACUSA captures the villain and gets rid of its threat.

And all is well at the end.

(well, as much as anything is ever WELL and HAPPY at the end of any JK Rowling story)