Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

Spin-offs are tricky. Cashing in on existing fan enthusiasm while engaging the uninitiated is a delicate balancing act between canonical integrity and bold storytelling with the accessible gusto to stand up on its own.

As the recent megahit addition to the Star Wars franchise, The Force Awakens, proved, when you nail this winning formula, the payoff is huge, not just for that release, but for the sequels its success bankrolls as well. Riding on the coattails of the Harry Potter series, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them attempts to capture the lightning scar in a bottle of the most successful fantasy saga in cinematic history. A little of the magic does get lost in translation, but J.K. Rowling's first foray into screenwriting, bolstered by seasoned Potter director David Yates, has ensured the spirit and authenticity of this universe is faithfully honoured in this latest instalment.

Set some 70 years before The Boy Who Lived first toddled off to Hogwarts, the most significant departure is geographical. British wizard and dedicated keeper of a magical menagerie, Newt Scamander, arrives in New York and meets a bewitched culture very different to the one we're used to. For bash-us-over-the-head clarity, the counterpoint between Newt and his wizarding cousins from across the pond is built on some pretty hokey stereotypes: charmingly befuddled and delightfully polite Brit meets boorish and brassy, straight-talking New Yorkers, albeit with the trademark wands and idiosyncratic dress sense. While it may not be subtle, it's actually a remarkably refreshing new take on Rowling's world of wizards. It also cleverly acknowledges and draws on the geopolitical tensions that had the world off-kilter and vulnerable to extremist rhetoric between the world wars.

In fact, perhaps spurred on by the lack of child protagonists, the whole tone of this film is darker, more grown up, and palpably dangerous in comparison to many of the other eight films in the canon. Anxiety levels from the American magical authority - the MACUSA - are high. The threat of imminent terror attacks by stateless fanatics has led to hard-line, zero-tolerance sanctions, interrogations in windowless rooms and summary executions. Sound Familiar? Given Rowling's outspoken Tweets on current affairs, it's perhaps unsurprising that some of that insight has found its way into her writing.

But worry not if this sounds dauntingly didactic. These flourishes are more of a nod than a plot point, and there's plenty of unapologetic escapism to absorb, most notably from Newt's enchanted suitcase, containing a fantastical zoo full of the titular creatures - some strange, some scary and some downright adorable. If, as futurists predict, virtual reality films become the most popular form of entertainment in coming years, this visually breathtaking place would be an ideal candidate for the VR treatment. 

Eddie Redmayne is a tried and true master of a quintessential Britishness, very much in the same vein as Hugh Grant, Colin Firth and Downton Abbey, but while this may be catnip to American audiences, it is, on occasion, frustratingly monotone. Newt Scamander is a character akin to Indiana Jones: adventuring mega-nerd, combining death-defying bravery and academic brilliance. There's plenty of the studious in Redmayne's characterisation, but we never quite get the hero, and while his cute, socially awkward bashfulness hits a bullseye, the gear shift needed in the action-centric final act never comes.

Other performances fare much better, especially Katherine Waterston's tomboy ex-Auror (and inevitable love interest) Tina, who brings a level of wrought, emotional credibility to this film that was all too often absent from the Potter octalogy. Colin Farrell is also excellent as the brooding Director of Magical Security, Percival Graves, keeping his menace understated and all the more ominous for it. Perhaps most surprising, is the extraordinary chemistry found between hapless non-wizard and aspiring baker, Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) and ironically air-headed telepathic witch and sister to Tina, Queenie (Alison Sudol). Their gentle romance delivers the most beautiful (and for this soppy scribe, most tear-jerking) moment of the film; touching, simple and masterfully shot for maximum emotional impact.

It's very apparent from the various loose ends conspicuously peppered throughout this film that Rowling has already fathomed out a characteristically intricate narrative arc to be spread over multiple movies. It may not be a flawless first outing for Newt and his chums, but nonetheless, it's easy to see why producers would show such faith in this spin-off's ability to spin gold as prolifically as the Harry Potter series. It's a credit to Rowling's limitless imagination that her magical world continues to offer up such screen-worthy wonders.