There have been many months of waiting and now the time has finally arrived. “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is finally out in theaters! I was so excited to see this movie that my heart was racing. To be completely honest, I had no idea what to expect from this film. “Fantastic Beasts” has been a secretive project like many other movie franchises such as “Star Wars” and “The Hobbit” movies. This new year of wizards will start a new revolution of screaming teens and nostalgic old timers. It is something new, something borrowed and something really fantastic.

Set in the 1920s, this magical adventure is a prequel to the beloved Harry Potter series.  Newt Scamander is a “magizoologist” with insider knowledge of magical creatures, arriving in New York City from London. Even with the bright shining lights of the city, the new advances being made in society, flappers, and prohibition on the rise in the no-maj (non-magic folk or the American version of muggle) world, these are troubling times for the wizard community. A dark and mysterious threat has been withering the streets of New York. As this struggle continues, the wizards of this time period must protect their magic from the no-majors. Unlike past Harry Potter series, American wizards are more strict with the interaction of no-majs. On the other hand, a type of Salem family wishes to destroy and warn the dangers of demonic wizards, which are led by Mary Lue BareBone (Samantha Morton).

The detail of this movie was extremely vivid. Every creature had its own unique quality that was undeniably eye-catching. The magical creatures were a big part of this movie. As I sat in my theater seat, I was dazzled by the background mythology aspects of the creatures.

The acting in “Fantastic Beasts” was phenomenal! I have no complaints. The cast had the perfect fit to each character. Academy award winner, Eddie Redmayne,  played the newt commander and he portrayed the character’s awkward and caring personality of the Hufflepuff perfectly. Redmayne had a spark to him that made it so easy to connect with as a major character. Tina (Katherine Waterston) and Tina’s sister, Queenie (Alison Sudol) represented a different type of wizard than past films. Queenie can read minds which is unique because most wizards do not have specific powers.

One of the best aspects of the movie was the no-maj character, Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler). Fogler was a comical pillar in this film; his scenes were enjoyable and interesting to see all of the magical things amaze him, as it did the audience. Fogler was able to play his role so well that it was almost like those watching were experiencing the same wonder and mystery that magic has to offer.

As playful as most of the movie was, there were very dark aspects to it as well. Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) has gone missing. To refresh your mind or inform you if you are not familiar with Harry Potter culture, Grindelwald is a dark wizard who stole the Elder wand from Gregorovitch years ago in Godric’s Hollow. Graves (Colin Farrell) is the most mysterious of all the characters because no one really knows if they can trust him or if he is an Auror working for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. While watching “Fantastic Beasts”, I found that the new characters were so enriched with new stories and quirks, but still tied back to past memories.

Author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling, has confined that there will be 6 movies in this series. This means that the story will only get more complex as the franchise continues. Not only was the cast amazing, but the people behind the production are also great. “Fantastic Beasts” is J.K Rowling’s first screenplay and I have to say that I am in awe of this being her first attempt at a screenplay. Rowling did such a magnificent job of putting the pieces of this story together and with the help of David Yates, who also directed Harry Potter 5-8 movies, this film could not have been in better hands.

“Fantastic Beasts” perfectly displayed America in its prime and devastation. Throughout several scenes, there were different depictions of America through the years. In the 1920s, America was in a time period of prosperity known as “The Roaring Twenties”. It was a time of new possibilities and a change in societies norms. Women became more active outside the house, the industrialization of jobs and the ideology of the stock market America was at its prime. The government that was displayed through the film reminded me of the past election the United States recently held.

In the film, the wizards had a woman president and the no-majs; while there was no talk of an actual president, were holding a current election. The no-maj presidential candidate seemed to share the same mindset as our Republican candidate for the 2016 U.S. election. Obviously, this was not a full-scale resemblance, but just a deeper afterthought in the back of my mind.

Overall, I give this movie 5/5 lassos on the Cypress Ranch Movie scale. “Fantastic Beasts” was a magical roller coaster of emotions and nostalgia. The majority of passionate Harry Potter fans were devastated when the series ended. However, after leaving the theater and getting the car with my dad, I told him I had butterflies in my heart and I could not describe the feeling. My dad explained that I felt hope. It was a feeling that filled an empty void in my life as I watched past characters come to life again. As cheesy as it sounds, I know he was right. I am hopeful for whatever comes next on this new magical journey of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”.