Eddie Redmayne and a bowtruckle.

FOR the first time in the Harry Potter movie franchise, J.K. Rowling picked up the proverbial pen and wrote the screenplay herself.

Given that it’s not really based on a corresponding book, Rowling was the right choice. For the uninitiated, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was a fictional textbook Harry and his mates studied at Hogwarts, written by an unseen Newt Scamander.

Rowling produced a version of this book a few years back for charity, describing scores of magical creatures, providing a blueprint for the fanciful beasts that appear in this film.

More importantly, it was vital for Rowling to write the script because it needed her to create the characters that inhabit that rich world and the stories that drive them. She has infused this first spin-off (of which there will be five!) with the same spirit and imagination that has made her magical series so beloved.

“Uh, did you see where it went?”Source:AP

Shifting the action to the other side of the Atlantic — New York City — and to an earlier time frame — pre-crash 1920s — Fantastic Beasts gives a taste of what the American wizarding community is like. And be honest, you’ve always wondered what the Yanks were doing while British wizards were battling the dark forces, it’s about time they picked up the slack.

From the moment you hear the familiar Harry Potter melody, you’re transported back into that cinematic world you first stepped into 15 years ago. Within five minutes you didn’t realise you missed its magic until now — the whimsy, the inventiveness and even the thrill of the darkness.

Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) arrives in New York, stepping off a cruiseliner and straight through Ellis Island’s immigration queues. Within a day, the wizard has inadvertently let loose a handful of the creatures he’s taking care of in the New York urban jungle and gotten Jacob (Dan Fogler) a no-maj (what Americans call muggles) caught up in his misadventure.

He’s chastised by Porpentina (Katherine Waterston) an ex-Auror stuck in the basement filing wand permits as punishment for compromising the wizarding community’s secrecy.

Meanwhile, an unseen force is wreaking havoc around the city, destroying buildings, tearing through the cobblestone paths and generally freaking out the no-maj citizenry with whispers of a “dark wind”.

“I swear I heard it.”Source:AP

The wizarding community and its Madam President are terrified of exposure and an ensuing war between the magical and non-magical worlds.

Venturing into the American wizarding headquarters (hidden inside the iconic Woolworth building) is fascinating. The difference in the architecture and the Magical Congress of the United States of America’s processes adds another dimension to Rowling’s already textured world.

Almost everything about Fantastic Beasts has been done well. An inventive sequence inside Newt Scamander’s magical suitcase is a visual pleasure palace — the creatures that call it home, with their makeshift habitats, are a marvellous sight.

Just like the eight movies that came before it, Fantastic Beasts offers a rollicking adventure with characters you can root for, while making sure it remains faithful to the complexity of Rowling’s original vision. There are shadowy undercurrents of repression, segregation and fear to give you something to think about.

It also benefits from a confident adult cast rather than relying on child performers trying to find their feet.

What it could’ve done better is fill in the villains with more nuance, but that’s probably what those four sequels are for.

From the effects to the music to the performances to the battle scenes, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a worthy follow-up to the Harry Potter juggernaut.

Rating: 3.5/5

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is in cinemas from today.

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Niffler, a fantastic (and greedy) beast.Source:Warner