When this movie released, I wasn’t happy. Such spin off properties are cheap cash-ins in my eyes. Nonetheless, my fiancée and I saw it in theaters. Maybe my predisposed attitude towards the film made the experience unpleasant. Fast forward to the year 2022, a year still wrought with the One-Nine. We at home on HBO Max and decide to give Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them another chance.

It’s about Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), young British wizard, on a trip to New York. His intention, free one of his mystical creatures in their natural habitat. His plan goes terribly awry when his magical briefcase/portable zoo is unleashed. I found the story to be congested, as there is a subplot that is clearly meant to set up future entries. Also, this is no Harry Potter, the tone is a lot more mature.

I daresay it’s a little emo. The beasts balance out the desaturated cinematography with their grand scale. Each one is distinct from the next, still they all pose tremendous threat to the human world. Think of a magical Ghostbusters movie. Adult fans of the Potter series are likely to enjoy this prequel. I recommend you keep the small kids home though. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a spin off in every sense of the word. I give it a 6.5 out of 10.