‘Fantastic Beasts’ a not-so-fantastic movie

Satisfied yet also somewhat let down, I emerged from the dark movie theater with empty snacks in my hands and anticipation in my mind for the next four movies in the new Harry Potter spin-off series.

Directed by David Yates, who also directed the last three “Harry Potter” installments, J.K. Rowling’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” gives sentimental Potterheads a chance to return to the wonderful Wizarding World they fell in love with so many years ago.

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” revolves around Newt Scamander, played by Academy Award-winning actor Eddie Redmayne, a wizard who studies magical creatures in England. Throughout the course of the movie, Scamander embarks on a mission to research these creatures around the world to add to his book of findings.

From his first step in America, Scamander and his brown briefcase of mythical creatures are immediately embroiled in issues that stem from the increasing tension between No-Mags, the non-wizarding community, and American wizards.

When I first heard about the development of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” in 2013, my hopes for the movie soared, regardless of the fact that spin-offs of famous series have often disappointed me. And even though the film did not reach my expectations, I still have faith that the next four installments will exceed them.

Although many of the actors are not famous, Redmayne provides a familiar face to the otherwise unknown cast. Additionally, their well-played friendships and chemistry on screen make up for the lack of star-studded names in the credits.

While watching the movie, I felt like I was there to witness every little moment when certain characters developed deeper bonds with friends, which helped me relate to the characters and sift through which ones I liked more than others (e.g., Scamander more than Kowalski, Queenie more than Tina, etc.).

The development of these relationships made me happy, but I thought the movie was still missing one important aspect: development of the characters themselves.

For instance, take the main character Newt Scamander. Rowling and Yates deliver some vague details about Scamander’s home country and his educational background at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but without a complete description of his past, viewers like me were immediately confused by the numerous events that unfolded in the movie, including the reveal of a mysterious character from his Hogwarts days, Leta Lestrange, and the appearance of a magnificent Thunderbird that certainly had unusual origins.

The same can be said for most of the other characters. Other than some blurry, unclear flashbacks and befuddling references to unknown places, people and events, none of their backgrounds are covered enough.

While watching the film, however, I did entertain the notion that this may be just a marketing ploy to entice watchers to come back for the future installments of the series. In the meantime, with only the first movie released, I can only hope that the next ones will prove more satisfactory in terms of character development.

In addition, the movie’s CGI left me slightly disillusioned. Because the movie revolves around a wizard and his mythical creatures who all reside in beautiful, otherworldly habitats, graphics played a huge role in the task of leaving the audience satisfied with a spin-off that was expected live up to the legacy of the original movies.

Even though many scenes had breathtaking special effects, I, a casual movie-watcher, could clearly point out some undeniable mistakes in certain sequences that detract from the overall experience with the CGI, especially during shots involving magical creatures that needed to be computer generated.

In one scene, when Scamander parts with his precious Thunderbird, the green screen is slightly lacking in some areas. Viewers can see a tiny disconnection between Scamander’s head and the Thunderbird’s beak; Scamander’s head seems to be placed on some invisible surface a couple inches in front of the beak.

Although these mistakes in the movie can seem minor, perfect CGI is an important pillar that this movie relies on, especially when the entire franchise revolves around these magical creatures and how realistic they appear to a typical viewer.

Thankfully, the director didn’t mess around with the plot and general storyline set by the original series. I still felt like I was whisked back into the Wizarding World, and although it certainly lacked some crucial characteristics, the future installments of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” will ignite the slumbering Harry Potter fanatic inside me, shaking the cinematic fantasy world like its eight predecessors once did.