Movie Review: "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"

Synopsis: Newt Scamander is a British wizard traveling to America in search of some magical creatures.  While in New York City, a mishap leads to the magical world getting exposed to the general public, with a wannabe baker, Jacob, right in the middle of it.  Tina, who is a bit of a witch herself, tries to help Newt get his creatures back and prevent any more magical mayhem...but, soon, they face a dark entity that has powers untold.  Will they be able to capture it before it destroys New York City?
Screenplay written by J.K. Rowling.

The Good: This one does have its moments; I'll give it that.  Newt was a likable hero, and Tina was a great right hand woman.  The sets were excellent, and really took me back to yesteryear.

The Bad: Alongside the profanity--which ranged from d-words to the British über-crudity "b----r"--this movie portrayed the Christian faith in a negative light.  A woman in a church cruelly abuses her adopted children because of their magical abilities.  Sure, it's not mentioned that it's a church in the film, but the published screenplay does so multiple times.  This was exceptionally disappointing, with Rowling claiming to be a Christian.  Also, the overall story doesn't feel very Potter-ish, and the character of Queenie was too sultry.

Conclusion: It seems like they'll make anything into a movie these days.  When I first heard that the bestselling pregnancy manual What to Expect When You're Expecting was getting the celluloid treatment, I thought: What's next? A film version of Mac OS X for Dummies? Like any business, the movie studios are in it to make money, and there are few properties that are nearly as bankable as Harry Potter.  Well, I may be the odd one out, but, I would say this: Unless you're an HP fanatic, I'd suggest skipping this; it doesn't even come close to the feel of the original books or films.

Score: 2/5