Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

Director: David Yates
Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol
Runtime: 133 minutes

Synopsis: Follows magizoologist Newt Scamander as he runs around New York trying to find the magical creatures accidentally set loose.

• Performances: 8/10

Why? There wasn't one single bad performance. All the actors and actresses perfectly embodied characters that had the herculean task of following some of the most beloved characters in cinematic history (Harry Potter and his entourage). They obviously may still not be as popular as their counterparts, but they did a great job giving us a taste of their personalities and made us care enough about them to get excited about the sequels. 

• Screenplay: 7/10

Why? Much like "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", this prequel was fixated on setting up a universe we're going to spend 5 movies in. However, since a lot of it was already tackled in the Harry Potter series, it mostly focused on developing the characters by making them work together to achieve a common goal. And while I came out satisfied with what I saw, I have to admit that it didn't have the same impact Harry, Ron, and Hermione's introductions had on me. Now granted, the comparison is not very fair since the circumstances are majorly different, but it's still something that naturally comes to mind knowing that the two franchises are tied. Having said all that, I enjoy revisiting the film and its simple hide and seek type narrative very much, and have to say that the last 15 minutes of it had me extremely excited to watch its sequel as soon as possible.

• Special Effects: 8/10

Why? It's a known fact that the scenes involving magic of any kind are extremely well done. The team perfected these effects a while ago, and they still beautifully hold up to this day. My issue, and it's a small one, was with the beasts. While their design was superb, they did look at times like they were generated in 2005 or so. It's a small nitpick that didn't affect my overall experience much, but that I still hope will get resolved in future installments.

• Costumes/Makeup: 9/10

Why? "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" is famous for being the first entry in the Wizarding World franchise to win an Oscar. And it was in this category. The costume design was amazing not only visually, but also conceptually. They perfectly fit the characters personalities and played a big part in their development.

• Editing: 7/10

Why? While there were a few cuts that felt a bit sudden and out of place, the movie was pretty well edited. It didn't feel too long, nor too short, and didn't really have pacing problems.

• Cinematography: 7/10

Why? Directed by David Yates, who also was in the director's chair for the last 4 Harry Potter movies which saw a considerable change in the franchise's tone and made it darker both literally and figuratively, "Fantastic Beasts" follows the same trend but does look a bit more colorful than its predecessors. It's pleasing to the eye without truly breaking any barriers on the technical level.

• Score/Soundtrack: 7/10

Why? Definitely not as iconic as the Harry Potter soundtrack despite borrowing a lot from it, but still feels magical, which is all that matters.

FINAL GRADE: 8/10