It’s no secret that I’m a major Harry Potter fan.  You can see it in our parties and celebrations, in our travels both in the United States and England, in the books we read, the gifts we give, and of course, all the movies we watch.

We’ve been anticipating Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them for over a year and it is officially in movies everywhere as of tonight. Of course, we went to go see it, as it was  long-awaited  and it’s just what we had to do.

Although this movie is not directly related to Harry Potter, it is definitely a part of the Wizarding World during an earlier time period and a different location–1920’s New York City. Some references are made in both series of movies that would connect the two, and it is fun to see the Easter eggs found within. In Fantastic Beasts, we are introduced to an entirely different cast of characters and different adventures that will thrill  Harry Potter fans. The movie is written by J.K. Rowling herself, and directed by David Yates, so you know you are in for a treat.  But here’s the important part, Fantastic Beasts is not trying to be Harry Potter.  It’s a great storyline that rekindles the magic of a world we love.

We meet Newt Scamander, as he arrives from England to New York City.  He is there with a task in mind related to magical creatures.  An encounter with a No-Maj (American term for Muggle, i.e. No Magic) quickly turns that plan upside down and he now has to embark on something much, much bigger. Incorporate that with some serious unrest between a No-Maj population and wizards in Manhattan as well as a surprise villain  on the loose and you’ve got yourself an exciting magical adventure of epic proportions.

While I will not give out any spoilers, I was very pleased with how good the movie was and I am eagerly awaiting the sequential movies to follow in this series.  I am very excited at the prospect of new adventures to come.

You can catch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them at movies everywhere now.