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'Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them' Better Than Harry Potter Series? JK Rowling's First Screenplay A Hit

By Jenia Cane | Update Date: Nov 19, 2016 03:33 AM EST

"Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them," whose worldwide release date has been set on Nov. 18, has received a 90 percent "fresh rating" from review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.

This should give the fantasy-adventure film a good head start considering that it is the first in five planned episodes of the "Harry Potter" prequel written by best-selling author J.K. Rowling. 

Set in the dark, turbulent days of 1920s New York, the film's cast features a brand new quartet composed its main protagonist, magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne); magical sisters Porpentina (Katherine Waterston) and Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol); and mind-reader No-Maj (Jacob Kowalski). 

At a recent fan event, Rowling gave fans a bird's eye view of what to expect from the "'Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them's," central cast members. Scamander is a dithering, but charming young lad; Porpentina is sharp-minded and serious, and shares similarities with Hermione's character; Queenie is flirty but sweet; and No-Maj is genial and hearty, according to The Guardian

The film also includes an impressive line up of baddies, which include Johnny Depp as Grindelwald and Collin Farrell as Graves. Although there was a bit of criticism on how the true identify of one of these characters was eventually revealed, Rowling was lauded for her amazing work as debuting screenwriter. 

With the glowing reviews the film has so far received, critics say that it could already stand up on its own feet. By and large, it can be considered a "fully fledged" franchise that has its own personality, and a better screen adaptation than its predecessor (sorry Potter fans). 

In the meantime, the LA Times described "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them," as "a lively, fast-paced adventure that balances high-spirited whimsy and darkly brooding atmosphere in the usual Rowling tradition." 

The movie gains momentum when Scamander accidently lets loose a few of his beast in the streets of New York. This is where he learns about the great tension that have gripped the wizarding world, which threatens to suck everyone into its belly unless the group of magic-wielding heroes finds a way to bring order to chaos.

"Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them," whose release date is a widely-anticipated event, promises to continue the magical tradition set by "Harry Potter," while showcasing the enormous talent of Rowling as a screenwriter.

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