Eddie Redmayne in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 2016

Warner Bros.

“Harry Potter” fans, rejoice — the wizarding world is back and it’s “a truly magical experience in every sense of the word,” according to critics.

With an 80 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, critics are praising actors Eddie Redmayne and Katherine Waterston, and the story that takes place years before Harry Potter picks ups his first textbook at Hogwarts.

“The result is an effective if not everlasting magical spell,” writes Chicago Sun Times’ Richard Roeper.

Also Read: 'Fantastic Beasts' Review: JK Rowling Reveals She's a Creature of Habit

“‘Fantastic Beasts’ is certainly a J.K. Rowling vision, instantly recognizable as part of what they officially call her ‘wizarding world,'” writes TheWrap’s film critic, Alonso Duralde. “The film’s feel owes just as much to the re-assembled production team behind the ‘Harry Potter’ franchise, including producer David Heyman, director David Yates and the outstanding production designer Stuart Craig. Therein lies both the enterprise’s triumph and its pitfalls. It looks like a billion dollars, most of which it will surely bring in over the promised run of four more Scamander films.”

Jon Voight, Ezra Miller and Colin Farrell costar in the film that will open nationwide on Friday.

See nine of the best reviews below.

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune:

“This is a truly magical experience in every sense of the word. This is not only a good film — quite possibly the best chapter of its series since 2004’s ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ — but in a strange way, it is an important one. It shows how pluck and perseverance and goodwill — and, frankly, a magic wand — can stand up to unsettling challenges. One hundred percent recommended. Multiple viewings advised.”

Chris Bumbray, JoBlo:

“Shorter than other Potter films at only 130 minutes, ‘Fantastic Beasts’ serves as a fun-filled introduction to a new batch of wizards, with Eddie Redmayne ideally cast as our hero, Newt. With James Newton Howard contributing a score that peppers in John Williams’s themes but adds some of his own, and an intriguing mythology (including a big name cameo as the new big-bad Gellert Grindelwald), this is franchise film-making done right. It’s thoroughly enjoyable and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.”

Also Read: Does 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' Have a Post-Credits Scene?

Bruce Kirkland, Toronto Sun:

“The great news is that this film — the first of five planned for the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ franchise — begins at a higher level than the first of the eight Harry Potter movies did. While it falters and even bogs down at moments in the storytelling, ‘Beasts’ is a dazzling spectacle overall and more often spellbinding than not.”

Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun Times:

“‘Fantastic Beasts’ is directed by the stellar veteran David Yates, who helmed the last four ‘Potter’ films and is clearly at home in this expanded universe. The special effects are of course top level (though again, I wouldn’t say they’re breathtakingly special); the sets are amazingly rich in detail; the cinematography is fluid and vibrant. The result is an effective if not everlasting magical spell.”

Jocelyn Noveck, Associated Press:

“There’s also a refreshingly light tone competing with the sinister themes, thanks especially to two exceedingly appealing supporting characters headed for a sweet confection of a romance.”

Also Read: 'Fantastic Beasts' Set for Big Box Office Debut, But How Big?

Julian Roman, MovieWeb:

“As a devout Potter fan, ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ was enjoyable. It’s not a great film, but delivers the goods that I expected. My primary issue is that Scamander always has the perfect animal to get him out of a fix. It’s entirely contrived, but thankfully not a deal breaker. [Dan] Fogler, Collin Farrell as Percival Graves, and Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein are the outstanding players. I sincerely hope that Newt Scamander becomes more developed in the sequel. He does not have the charm or gravitas of Harry Potter, but Warner Bros. does have a worthy new franchise on their hands.”

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic:

“‘Fantastic Beasts’ feels very much like its own thing, worthy of its own attention and box-office. It’s an entertaining, visually stunning film that doesn’t require Potter knowledge to enjoy (though it would probably help).”

Brian Truitt, USA Today:

“Director David Yates’ entertaining introduction of awkward hero and magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is a confident and surprisingly funny adventure that’s more charming than most of the eight ‘Harry Potter’ films. Rowling’s fans have much to love in terms of Easter eggs, familiar names being mentioned in conversation, and enough seeding of material to leave them salivating for a sequel. But whether you’re a Potterhead or not, ‘Beasts’ creates a story that’s both original and enchanting.”

Rafer Guzman, Newsday:

“J.K. Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ spinoff is sheer magic, a grand fantasy-adventure that already feels like an old family favorite.”

Harry Potter: 15 Magical Facts About JK Rowling's Beloved Boy Wizard Franchise (Photos)

J.K. Rowling launched Pottermania on June 26, 1997 with the publication of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (retitled "Sorcerer's Stone" in the U.S.) and four years later a film version began a decade-long franchise that was just as successful. TheWrap teamed up with IMDb to give you these 15 facts you may not have known about the film series.
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The roots of the Potter films begin in 1997 with David Heyman, the man who has produced every installment of the series including "Fantastic Beasts." Heyman was looking for a young adult book series to pitch to the major studios, and received a copy of "Sorcerer's Stone" from his assistant. Two years later, Rowling sold the rights to her books to Warner Bros. for $2 million, on the condition that only British actors be cast.
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One major exception to this was Dumbledore's original actor, the Irish-born Richard Harris. He repeatedly turned down the role because he did not want to commit to filming several sequels, but eventually relented for his Potter-loving granddaughter. Sadly, Harris passed away in 2002 after filming "Chamber of Secrets," and was replaced by Michael Gambon.
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Part of the appeal of the Potter films has been watching Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint grow up with their characters, but that almost didn't happen. While looking for a director, WB considered Steven Spielberg, who wanted to do the films as an animated series that combined the books together. WB president Alan Horn vetoed the idea insisting the films be live-action.
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Having only written four of the books at the time filming started, Rowling was brought on as a creative consultant to make sure the movie did not contradict her plans for the remainder of the series. To this end, she revealed plot elements she had not yet written to Alan Rickman, whom Rowling had hand-picked to play Snape. This included the reveal of Snape's love for Lily Evans from the climax of "Deathly Hallows."
WB
Fans might remember protests against Pottermania from conservative Christian groups who claimed the franchise promoted pagan witchcraft. These had an impact on the filming of "Sorcerer's Stone," as requests to shoot at Canterbury Cathedral were blocked. Instead, the Dean of Gloucester welcomed the crew to film at his cathedral, saying that he was a big fan of the series.
Creative Commons/Mattana
Director Chris Columbus aimed to film as much of "Sorcerer's Stone" on-location as he could. While later films used more studio shooting, it was shot at major sites in England including King's Cross, Durham Cathedral and Alnwick Castle. The major exceptions were the Gryffindor common room and the Great Hall, which were filmed in-studio.
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In both the books and the film, Platform 9 3/4 isn't really between platforms 9 and 10 at King's Cross. Platforms 9 and 10 are suburban platforms located in a rather mundane-looking part of the station, while the grander area seen in the film and depicted in the books is the inter-city area located on platforms 4 and 5. Still, if you go to King's Cross and find the real platform 10, you'll find nearby a sign for platform 9 3/4, featuring a luggage cart disappearing into the wall.
Warner Bros.
When casting for The Boy Who Lived, Columbus was bent on getting Daniel Radcliffe for the role after seeing him in the 1999 BBC adaptation of "David Copperfield." It almost didn't happen, though, as Radcliffe's parents were afraid that he would be overwhelmed by the media attention. After a long talk with Columbus and Heyman, they eventually agreed.
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Rupert Grint's audition was completely different. To get the role of Ron Weasley, he sent in a videotape of him rapping about why he should be in the movie. In 2011, during a panel for "Deathly Hallows," he performed a part of his rap for a crowd of Potter fans.
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Even today, the differences between Radcliffe and Grint are striking. While he's racked up over $95 million from his time playing Harry, Radcliffe admitted in a 2016 interview with The Telegraph that he's barely spent any of it. Grint, meanwhile, spent his money on fulfilling his childhood dream of owning an ice cream truck.
TheWrap
As for Emma Watson, she was reluctant at first to audition for Hermione, but was convinced to do so by her Oxford theatre teacher. She got the part after Heyman and Rowling were impressed by her confidence during screen tests.
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In an attempt to remain as faithful to the books as possible, Watson was originally given fake teeth to match Hermione's buck-toothed smile from Rowling's descriptions. They were scrapped after Watson struggled to speak with them.
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J.K. Rowling herself was offered a cameo in the film as Harry's mother, Lily, who appears in the Mirror of Erised. Rowling declined, and the role was given to Geraldine Somerville.
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The floating candles in the Great Hall were created with a special effects rig that moved the candles up and down in special holders that created the illusion that they were floating. That rig was scrapped in the sequels after one of the wires snapped and dropped a candle. No one was injured, but it was decided that the candles would be entirely computer generated in later films.
WB
While most movies are not filmed in chronological order, Columbus decided to film most of "Sorcerer's Stone" starting from the beginning to help Radcliffe, Watson and Grint come together as a group. One of the few exceptions to this was the Quidditch match, which was filmed last due to the high amounts of special and visual effects. Go to IMDb for more trivia, goofs and quotes.
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Here’s some trivia you may not have known about how J.K. Rowling’s beloved books became a film franchise

J.K. Rowling launched Pottermania on June 26, 1997 with the publication of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (retitled "Sorcerer's Stone" in the U.S.) and four years later a film version began a decade-long franchise that was just as successful. TheWrap teamed up with IMDb to give you these 15 facts you may not have known about the film series.

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