As one of the most famous franchises of all time, a Harry Potter movie has not been released since 2011. Fast forward to November 2016 and enter “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”. The newest installment in the Harry Potter saga is not set in Hogwarts, full of students going to class and learning about magical creatures, but takes place in 1920s Manhattan. “Fantastic Beasts” is a prequel to the Harry Potter movies. Based on J.K. Rowling’s original story, and follows Newt Scamander, a magizoologist and author of a textbook that Harry uses during his time at Hogwarts, which catalogs creatures from the wizarding world.

One of the most striking aspects of the film is the visual cinematography; the period cityscape provides a wonderful contrast to protagonist Scamander’s amazing personal zoo, which he keeps hidden in his briefcase. All the imaginative creatures are impressive to look at, from the adorable Niffler with a platypus mouth, who loves to hunt for treasure, to the Bowtruckle that looks like a tree, to the enormous hippo-like Erumpent with a glowing horn and the awesome brightly colored Thunderbird.

A caution for families seeking to see the movie: per usual in the Harry Potter series, it has fantasy violence, some of which ends in death which might be intense for young children. Moreover, a character’s mother beats him with a belt (welts, cuts are shown on his hands). One scene takes place in a speakeasy, where adult characters order drinks, and there’s a bit of light romance between couples that ends in goodbye kisses, longing looks, and brief caresses.

Unlike the original Harry Potter movies, the main characters here are all adults, and the story is much more of a grown-up suspense/thriller than a kid-centric adventure. If you love the Harry Potter series, this is a movie for you to enjoy this winter.

The Pathfinder gives Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 8/10.