Movies in a Minute: ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” was released Friday and I have good news: This movie will appeal to more than just “Harry Potter” fans.

It’s actually a really good movie. I thought Eddie Redmayne was captivating in his quirky role as a Newt Scamander, who adventures all over the world to find — you guessed it — fantastic beasts.

Though this is a prequel to the “Harry Potter” films, it is set 70 years prior to that successful series and only maintains a few mentions. There’s no real connection, so don’t feel like you’ll miss out if you haven’t watched the original series.

Also, I have to say the special effects are really good in this movie.