"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them"
(Rated B)
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Colin Farrell, Dan Fogler
Genre: Fantasy/ Action
Dwight's Rating:

You may recall in my review of "Doctor Strange", I mentioned how the film had "a pronounced 'Harry Potter for adults' feel". I also said that this "wasn't necessarily a good thing".

Yes, overall "Doctor Strange" is a good and entertaining film, especially as a result of star Benedict Cumberbatch's exuberant performance. But who needs a Marvel witch-story when you can go right to the source? J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels redefined the way many people see witches, and our expectations of what witchcraft entails, especially in film. And now Rowling is back with, ironically, a sort of "Harry Potter for adults".

Rowling is the writer and one of the producers of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them", based on her 2001 novel of the same name. It is a prequel to the Harry Potter series, featuring a lot of what we loved about the Harry Potter series, but instead of child-wizards dealing with teen and pre-teen angst at Hogwarts School, we get adults dealing with being witches in a world of unpleasant "muggles".

It's set in 1929 -- long before young wizard Potter was even a thought. The year is 1926, and Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident, were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt's fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.

There's a lot happening here, from the strange creatures to the wizards and witches with unusual skills and abilities. The film has to juggle the line between the "fantastic beasts" and the darker anti-witch storyline. At times, it does seem to dwell on certain segments and sequences for too long. But the pacing is mostly reasonable.

Again, a lot of the magic (pardon the pun) from some of the better Harry Potter films is here. David Yates, who directed the final four Potter films, is directing here. It's light for the most part, and should appeal to anyone from teenagers to those who grew up on the Harry Potter books or films to adults looking for escapism. It's also not weighed down with the generic villains-hoping-to-destroy-the-world-plots afflicting almost anything with a Marvel label. And some surprise casting treats are icing on the cake.

So if you love Harry Potter, you'll like (perhaps not love, but strongly like) "Fantastic Beasts".

"Arrival" (Rated T)
Cast: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker
Genre: Mystery/ Science Fiction
Dwight's Rating:

For a while there, it looked like we were going to miss this highly-anticipated sci-fi mystery.

But at last, "Arrival" has, um... arrived.

Released in the U.S. on November 11, the film finally got here two weeks later. And if it feels like you haven't seen anything particularly thought-provoking, challenging and stimulating since the Oscar-bait flicks late last year or at the start of January, you're probably right. And as such, you should "arrive" early to feast on this banquet! (Sorry, I can't help it with the puns).

Linguistics professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) leads an elite team of investigators when gigantic spaceships touch down in 12 locations around the world. As nations teeter on the verge of global war, Banks and her crew must race against time to find a way to communicate with the extraterrestrial visitors. Hoping to unravel the mystery, she takes a chance that could threaten her life and quite possibly all of mankind.

This is sci-fi for adults. No Marvel or DC Comics or Michael Bay-type blow-up-everything-in-sight nonsense. This is thoughtful, evaluate-your-life-and-life-choices material. This is also a real mystery, as for most of the movie -- you and the characters are trying to determine the true intent of the aliens' "arrival".

The plot will remind many of the similar alien-communication drama-flick, "Contact" with Jodie Foster from 1997. And at times, it's even reminiscent of last year's convoluted but entertaining (and non-alien) "Interstellar".

Adams and Jeremy Renner, who plays a physicist also trying to crack the mystery, make a great team. But it's Adams' show, and she shines with a subtle but commandingly powerful performance.

Stay alert in the theater. You'll want to be paying attention. And you many want to go with good friends. This is a great conversation starter as you may have questions and want to discuss it when it's all over.

When was the last time that's happened at the movies?

o Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of " Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter @morningblend969.

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