Harry Potter's world is so quintessentially British, that reimagining wizardry in a New York setting requires a particularly audacious mindset.
Fortunately, director David Yates is no stranger to the Potterverse.
Somewhere along the line, Eddie Redmayne seems to have inherited Hugh Grant's mantle of the diffident, gauche Brit and has great fun playing the diffident Newt, while Katherine Waterston provides an unusually strong female presence for a Rowling narrative.
Fans will be alert to the many nods to Hogwarts but the movie works perfectly well as a standalone entertainment.
Surprisingly, it also has some interesting and timely things to say about the persecution of minorities in a divided society. For the most part however, it is simply great fun.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be shown as part of the Diss Corn Hall On Tour at Diss High School on Wednesday, March 15.
Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start. Tickets are £5 or £2.50 for under-18s.
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