Directed by David Yates, the steady hand who'd steered Harry Potter films five to eight to popular and critical acclaim has done the same with the Fantastic Beasts. Though Fantastic Beasts is genealogically linked to Harry Potter, with nods and winks sprinkled like cake crumbs throughout the script, in practice there's no particular reason it had to be. The catastrophic timing and tone of Depp's pop-up gurn sends you out of Fantastic Beasts feeling more anxious about the franchise's stamina. Solidly extending the Harry Potter franchise to a different era with new characters, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them starts slowly before finding its groove, delivering sufficient spectacle alongside a little emotion. I go with 4/5 for this beginner of a new potential franchise.