As a diehard Harry Potter fan, the announcement of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” was a dream come true. The idea of a depiction of the wizarding world in America filled me with a kind of Harry Potter fueled excitement I hadn’t felt since middle school, and after an exhilarating two hours and 13 minutes at the movie theater the night of the premier along with a good twenty something people in my grade, decked out in too small Gryffindor robes and a scar on my head, I was not disappointed.

Although from a  critic’s point of view “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” may have been overly action packed with limited character development and many unfinished threads of stories left hanging, from a fan’s perspective, it was the perfect amalgamation of a plethora of new stories and the original books. The story was colorful, fast paced, and easy to get wrapped up in, especially for someone well versed in HP language.

In the Harry Potter prequel, we learn about the life of Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), a British wizard on a mission to save the magical beasts he has collected in his extraordinary briefcase. Along the way, we are introduced to the American wizarding world in the 1920’s, complete with a “No-Maj”/wizarding feud, the presence of a mysterious dark force, and the appearance of the notorious Grindelwald, a crucial yet relatively unknown character in J.K. Rowling’s original seven-part series. Viewer’s were drawn into Newt’s fast paced adventure, and personally, I couldn’t avert my eyes for the entirety of the movie.

Of all the elements of Fantastic Beasts, the beasts themselves seem to be the most highly praised, and rightly so. The CGI team did a truly incredible job creating creatures such as the Niffler or the Bowtruckle that are nearly impossible not to fall in love with, while simultaneously bringing majestic creatures such as the Thunderbird to life. The visual aspects of the film were awesome, in the true sense of the word, to say the least, and are certainly deserving of the praise that they received. However, contrary to popular opinion, the beasts were not my favorite part of the movie.

Although it was an imperfect movie, a bit cheesy at times and had a string of unfinished plot holes, it essentially accomplished what any worthwhile movie should: it wrapped me up in the story. I laughed and I cried as I watched Newt Scamander traverse New York City along with his companions. I sat on the literal edge of my seat at times, anticipating the next unexpected twists and turns to come. Most of all, however, I was returned to a world that I fell completely in love with in third grade, and haven’t stopped loving since. Was “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” as good as the original “Harry Potter” movies? No. But was it a worthwhile watch? To any fan of the Wizarding World, absolutely.