“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” turns out to be a hyperbolic name for a pretty so-so movie — one with entertaining passages, but which mostly feels like a big-budget prequel to the better, more cohesive film that’s yet to come.
Of course, “Fantastic Beasts” actually is a prequel of sorts, plucked from the rib of the Harry Potter franchise, marking the first screenplay by J.K. Rowling. Working with veteran “Potter” director David Yates and starring Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne, the author has delivered a handsome but disjointed introduction to Newt Scamander, a British wizard who travels the world in pursuit of magical creatures.