Fantastic Beasts "seemed a good jumping-on point for a 'Harry Potter' novice, not needing to know a tremendous amount before watching," Carolan, who lives in Norwich, England, said.

An excruciating bore just barely enlivened by stray glimpses of Hogwarts, a flicker of gay romance and a menagerie of computer-generated creepy-crawlies, “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of ...