Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Mass destruction, and a few character deaths and injuries. A force of suppressed, out-of-control magic kills two No-Maj characters pretty hideously. Wizards and witches engage in wand battle. A wizard and witch are sentenced to die in a pool of an acid-like substance. Credence's mother beats him; a scene shows him taking off his belt and handing it to her -- his hands are later shown with welts and cuts.

Queenie is in a slip when first shown; she puts her dress on in front of male guests, one of whom ogles her. She also changes into a nightie and alludes to a man thinking what most boys think when they first see her. Two characters kiss. Another couple stares longingly at each other and holds each other.

"Merlin's Beard," "hell," "bugger," "freak," "anus."

A scene takes place in a speakeasy; characters order drinks at the bar -- specifically, a magical drink implied to contain alcohol that's called "giggle water" (it literally makes characters giggle). A supporting character smokes a cigar.

Parents need to know that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a prequel to the Harry Potter movies. Based on J.K. Rowling's original story, it takes place in 1920s New York City and follows Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), a magizoologist and author of a Hogwarts textbook that catalogs magical creatures. As per usual in the Potter saga, you can expect plenty of fantasy violence, some of which ends in deaths (a couple are pretty gruesome). There's also mass destruction, although the property destroyed is magically fixed, and the minds of the No-Maj ("no magic") folks are always erased. Wizards engage in wand battles, two wizards are sentenced to death and nearly killed, and an out-of-control form of magic nearly destroys whole swaths of Manhattan. A character's mother beats him with a belt (welts, cuts are shown on his hands). One scene takes place in a speakeasy, where adult characters order drinks, and there's a bit of light romance between couples that ends in goodbye kisses, longing looks, and brief caresses. Unlike the original Harry Potter movies, the main characters here are all adults, and the story is much more of a grown-up suspense/thriller than a kid-centric adventure. But themes and messages include curiosity, compassion, and courage, and the main characters are all strong role models.

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