Muggles all around the world can rejoice at the release of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them,” J.K. Rowling’s new entry into the magical world of “Harry Potter.”

Movie fans can also cheer because this latest film is directed by David Yates, the man who helmed the last four “Harry Potter” movies. The end result is a new film that seamlessly captures the spirit and magic of the original series, and sets us up for many cinematic returns in the years to come.

Eddie Redmayne stars as Newt Scamander, a wizard who travels the globe collecting and cataloguing all manner of fantasy creatures. He keeps these animals stuffed inside his magical leather suitcase, which proves to be a problem when a non-magical human (Dan Fogler) mistakenly picks up Scamander’s case, and subsequently allows a zoo full of fantastic beasts to escape and wreak havoc on the city.

The rest of the film is a mad dash by our hero and his friends to recapture the creatures before the rest of humanity can take notice of all the magic afoot. Darker forces are also stirring as anti-wizard crusaders and other villains lurk just offstage. Indeed, one “surprise” character revelation seems to indicate that he will become a new version of Voldemort as the “Fantastic Beasts” series progresses over its already-planned five film series.

I am certainly looking forward to those upcoming films. Under the careful guidance of Rowling and Yates, this spinoff series has recaptured the magic of the original films. Credit the actors as well. Redmayne is endearingly awkward in the title role, and while he may not automatically capture our hearts as easily as a pre-teen Daniel Radcliff did, there is still plenty of charm to make audiences want to join him for his fun adventures.

The special-effects-generated creatures are also a great deal of fun. I think that it’s important that they are somewhat simple, rather than overwhelming. Small kids need to think that they could actually help recapture these escape creatures, and that wouldn’t be possible if the filmmakers had opted for creatures that stirred genuine fear. I’m always a big fan of filmmakers who spend time thinking about how their art will affect the movie-going public. It’s obvious that Rowling and Yates know exactly what they’re doing with these new films.

Much like the original “Harry Potter” series, the filmmakers have once again decided to start this new franchise with a lighter tone. We can probably expect the overall story to become increasingly dire as it moves forward, but in this first introduction, audiences will certainly enjoy this lark of an adventure.

Time will tell if these new movies will live up to the standards set by “Harry Potter,” but this first time out, fans will certainly find that “Fantastic Beasts” more than lives up to its name.

Movie reviews by Sean, “The Movie Guy,” are published weekly in “The Port Arthur News” and seen weekly on KFDM and KBTV. Sean welcomes your comments via email at smcbride@sbgtv.com.com.