The Harry Potter franchise was far too massive (and profitable) for the companies involved to allow to just end. 
 So now, we have "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them," a cinematic spinoff series set in the 1920s, based on a story-less pamphlet written by JK Rowling. And "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay" gives a basic idea of what the movie is about, though obviously without any of the special effects or acting. It's a simple but fairly entertaining story, though with a few holes and excessive conveniences in its narrative. 
 Magical zoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York with a magical suitcase filled with strange and wondrous creatures. But he runs into trouble almost as soon as he lands -- first he runs afoul of a stern MACUSA agent named Tina, and then his briefcase is accidentally taken by a No-Maj (aka Muggle) named Jacob Kowalski. When Jacob opens the suitcase, dozens of magical creatures stream out and begin running wild across the city -- which could be very bad for Newt and Jacob both. 
 So Newt begins trying to recapture all his escaped creatures, with the assistance of the amazed Jacob, who had never dreamed that witches, wizards and fantastic beasts could exist. But it so happens that a dark and terrible force is sweeping through New York, brutally killing a senator during a political rally. And unfortunately, the American wizard authorities -- led by Percival Graves -- immediately blame Newt, forcing the unworldly animal-collector to try to find the true source of all this mayhem. 
 "Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them" is a fairly straightforward story in the Harry Potter universe, with a few unpredictable twists and turns. However, it's also rather far removed from the things that fans will be familiar with -- there are a few familiar surnames, a mention of Dumbledore and a few of Hogwarts, but for the most part it has a cast of all-new characters, in a wildly different setting and is even set in a different time period. 
 And it's written entertainingly -- the story moves along at a swift pace, but with some quieter moments that allow you to see what the characters are all about (Jacob's introduction to Newt's menagerie), some humor, and rather dark undercurrents (an escaped Dark wizard, the Second Salemers). And while the writing obviously relies mostly on dialogue, the script directions include a great deal of descriptive prose ("The Obscurus is beginning to shrink. Its dreadful face is becoming more human..."), and some rather entrancing looks at the naturalistic, non-school-based side of the magical world (a bar run by a House-elf). 
 However, there are a few parts that feel rushed and rather contrived, such as a scene where Newt and Tina are condemned to death... immediately... on the personal say-so of one Auror who isn't even the magical president. This seems a bit unlikely. 
 It also has a fairly interesting array of characters -- Scamander is a fairly likable "absent-minded professor"-type who seems more at ease with his fantastic beasts than he does with people, and Queenie is a fun character. Tina feels rather half-sketched, being a super-strict agent at the beginning and suddenly becoming okay with being a fugitive from justice, but Jacob is a refreshingly unique character, being the only Muggle main character of the series -- a sweet sad optimist who hates his cannery job, and longs to open a bakery in order to make people happy. 
 "Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them: The Original Screenplay" feels a bit rushed in places, but is a solid basis for a blockbuster movie.... even if the title is a bit misleading. Seriously, none of the creatures are in their native habitat.