All over the place

Rating: 4/10 (26 November 2016)

While I love Harry Potter and the entire franchise, this movie was quite a disappointment. It felt like an epic 3-piece tale crammed into one movie. The special effects were fun to watch however and there were some enjoyable and funny moments. I especially liked the adorable magical creatures and wish the movie had gone into more detail about them.
Reasons for my rating:
Forced backstory: Characters jumped into telling backstory without it having any real purpose for the forward movement of the plot. Especially clumsy was Queenie questioning Newt about the picture of a woman in his suitcase cabin. This moment felt so out of place and awkward. The story he gave us was interesting and deserved more than just to be told on a side note without any meaning to the actual plot at hand.
Character issues: The movie introduced far too many characters in the very beginning. It was difficult to decipher who we were rooting for (Jacob, Newt or maybe even Tina) and who the bad guy was (politician, weird family, newspaper, or Grindewald???). The talk about Grindewald ceased quickly with hardly another mention throughout the entire film and then all of the sudden he's supposed to be the bad guy in disguise in the end? The appearance of Johnny Depp felt so random and how he even got into that position is a mystery. For such an important part of the film - the resolution - to be dissolved with a gimmick just felt cheap and forced. And what about Credence and his issues? I don't feel as if the movie sewed that plot up well in the end. He literally just disappeared in thin air. Ezra didn't convince me of Credence's turmoil either, with the fake convulsing and downward focus. In general, most of the characters lacked depth and the acting felt shallow.
Plot issues: What was the main story problem? Discovering and stopping the invisible destructive force? Getting behind Percival's scheme and halting him in his tracks? Bringing the golden bird creature to Arizona (character motivation which was introduced far too late in the story)? Catching the escaped creatures? And what about the whole muggle vs magics politics? The plot lacked a common thread and felt chopped up in a bunch of different subplots and shorter stories. It was confusing, to say the least, and it was hard for me to get into the story. The special effects may have distracted me here and there, but in the end, I couldn't forget I was just watching a movie. That's a fatal flaw for any story.
Lost potential: This is probably due time constraints within one blockbuster movie, but I missed more details about the creatures. I especially felt this during their time in Newt's suitcase. We were introduced to a ton of different animals and habitats but only received very short snippets of information. I surely expected more, considering the movie is titled Fantastic beasts and where to find them".
Disappointing ending: I hated the way Newt and Tina departed. Like, come on now, not even a kiss?! Not even a peck on the cheek? No, instead Newt runs dramatically back to Tina before getting in the plane and offers her nothing more than to bring her his finished book in person. Really? That's it? Do you know how long it takes to write a book? Ages! And he still needs to finish his research as well. That was the most disappointing close to a love story I have ever seen in the history of film. More movies are planned for the series, but I can't imagine how this can get any better. Will he offer her the audio book at the end of the next movie or – even better – read it to her in person? Why is the stereotypical nerd always depicted as crippled in matters of romance?
And by the way, am I the only one that felt a pang of deep sadness at the mention of Dumbledore during the questioning between Percival and Newt? Too soon, am I right? (It will always be too soon) XD