Worrying means you suffer twice

Rating: 10/10 (1 September 2017)

This is the first film of what is anticipated to be a multiple part film series (at least 5 films). It takes place in NYC circa 1926. Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is in NYC from Britain. He is a collector of "fantastic beasts" and is attempting to keep them from extinction and use said creatures to instruct wizards about them. While in NYC he runs into difficulty and finds himself at odds with an Obscurial (a young powerful wizard who use the dark force) and Mr. Graves (Colin Farrell). He allies himself with Tina (Katherine Waterston) clearly a future love interest, Queenie (Alison Sudol) a mind reader who oozes with Luna Lovegood simplicity and a likable human (Dan Fogler).
There are a few things to note, one is the differences in culture and slang between the US and English wizards. The names lack the astrological significance as the Potter series. The magic words also appear crude and unlike English words made to sound Latin. There is a single reference to Transfiguration Professor Albus Dumbledore. He was famous for his defeat of Gellert Grindelwald. This is part of the background for the film.
On the surface, the film appears to have let loose the special effects people and then create a film around it. Newt Scamander starts off as a low key character devoid of the personality normally associated with Rowling's characters. All this should change with the next film.