Non-Fan Perspective: Enjoyable, Fun, Family Romp

Rating: 9/10 (14 December 2016)

As a non-Harry Potter fan (Have not read the books, and have only seen a couple of the movies), I had no expectations for this film. I was pleasantly surprised. The movie was quite good. If you haven't seen it, think of it like "Doctor Who" with wizards (Complete with a wizard Tardis). It reminds me of some of the better episodes featuring the 11th Doctor. That is not a criticism, by the way, I genuinely enjoyed the film, and I am not saying it is a rip off of "Doctor Who," I am simply saying that it is most similar to some of the adventures of the 11th Doctor, with magic instead of time traveling space stuff.
Here were some of the highlights for me...
ACCESSIBILITY - I like that I didn't have to know a ton about the Harry Potter universe to understand what was going on. It doesn't exactly hand hold you, which is good, but you can at least follow the story and enjoy it without being super familiar with the universe. (There are a couple things that seem like plot holes unless you know the universe already, but they're not severe, and if you go with someone who knows the universe, they can explain them to you. Like... why, for example the wizards don't just murder all the humans and be done with them. In the lore of Harry Potter, it is apparently established that it screws up your soul and messes with you magically when you commit murder. Not explained in movie, so I figured I'd mention it here.)
CHARACTERS - All of the characters who are supposed to be likable are likable. The actors do a good job with the roles. It's always pleasant when you don't hate the protagonists and it's always pleasant when the characters develop and have arcs that follow logical emotional and motivational progression.
STORY - I like that this film has well-paced story progression with climaxes and slower character building scenes that effectively create the universe. I also like that the action set pieces/special effects serve the story rather than existing simply for their own sake. There are a few silly moments that challenge suspension of disbelief (the big ol' reset button at the end), but overall, it remains consistent with its own internal logic and, most importantly, it tells a story with a minimum of plot holes (once again, so long as you suspend your disbelief).
EFFECTS - They're good enough to tell the story.
CREATURES AND FANTASY WORLD - I genuinely liked all the creatures, and I was genuinely interested in the dynamics of the fantasy world they created. The 20's era wizard society and their interactions with the "real" world were interesting to see and engaging.
PROBLEMS - None that I care to nitpick on first viewing. The positives far outweigh the elements I thought were overly silly.
OVERALL - 9/10 - I highly recommend this film to general audiences. The logical story progression, the well-paced plot, the dynamics of the fantasy world, and the likable characters, coupled with the fact that you don't have to completely understand the Harry Potter universe to enjoy it, make for an effective and fun family adventure. It's not flawless, but it's still quite good.