Not really a wow but solid and compelling

Rating: 8/10 (19 November 2016)

It's finally here, and one of the usual questions would be: is it a worthy addition to the series?
For those who have followed Harry Potter, I think the answer is yes, and in fact this is an interesting addition that would appeal more with the older audience. Although a bit predictable, the film has a solid climax, and has a rather compelling conclusion. The film was able to establish a starting point for Grindelwald's story, but I have to admit that the character's demeanor as I saw it in the last part of the film spoiled my anticipation to see more of him. For the rest of the audience, it is understandable that Grindelwald is not that interesting based on how the film developed the character. Moreover, he is quite familiar already given that we had Voldemort. So this makes Grindelwald no longer unique, and I find it important that in the succeeding films, J.K. Rowling should present a fresh and compelling case for this character. The dark apocalyptic theme is already worn out, but I'm optimistic that Rowling could give the much needed twist.
I find the creatures interesting, but the scenes involving the search for the creatures on the lose are quite slow, and sometimes feel flat at times; and at one point, I did wonder when the film will finally take off. At least, the Niffler, the kleptomaniac creature, did steal the show. Maybe the problem is with how Redmayne carried Newt Scamander in those scenes and how Yates handled the subtleties of the writing. The script contains many amusing lines that are subdued (might be actually challenging for the director to carry out), and I think that there are a lot of misses in hitting the intended impact.
Generally, the leads did a good job, and what compensates for the low points is the presence of Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), who mainly provided the comic relief. Top that with his love interest, Queenie (Alison Sudol), and we see an amusing and compelling subplot. Eddie Redmayne's Newt and Katherine Waterston's Tina did not really stand out, but I think they did something adequate. However, it would have been better if we see more compelling performances like in their last scene.
After the first two-thirds of the film, I felt relief that the film finally embarked on its take off. With the film's central plot revolving on a particular dark beast, I find the character development to be adequate. Lots of cliché surround the plot, coming especially from DC and Marvel movies, but I think this one has established a unique case such that it generally transcends those cliché. I also think that Yates did a good job in handling the more action-packed parts of the film, and I think that the final third is great and memorable enough to compensate for the lows of the earlier parts. Moreover, watch out for Ezra Miller's Credence and Samantha Morton's Mary Lou in the darker aspects of the story.
The effects are generally topnotch, and there are parts of it that came close to something groundbreaking. There's actually a wow in the production design and we see this at the last part. Cinematography's good, and New York City is a nice backdrop for the story, although the script could have made use more of its culturally complex identity. Also worth mentioning is the music that seamlessly blends with that of the Harry Potter world, especially with the work of John Williams; and more remarkably, James Newton Howard has offered us with iconic themes.
At the bottom-line, the future of this series looks good although some are skeptical on how the story can be stretched. However, if one is familiar with the background stories of Harry Potter, Dumbledore's backstory is particularly interesting, and it did raise a lot of questions. In this case, the material is not really a problem, and hopefully, Rowling together with the cast and crew will live up to the expectations. The first offering as a whole is not really a wow but is memorable enough to be worthily labeled as part of J.K. Rowling's wizarding world.