Yup, I watched it 'till the end but I pretty much agree with you. That's always the risk of heavily CGI-driven movies, they have a tendency to "lose the plot" and not develop characters enough or skimp on the dialogue.

Frankly i enjoyed this far more than the Latter Harry Potter movies. The Harry Potter series seemed to go way downhill after Prisoners of Askaban. And by the End. I just didn't care anymore. Especially with its boring conspiracy crap. While Newt isn't the greatest of protagonist. Hes really not that bad either. I did really enjoy the other characters. And while the story isn't the greatest. I would take it over the bore fest that was Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 1&2.

That's funny...for the life of me I couldn't get involved in the Harry Potter universe much at all. Tried watching 3-4 different movies and always ended up getting distracted half way through them or so...just couldn't manage to get invested for some reason. Well, I'm approaching middle age here, that may have something to do with it, but kind of too bad when its all the rage, you know? lol

"heart" that's exactly what its missing.

@Jehosaphet said:

But just couldn't make it all the way through...there doesn't seem to be much in the way of 'heart', I guess...no idea what drives the protagonist, nobody to really root for...just seems like it was mostly a vehicle to showcase some special effects, many of which were slowed down as if marveling at the creatures was supposed to supplement this flick's lack of entertainment value. Too bad...I wanted to like it, but just seemed like there was nothing really there to like. Except for the baker guy, I guess...of course, hard to dislike the goofy Uncle from The Goldbergs lol

my thoughts exactly. i haven't watched any of the harry potter films as they never appealed to me, but in the back of my mind i did wonder if i was missing out. so i decided to watch this and then move on to harry potter if i liked it. on the basis of this film, i no longer feel i have missed out. this was such a vapid and derivative film. nothing original to see, bland performances and underdeveloped characters. i feel the decision the release just before xmas perfectly some up the empty commercialism of this film.

I really enjoyed it. Not a huge Harry Potter person, I saw the first movie when it came out and had also read the first book prior but was not compelled to continue and honestly remember little. So I watched this last night as a fresh new experience with just a faint notion about the connection to the other and very much enjoyed it. I love animals and that aspect of the movie provided the for me others seem to be missing. I also loved the character of Jacob, the muggle caught up in this adventure...

As a Harry Potter fan (read all the novels, English and Dutch, have a Latin copy and an illustrated one, have the DVD's, and quite a collection of HP Lego), I was looking forward to returning to the HP-universe. I wasn't bored but didn't quite get why we had to go back in time (that far) and visit the US.

I suppose we'll be following Grindelwald back to Europe in the next movie? I hope the story will get more interesting. I can't shake the feeling that the the series of films could have started where this movie ended, making it a bit unnecessary and therefore a waste of time.

@Jehosaphet said:

But just couldn't make it all the way through...there doesn't seem to be much in the way of 'heart', I guess...no idea what drives the protagonist, nobody to really root for...just seems like it was mostly a vehicle to showcase some special effects, many of which were slowed down as if marveling at the creatures was supposed to supplement this flick's lack of entertainment value. Too bad...I wanted to like it, but just seemed like there was nothing really there to like. Except for the baker guy, I guess...of course, hard to dislike the goofy Uncle from The Goldbergs lol

Dan Fogler is just the best. He was more magical than the actual magic in this film.

It started promisingly enough but soon became rather dreary and repetitive. There really wasn't enough of a plot to sustain more than two hours of set pieces and Eddie Redmayne really isn't a charismatic enough actor to carry it. I also don't see the love for Dan Fogler - his character was too much of a one-note lovable buffoon and one could pretty much see where his character was going right from his first moments.

@rudely_murray said:

It started promisingly enough but soon became rather dreary and repetitive. There really wasn't enough of a plot to sustain more than two hours of set pieces and Eddie Redmayne really isn't a charismatic enough actor to carry it. I also don't see the love for Dan Fogler - his character was too much of a one-note lovable buffoon and one could pretty much see where his character was going right from his first moments.

This movie just wasn't for you, bruh. You didn't feel the magic

@MrsBuckyBarnes said:

@Jehosaphet said:

But just couldn't make it all the way through...there doesn't seem to be much in the way of 'heart', I guess...no idea what drives the protagonist, nobody to really root for...just seems like it was mostly a vehicle to showcase some special effects, many of which were slowed down as if marveling at the creatures was supposed to supplement this flick's lack of entertainment value. Too bad...I wanted to like it, but just seemed like there was nothing really there to like. Except for the baker guy, I guess...of course, hard to dislike the goofy Uncle from The Goldbergs lol

my thoughts exactly. i haven't watched any of the harry potter films as they never appealed to me, but in the back of my mind i did wonder if i was missing out. so i decided to watch this and then move on to harry potter if i liked it. on the basis of this film, i no longer feel i have missed out. this was such a vapid and derivative film. nothing original to see, bland performances and underdeveloped characters. i feel the decision the release just before xmas perfectly some up the empty commercialism of this film.

Also, I have to add that I am not a fan of Witches/Warlocks/Magic at all. I ran into the tail end of this movie on Ovation and recorded it later for time-shifted viewing. it is a DFX tour de force, with an interesting backstory with a befuddled No-Maj "Jacob Kowalski"standing in for the audience. "Miss Peregrin's Home for Peculiar Children" was far more interesting, since there wasn't any "Wand work" going on. Magic? I preferred the "movie magic" of "The Babadook."