I don't know what to think. I thought it was very odd, and it didn't feel really Harry Potter-y to me. I thought the plot wasn't too great, since they set up a long plot about catching the beasts, and then suddenly throw the main plot (with the Obscurus) at you without setting up characters you know. We didn't know much about the Obscurus and the weird girl, and suddenly they're thrown in as being very important. I thought Queenie and Jacob worked well together, but I thought the emotional connection between Newt and Porpentina wasn't that strong, which made the ending scene less powerful. I also thought the Obscurus story and the girl didn't fit in well with the Harry Potter feel. I don't like the direction it's taking, not because it's a darker film, but because it feels more like a horror/evil demon film instead of Harry Potter. The Obscurus and the girl were really creepy and weird, and didn't fit in with the rest of the magic. Not only does it feel like something from a horror film, there are seemingly many plot holes with it. The Obscurus seems all powerful, and I don't see what's stopping it from just destroying everyone. The only way they stop it is because Newt talks to him to calm him down and they eventually attack it with about 8 trillion spells (and it seems he's still alive from what I've heard). It feels like some sort of a Satanic spirit, not something from Harry Potter, and I don't think it fits. Overall, I don't really know what to say. It was interesting, but there are things that really bother me, and the film really felt off from the rest of the Potter world.

Another quick though: I noticed while watching that some of the CGI felt a bit off. Most of it was really well done, especially the Bowtruckle, a few other creatures, and when they repaired the buildings. However, when they are having up close moments with the creatures and are touching them, I feel like they should have used actual physical creatures (fake obviously). I think recent films like The Force Awakens did a great job of blending CGI with practical effects and it made it feel mouth more real. I think Fantastic Beasts could have done with some of that blending of effects. However, this is a bit more nitpicky.