“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Crimes of Grindelwald” is now open in theaters everywhere. With a screenplay written by J.K. Rowling, the movie leaves a bit to be desired, as far as being a “good film” goes.

The opening sequences of the movie were shot in tight frames with lots of action, which distracted many of the people in my theater. A sprawling and obscure mile-a-minute plotline did nothing to help with that. I’d recommend refreshing yourself on the first movie to be prepared for the speed of events in the sequel.

However, that’s not to say the movie isn’t enjoyable. If one were to look at its function, its shortcomings can be excused for several reasons. “The Crimes of Grindelwald” serves the same purpose that “The Goblet of Fire” did, t establish the series’ villain as dangerous and at-large. Frankly, “The Goblet of Fire” did a much better job of serving that purpose, but still.

The American wizards and the No-Maj Jacob Kowalski return in the sequel to “Fantastic Beasts,” but suffer from the plot not really being about them. Their development is awkward in the early parts of the film but becomes more noteworthy toward the end.

The key attraction of the movie is its look into the chaotic history of the wizarding world. Hungry fans will love the Rowling-approved backstory featuring Dumbledore as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. His tragic relationship with Grindelwald is also heavily emphasized, along with Scamander’s own backstory at Hogwarts.

Despite the flaws I have mentioned, you should go see this movie. If you want to learn more about the wizarding world, you should see “The Crimes of Grindelwald.” I genuinely had a good time seeing it, and I think it makes for a perfect holiday film for the Potter fan. It was worth the price of admission. I give it a 7.2/10.