Movie Review - Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Colin Farrell, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Samantha Morton, Ezra Miller, Alison Sudol, and more.

Directed by: David Yates Written by: J. K. Rowling Cinematography by: Philippe Rousselot Music by: James Newton Howard (Main Theme by: John Williams)

Premise: A socially awkward wizard from Brittain comes to New York on an errand. Unbeknownst to him, there is a lot of unrest in the city as various unexplained phenomena have the citizens growing ever more alarmed. This, in turn, has raised tensions amongst the wizarding world as they fear they'll be exposed to the no-mags (muggles) - something that could very well lead them to war. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Eddie Redmayne was adorable as Newt Scamander. Despite his awkwardness around people, it's fun watching him get pulled out of his shell by a most unexpected acquaintance - the muggle Kowalski. Dan Fogler does a great job as Kowalski. The audience shares his wonder and awe as he's shown the secrets of the wizarding world. Watching his relationship shift and change with Newt, Queenie, and the animals is a lot of fun. And he'll steal your heart when you're not looking. Katherine Waterston as Tina did a great job as well. Her focus shifts and changes as she follows her heart despite all she's done to do the exact opposite. Alison Sudol as Quennie added a lot of charm and a smile with a ton of wattage. Colin Farrell was slick and oily as the head Auror Graves.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects for the film were lovely. All the creatures were fascinating, and several tried to steal the show. :) Lots of creativity went into them. Some resembled familiar animals while others were different from anything seen before.

The inside of Newt's suitcase was a wonder all by itself. Somewhat like the owner, a shabby exterior holding endless wonders within.

Several cool sequences of repair magic. The cooking scene in Tina and Queenie's apartment was super neat and warm.

The rebuilt New York of the late 20's looked fantastic. And expect even more once you go into the wizards' government building!

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: The film contains all the things we've come to know and love about J.K. Rowling's universe. Loveable underdog characters, sinister plots, hidden social commentary.

The film explores multiple themes. The disappointing second child, social awkwardness, being taken advantage of, getting condemned without being heard or understood, and more.

A ton of red herrings and several surprises abound. Watching the chaos and funny antics by Newt's charges are half the fun.

4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Awesome work on all the locations real and imagined. Beautiful shots of the city, underground areas, central park and more. I loved the recreation of the New York Zoo. The shots inside the wizarding building were also quite amazing. The varied fake worlds inside Newt's suitcase, even more so.

5) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: The hair styles, the clothes were all very 20's. Great job with the look and feel. The makeup work on Credence Barebone and Grindelwald were very apt and creepy as well. :P

Conclusion: Fantastic Beasts and Where They Come From is a great addition to the Harry Potter Universe. Strong enough to stand on its own as well. Very enjoyable.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

I would also highly recommend the movie "Arrival" - got super dizzy from a bad case of sinus so didn't get to post a review! Great SF! 

Movie Review - Saving Mr. Banks

Saving Mr. Banks

Starring: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, B.J. Novak, Jason Schwartzman, Lily Bigham, Kathy Baker, Melanie Paxson, Rachel Griffiths, and more.

Directed by: John Lee Hancock Written by: Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith Cinematography by: John Schwartzman Music by: Thomas Newman

Premise: After a twenty year pursuit to get the rights to the character of Mary Poppins, Walt Disney finally has managed to get author Pamela Travers to come to LA. Despite money troubles, however, the last thing the author wants to do is give her treasured character away. As the battle of wills continues, a secondary story unfolds giving a deeper insight of why and what has shaped these two great people into who they are. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Emma Thompson was a force of nature as the indomitable Mrs. Travers. Throughout the film she gives the audience little visuals cues which help the audience learn more about who she really is. As events proceed, it is easily visible as she opens herself more and more to the world again. Tom Hanks gave an excellent performance as Walt Disney. Colin Farrell was superb as Mr. Goff - just the right amounts of dreamer, father, and eventually broken man. Ruth Wilson too was quite excellent as Mrs. Goff - she had few lines, but her face and expressions told so many things. Annie Rose Buckley was too delightful as the free spririted Ginty. Paul Giamatti as Ralph added such an extra nice touch to everything. To be honest, all the actors, regardless of the size of their roles, added so very much to every single scene they should all be applauded.

2) Story - Total Thumbs Up: One of the things I totally loved about this film was the fact they took the mantra every writer must follow - "Show, don't tell". Because half the film is from the point of view of a young girl, there's a lot of information the audience needs which is given to us visually. This placed more than the usual weight on the actors, but they pulled it all off perfectly.

There were also some wonderful parallels between Mr. Goff, Mrs. Travers, and Ginty. Mrs. Travers has survived, but also hidden her true self so deep down, she's almost dead in everything but fact. The film also centered a lot around what makes us who we are. Adversity can make us push harder, do better, as well as crush us. The different results are there for all to see.

This is not a movie for kids. It's most definitely for adults. But for all those who've ever seen the film "Mary Poppins" the nostalgia levels will be very high. This makes the watching of the film all the more poignant as we discover all the background and effort and lifetimes that made "Mary Poppins" what it was.

Even the film's title holds multiple pieces of significance. This was a very multifaceted film. Kudos.

3) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Following the strictures of "show, don't tell" the locations played a very important part in conveying the story. The original Goff house as the Goff family departs, and the eventual arrival at their "new" home but the first of many visual clues. Just seeing the two locations imparted a tremendous amount of information to the audience.

The recreations of the 1960's Disney World and the production offices were great. And the hotel room where Mrs. Travers stayed at - the extreme attempt made to try to make her feel welcome - it screamed of desperation. Lovely.

4) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: From the clothing in 1906 Australia to 1961-1964 Los Angeles, there was an awesome amount of attention to detail. You never doubted which of the two timelines you were watching at any given time.

Conclusion: "Saving Mr. Banks" is a great film. I think it is a "must see" for anyone who's ever loved or seen "Mary Poppins". However, this is not a film for kids. It's a serious film with serious topics. It will, however, definitely enhance your appreciation for the 1964 film. If you get in the least bit emotional at movies, take tissues with you! I guarantee that you'll need them. Also, make sure to sit through most of the credits - between the photos and a recording they shared, it clinched the whole experience.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again)

Movie Review - EPIC

EPIC

Starring: Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Amanda Seyfried, Christoph Waltz, Beyoncé Knowles, Blake Anderson, Aziz Ansari, Chris O'Dowd, Steven Tyler, Jason Sudeikis, and more.

Directed by: Chris Wedge Story by: William Joyce, James V Hart, and Chris Wedge Screenplay by: James V Hart, William Joyce, Daniel Shere, Tom J Astle, Matt Ember Based on the book "The Leaf Men and The Brave Good Bugs" by: William Joyce Cinematography by: Renato Falcão Music by: Danny Elfman

Premise: Moving to her father's house after her mother's death, Mary Katherine is disappointed to see he's still up to the same strange research that led her mother to leave him years before. Her father believes there's an advanced civilization of diminutive people living in the forest. So when it looks like the solstice, combined with a full moon, has her father running about even more than usual, MK decides the new arrangement isn't going to work after all. But when the three legged, one eyed pug, Ozzie runs off into the forest, MK goes after him, and stumbles into the middle of a battle of good versus evil. (Rated PG)

Review:

1) Voice Acting - Thumbs Up: I've always enjoyed the work of Colin Farrell and Josh Hutcherson and their voice acting on this film was well done. Amanda Seyfried gave a great performance as the grieved and troubled MK. Christoph Waltz looked to have had some fun as Mandrake. Beyoncé Knowles came across as a great and wise queen. The comedy tag team of Aziz Ansari and Chris O'Dowd definitely did a lot to amuse. Though some of the different accents thrown in at different places and not always consistently so did jar a little in places.

Of course one of the most fun characters in the film had no voice at all - Ozzie - the three legged, one eyed, old pug.

2) Artwork/Animation - Total Thumbs Up: Blue Sky Studios did an awesome job with the look of the film. From the gorgeous hummingbirds to the wilting of plants, the detail was astounding. Seeing the leafs and plants used as clothes, flying boats, and moving doors made the world of the forest really come alive with wonder. The scenes of Queen Tara arriving at the small lake in her flying ship and then stepping on the lily pads were gorgeous.

Inversely, watching the rot arrows deform the tree limbs, wilt leaves, and other destruction were also quite impressive. Mandrake's home was the essence of decay.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: Overall the plot of the film worked, but wasn't necessarily outstanding. There were a few small surprises, though not many. We barely got a glimpse into the culture of the Leaf Men and those they protect, or even the structure of life in the forest, which would have given the plot more depth and context. The whole side business of betting and fixed bird races didn't mesh well with what little the audience was shown of the culture. Even the problems with Nod seemed forced and without any real substance. Late in the film, we find where Nod lost his father, it made no sense why Ronin and Nod's dad would have been there in the first place and it was never discussed. (If anything, it lent a dark undertone to what the two might have been up to at the time.)

I found the use of Ronin's name rather odd. Since the Leaf Men obviously followed many oriental ideals in the way they fought and lived, the fact they would give their commander a name meaning 'masterless samurai' seemed strange. Though with what happens to the queen, perhaps it was apt.

Another odd point was a thread pursued in three different prongs - the act of loving someone yet there being obstacles keeping you apart and no solution ever becoming apparent - the queen and Ronin, Grub and MK, MK and Nod. It's rather a depressing theme and seemed out of place in what was advertised as a combination action and comedy animated film.

Conclusion: EPIC wasn't so epic. And its name if one of the worst for a film ever. The animation is totally well worth watching. The film definitely had its moments, but it won't have you running off to tell all your friends about it. With all the birds, Grub and Mud, and Ozzie, there might be enough there to entertain the younger kids.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Better For Matinee)