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The Craggus (360 KP) rated Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) in Movies
Nov 26, 2018 (Updated Nov 26, 2018)
To fall victim to one dark lord may be considered a misfortune. For it to happen on a cyclical basis suggests a fundamental structural flaw in your society. Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald (2018) #Review
There’s a touch of vanity to the new Wizarding World logo which follows the Warner Bros shield at the start of “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Gindelwald”, equal in hubris if not in ironic overconfidence to the unveiling (and shuttering) of Universal’s Dark Universe at the star of “The Mummy”. The mission is clear: expand the brand, diminish ‘Harry Potter’. The trouble is, the charm of Harry Potter was in its lead characters and their coming of age journey against the backdrop of a secret wizarding world falling back into a war which had not yet been won. You take those appealing characters away and all you’re left with is a wizarding world which doesn’t hold up to even the most cursory scrutiny in a movie that, for a family-friendly blockbuster, sure has a lot of baby murders in it....
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusGrindelwald
FULL REVIEW: http://bit.ly/CraggusGrindelwald
Kingdom of Exiles (The Beast Charmer, #1)
8.7
Rate It
Book
Fantastic Beasts meets Assassin's Creed in this epic, gripping fantasy romance from debut author...
Auburn (57 KP) rated Kingdom of Exiles (The Beast Charmer, #1) in Books
Apr 10, 2019
Be sure to read through to chapter 5. It may seem so hard and not great but if you make it that far you will fall into and read the entire book in one sitting. The characters are strong and wonderful. I absolutely love the creatures in the book. They were probably the greatest part of the book. Fantastic beasts would be proud to be known along with this one. I am excited to see what will happen in the next books.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
Potter goes International
It’s almost unbearable to think that Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone was released…wait for it… 15 years ago this very week. I know, I can’t believe it too, and what’s even more depressing is that the eight film behemoth concluded over five years ago.
Since then, Potter aficionados have been calling on writer J.K. Rowling to release new material in the hope of creating more silver screen magic. Well, prayers were answered with the announcement of a film adaptation of her short book, Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them. The day is finally here, but what is the finished product like?
The year is 1926, and Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident, were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob (Dan Fogler), a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.
David Yates returns to the franchise after directing the final four instalments in the Harry Potter saga and manages to craft a film that’ll no doubt please fans and newcomers, but lacks the subtle touches that made its British counterparts so enthralling for 10 years.
The cast is on point however, despite Eddie Redmayne’s slightly over-the-top performance as Mr. Scamander. Ron Perlman, Jon Voight and Ezra Miller all lend themselves to the film in some form with Colin Farrell providing an excellent portrayal, though Dan Fogler’s muggle Jacob steals the show by a country mile.
Elsewhere, the cinematography is very good with 1920’s New York looking incredibly realistic and the sweeping shots of the city are beautifully juxtaposed with more intimate basement settings.
Unfortunately, the special effects occasionally let the film down. For a franchise start-up (we have four more films to look forward to) the consistency just isn’t there and Redmayne’s interactions with his unique beasts feel rough and disappointingly unfinished.
There’s also a bit of an issue with Fantastic Beasts’ pacing, something that the Potter films were also guilty of from time to time. The first hour is unacceptably slow, the plot continuously dragging its heels as it sets up the side story to Redmayne’s creature feature.
Speaking of which, that second scenario really does pull things together nicely and takes the flick into much darker territory than expected. It’s a fascinating third act that really makes up for the rather dull first. The twists and turns that the script takes the audience on making it genuinely exciting.
Overall, what made the Harry Potter movies a success was the chemistry between each and every member of the cast. Fantastic Beasts certainly has a great cast individually, but the characters lack chemistry when on screen together. Couple this with some poor special effects plus a dull first hour and what we’re left with is a reasonable start to a new franchise, but not a magical one.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/11/19/potter-goes-international-fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them-review/
Since then, Potter aficionados have been calling on writer J.K. Rowling to release new material in the hope of creating more silver screen magic. Well, prayers were answered with the announcement of a film adaptation of her short book, Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them. The day is finally here, but what is the finished product like?
The year is 1926, and Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incident, were it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob (Dan Fogler), a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.
David Yates returns to the franchise after directing the final four instalments in the Harry Potter saga and manages to craft a film that’ll no doubt please fans and newcomers, but lacks the subtle touches that made its British counterparts so enthralling for 10 years.
The cast is on point however, despite Eddie Redmayne’s slightly over-the-top performance as Mr. Scamander. Ron Perlman, Jon Voight and Ezra Miller all lend themselves to the film in some form with Colin Farrell providing an excellent portrayal, though Dan Fogler’s muggle Jacob steals the show by a country mile.
Elsewhere, the cinematography is very good with 1920’s New York looking incredibly realistic and the sweeping shots of the city are beautifully juxtaposed with more intimate basement settings.
Unfortunately, the special effects occasionally let the film down. For a franchise start-up (we have four more films to look forward to) the consistency just isn’t there and Redmayne’s interactions with his unique beasts feel rough and disappointingly unfinished.
There’s also a bit of an issue with Fantastic Beasts’ pacing, something that the Potter films were also guilty of from time to time. The first hour is unacceptably slow, the plot continuously dragging its heels as it sets up the side story to Redmayne’s creature feature.
Speaking of which, that second scenario really does pull things together nicely and takes the flick into much darker territory than expected. It’s a fascinating third act that really makes up for the rather dull first. The twists and turns that the script takes the audience on making it genuinely exciting.
Overall, what made the Harry Potter movies a success was the chemistry between each and every member of the cast. Fantastic Beasts certainly has a great cast individually, but the characters lack chemistry when on screen together. Couple this with some poor special effects plus a dull first hour and what we’re left with is a reasonable start to a new franchise, but not a magical one.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2016/11/19/potter-goes-international-fantastic-beasts-and-where-to-find-them-review/
Jaime Lynch (18 KP) rated Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in Books
Jul 12, 2018
Slow start, great end
This book was sort of a paradox. You couldn’t wait to see how it all ended, but you never wanted the series to end. It was a bit of a slow start and middle. But that is what the author was going for. She wanted to create that experience and she was successful. The end picked up quick and then...all done! So sad... Glad that she randomly comes out with the support books like Fantastic Beasts to keep us junkies going.
David McK (3547 KP) rated Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) in Movies
Jan 30, 2021
Despite Eddie Redmayne's best attempts, and the inclusion of 'Star power' in the form of Johnny Depp, the first Harry Potter prequel 'Fantastic Beasts and where to find them' didn't really set all that high a bar for any subsequent sequels.
A bar that this fails to meet.
Honestly, I found it long, boring, plodding and confusing, completely lacking in any of the sense of wonder or magic and friendship that made the original Harry Potter films so enjoyable.
Not impressed to say the least!
A bar that this fails to meet.
Honestly, I found it long, boring, plodding and confusing, completely lacking in any of the sense of wonder or magic and friendship that made the original Harry Potter films so enjoyable.
Not impressed to say the least!
Mitch (0 KP) rated Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) in Movies
Nov 29, 2018
Mixed bag
Both me and my son looked forward to this film. As avid Pottermore followers and wizarding world fanatics this film was hit and miss. To start with it showed dark promise but chugged on with odd plotlines and unnecessary charachter additions. I also felt sorry for Eddie as his acting he was overshadowed by Judes Dumbledore somewhat. The other main characters in the first film were either background filler or dilluted down which was unfortunate.
Now to Johnny Depp......... Grindlewald was an opportunity missed in so many ways. My son asked at one point why he talked like Jack Sparrow which killed it for me even more.
Where were the beasts? We got a few newbies but to call a film fantastic beasts when there was very little of them is misleading and it should have been called the Origins of Dumbledore.
The best bit- baby nifflers and my favourite Pickett.
For a casual Potter fan and film goer its confusing but decent. For hardcore fans its a no no, it doesn't tell you anything you don't already know or suspected.
I hope the next few are given more care and attention and Depp gets acting classes in how to be a bad guy.
Now to Johnny Depp......... Grindlewald was an opportunity missed in so many ways. My son asked at one point why he talked like Jack Sparrow which killed it for me even more.
Where were the beasts? We got a few newbies but to call a film fantastic beasts when there was very little of them is misleading and it should have been called the Origins of Dumbledore.
The best bit- baby nifflers and my favourite Pickett.
For a casual Potter fan and film goer its confusing but decent. For hardcore fans its a no no, it doesn't tell you anything you don't already know or suspected.
I hope the next few are given more care and attention and Depp gets acting classes in how to be a bad guy.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
Games
6.0
Rate It
App
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is a free-to-play, location-based augmented reality game inspired by the...
Dean (6927 KP) rated Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (2022) in Movies
Apr 22, 2022 (Updated Apr 22, 2022)
Great SFX (1 more)
Locations from the Potter films
Previous characters small roles (1 more)
Silly scenes
Fun if not fantastic
The 3rd entry now in the Fantastic Beasts. Similar to the last film and continuing on some of the main themes from that film, so you might want to have a refresh.
It's good to see Hogwarts again and some familiar Harry Potter universe locations. There are some big magical scenes with great SfX, and some good action for a film with a political vibe to a large section of it.
There were some more child like silly scenes which did feel a bit out of place. Also a shame Tina a big character in the first two films barely appears this time. Though it's great to see more about Dumbledore's history.
Overall though it's a fun film with a big and talented cast set in a familiar magical Potter universe.
It's good to see Hogwarts again and some familiar Harry Potter universe locations. There are some big magical scenes with great SfX, and some good action for a film with a political vibe to a large section of it.
There were some more child like silly scenes which did feel a bit out of place. Also a shame Tina a big character in the first two films barely appears this time. Though it's great to see more about Dumbledore's history.
Overall though it's a fun film with a big and talented cast set in a familiar magical Potter universe.