Movie Review - Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Director: David Yates
Genre: Adventure/ Family/ Fantasy
Runtime: 143 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Jude Law, Eddie Redmayne, Mads Mikkelsen, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Katherine Waterston, Richard Coyle, Jessica Williams, Alison Sudol, Callum Turner
 
Description: Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) assigns Newt (Eddie Redmayne) and his allies with a mission related to the rising power of Grindelwald.

Review: In 2001, J.K. Rowling released two booklets with proceeds going to charity. “Quidditch Through the Ages” and “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” where two fictional school books. The latter was written by an alter ego of Rowling: Newt Scamander. As the best and also only magizoologist, Scamander knew how to deal with magical creatures hidden from muggles.

Due to the immense success of the eight Harry Potter movies, film studio Warner Bros. went looking for a new way to continue the series. Rowling came up with the idea of writing a film series based around the adventures of Scamander and including the rise and fall of Voldemort’s predecessor Grindelwald. Three films eventually became five. the first one I loved, the second a little less, but it was still highly enjoyable. I was excited for part three. Maybe even especially because Mads Mikkelsen took over the role of Grindelwald from Johnny Depp. Mikkelsen eventually became the highlight of this film.

Part three, as the title suggests, revolves largely around Dumbledore, who in his younger years is played by Jude Law. The wizarding world is at a major turning point when a new leader of the International Wizarding Association must be chosen. Leader Vogel thinks he has found two excellent candidates in the Brazilian and Chinese Ministers of Magic, when Grindelwald also applies for the post. Dumbledore and Grindelwald share a troubled and emotional past but have also sworn a blood oath preventing them from harming each other.

Grindelwald however, is planning to take over the wizarding world and is working hard to win souls to do so. He has managed to get his hands on an extremely rare Qilin, an creature with special abilities. Not only can you see the future in the creatures blood, but a living Qilin is able to point out the candidate who has a pure, honest soul. Newt, along with his brother and friends, is sent by Dumbledore on a mission where a confrontation with Grindelwald will be inevitable.

The film is dark and at times even dreary due to its hidden subtext. Without mentioning it, a strong parallel is drawn between the rise of Grindelwald in the 1930s and the rise of Adolf Hitler. Nazis are not mentioned, but that Grindelwald has fascist tendencies is obvious. It is a villain who is more sibtle and sophisticated than his later successor Voldemort. With his charm and patience he seems less straightforward, but it is abundantly clear that he ruthlessly eliminates anything and anyone who stands in his way.  

The recasting of Mikkelsen proves to be a golden touch. The Dane is more subdued, more subtle and doesn’t employ the manufactured mannerisms of Depp. His interaction with Jude Law, in particular, pack an exciting punch from the start, due to the various kinds of tension that hangs between the two wizards. Eddie Redmayne, as Newt Scamander, is once again a charming presence, but his character seems increasingly relegated to the sidelines. Unlike the previous installment, the sequences in which his magical beasts are brought from the stables serve the story. It certainly makes for both comical and nail-biting scenes when a liberation attempt is made.

It is also a strong move that Rowling is increasingly working towards the wizarding world and the Hogwarts we already know from the earlier films. For example, the characters visit the school several times and we see a young Minerva McConagall. “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” excels especially in complex, ambiguous characters. Ezra Miller impresses as Credence (who reminds me of a young Snape) who must choose between loyalty to Grindelwald and his family.

“Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” makes some bold choices. And it works out. I really enjoyed this film and can’t wait for the next.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Justice League

Director: Zack Snyder
Genre: Action.. Adventure/ Fantasy/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 121 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Gal Gadot, Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Jason Momoa, Ezra Miller, Ray Fisher, Amy Adams, Jeremy Irons, Connie Nielsen, Diane Lane, Amber Heard, Robin Wright, J.K. Simmons, Ciarán Hinds, Billy Crudup

Description: Fuled by his restored faith in humanity and inspired by Superman’s (Henry Cavill) selfless act, Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck) enlists the help of his new-found ally, Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), to face an even greater enemy.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 45: A DC COMICS MOVIE

Review: I don’t like saying this, but “Justice League” reminds me a lot of “The Avengers”. Not only the tone and the humor, but also the story structure is similar: short introductions of all the team members, the search of a bad guy Steppenwolf, and even the way the team fights against itself. Or take the entrance of Steppenwolf teleports to Earth thanks to a magical cube, and tries to get his hands on it while soldiers try to stop him. It’s not necessarily copied, the so-called Motherboxes do come from the original stories, but they are clearly playing it safe with the intention of “Justice League”. He therefore misses the impact, innovation and own identity that “The Avengers” had.
It turns out to be a successful formula, which proides a significant improvement over the overambitious “Batman V Superman”. Whereas the dark predecessor threw all kinds of subplots, themes and comic strips into a blender and hoped for a form of coherence, Zack Snyder had a clear them for the sequel. The film opens with the meaning of Superman’s emblem, the symbol for hope. This time it’s not a nice one-liner, but the core of the film. Truly every character ans subplot revolves around hope: Flash’s relationship with his father, Cyborg’s resurrection, Batman and Wonder Woman’s struggle with their past and Aquaman’s cantankerous and lonely quest for more. The tone is therefore more consistent than ever in the DCEU.  
Steppenwolf is allowed to join the lon line of uninteresting bad guys. His background as the seconds of Darkseid and his role as a military leader of the Planet Apokolips are hardly explained. Moreover, there is not glimmer of charisma or personality. “Justice League” has more lack of construction. Cyborg, Flash and Aquaman haven’t been able to benefit from a solo film yet, and have to try to develop their characters within some scenes.
The best thin about “Justice League” is, especially for the fans, that the fifth DCEU movie finally has a grip on the source material. The interaction between all the heroes is convincing and strong. And especially The Flash is a pleasant and enjoyable presence.
Compared to the other superhero movies that came out in 2017, “Justice League” is too safe to compete with. “Justice League” feels more like a rectification, mainly due to the optimistic and heroic tone in the last few shots.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

Director: David Yates
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy/ Family
Runtime: 134 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Zoë Kravitz, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler, Katherine Waterstone

Description: The second installment of the "Fantastic Beasts" series featuring the adventures of Magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne).

Review: In 2016 Warner Bros. and director David Yates brought us a spin-off for the Harry Potter Franchise: “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”. J.K. Rowling wrote the screenplay and situated the Harry Potter universe in 1920s New York. I worked and Newt Scamander was an interesting and loveable character.
At the start of “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald”, wizard Grindelwald has been in prison for six months. With his charm, he manages to escape the prison. He travels to Paris and starts to recruit followers. The government wants to catch him as soon as possible, so a true cat and mouse game unfolds.
In the first film, Grindelwald was after Credence Barebone. He appeared to be an extreme powerful wizard that Grindelwald wanted on his side. At the end of that film, everyone thought he died. But Credence is in Paris, looking for his parents. And Grindelwald is looking for Credence. To stop Grindelwald from his evil plans, Albus Dumbledore sends former student Newt Scamander to find Credence. But Newt and Grindelwald aren’t the only ones looking for him. A lot happening in the sequel.
And that’s the problem with this film. Although it’s amazing to step into the magical, wonderful fantasy of J.K. Rowling and to get to know the Parisian wizarding world, there is too much going on. Newt doesn’t feel like the main character anymore, while the franchise is set around him. If they used less storylines, it would have been better.
But there is enough to enjoy. New fable animals, like the Chinese Zouwu. A big lion dragon, who looks amazing and has a great role in the film. The action is spectacular and the finale is satisfying. It’s mainly all those storylines that make it too heavy.

Rating: 3 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 156: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Director: David Yates
Genre: Adventure/ Fantasy/ Family
Runtime: 132 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Alison Sudol, Katherine Waterston, Ezra Miller, Colin Farrell, Zoë Kravitz, Johnny Depp, Ron Perlman, Samantha Marton, Jon Voight, Dan Fogler

Description: The adventures of writer Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) in New York's secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school.

Review: When “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” was released, it was the end of an era for Harry Potter fans. The last film about the adventures of wizard Harry Potter. But writer J.K. Rowling wasn’t done with the wizarding world either. “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” is a spin-off and she wrote the script for the movie herself. And thank goodness the magic is still alive.
It’s supposed to be a complete new franchise, with five movies in total. And I couldn’t be more excited! We meet Newt Scamander, a zoologist who studies mysterious fable creatures and keeps them in a magical suitcase. He travels to New York, but his animals manage to escape. The story is set seventy years before Harry Potter is even born.
Eddie Redmayne is really good as Newt Scamander. It’s like Redmayne always belonged in this universe, he fits perfectly. He is charming yet very unworldly. I also really liked Dan Fogler as Kowalski, a Muggle. He is the comic relief and he is sort of represents the audience. The one Newt explains everything to. Colin Farrell is the villain, sort of, and he is strong in his role as well.
With traveling outside the UK, the story has created room for many new characters, decors and situations. Wizarding is different in America. Muggles, called No-Maj, aren’t allowed to interact with wizards. But Rowling also connects the parallel tot he real world, to discuss themes as apartheid, oppression and intolerance. This gives the spin-off an extra layer.
But the amazement is what I love about the film. All the great fairytale like creatures we get to meet, like the Niffler, Pickett the walking stick animal and Frank, an eagle like bird.
Also the décor and costumes are fantastic, combined with an amazing musical score by James Newton Howard. Director David Yates, who directed the Harry Potter films since “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoeniex”, knows his material and again did a great job bringing this magical world to life.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 100: Trainwreck

Director: Judd Apatow

Genre: Comedy/ Romance

Runtime: 125 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson, LeBron James, Tilda Swinton, Vanessa Bayer, John Cena, Ezra Miller, Daniel Radcliffe, Marisa Tomei, Method Man

Description: Having thought that monogamy was never possible, commitment-phobic career woman Amy (Amy Schumer) may have to face her fears when she meets a good guy.

Review: Amy is a writer for a popular magazine. She drinks a lot and sleeps with lots of men, because she doesn’t believe in monogamy. Amy takes care of her father who has MS and is close to her younger sister. When Amy has to write a big article about sports doctor Aaron, she realizes she is falling for him. Can Amy have an actual relationship or not?

Amy Schumer is a very popular comedian and has her own sketch show, “Inside Amy Schumer”. With her friendly face she messes with everyone and makes jokes about booze, sex and especially herself. Schumer writes the show herself and director Judd Apatow noticed that. Schumer wrote “Trainwreck” and Apatow directs. And the story is partially based on Amy’s real life. Besides sharing the name, she is close to her sister and has a dad with MS. The movie version is a younger and more enhanced version of herself.

Schumer does fine in her lead role. Besides the jokes she obviously succeeds in, she is also convincing in the more serious scenes. Bill Hader is a good choice for the love interest. Hader, who is also most known for his comedic performances, creates a very likeable character. Although I do prefer him as the funny guy. Surprising is the role by LeBron James, who plays himself, who is really funny. And also Tilda Swinton, who plays the boss from hell. She is normally a very serious ‘ice queen’, she was seriously hilarious n “Trainwreck”.

Amy Schumer is known for her humor and that it might cross some boundaries. She plays the role that normally a man would play in a movie like this. In “Trainwreck” there are a lot of lines crossed, jokes about sex, tampons, monogamy, penises. The plot is standard and there are lots of conventional romcom clichés present. But Amy Schumer’s character makes it all original, that’s why you’re never bothered by it. Two hours is a bit long for a movie like this though.

“Trainwreck” is a fresh romantic comedy with rising star Amy Schumer. The harsh humor and sometimes improvisation, make this movie to a success.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 111: We Need to Talk About Kevin

Director: Lynn Ramsay

Genre: Thriller/ Drama

Runtime: 112 minutes

Year: 2011

Starring: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller

Description: Eva (Tilda Swinton) struggles to love her strange child Kevin, despite the increasingly vicious things he says and does as he grows up. But Kevin (Ezra Miller) is just getting started, and his final act will be beyond anything anyone imagined.

Review: Could she have prevented is? Does she feel guilty? Could she have seen it coming? These are the questions Eva Katchadourian asks herself. Her son Kevin was a troubled child. When he gets older, his behavior becomes unmanageable, manipulative and obstinate. At age sixteen he kills nine classmates and the families despise Eva ever since that event.

“We Need to Talk About Kevin” is based on a novel written by Lionel Shriver. It shows the battle Eva is fighting with her own demons, but also how she’s trying to deal with society. It’s hard to translate the story to film, because the book is told through letters from Evan to her husband Franklin. Director Lynn Ramsay uses flashbacks and the story isn’t told chronologically. She mixes the events and trusts on the intelligence of the audience to put the pieces of the puzzle together. You feel her fear, sorrow and tension, Eva is a wreck. From the moment she finds out she is pregnant, she is filled with doubts. There are plenty of moments where we can see how she is struggling as a mother and that Eva doesn’t always make the right decisions. As Kevin grows older, Eva even feels fear of her own son.

Teenager Kevin is played by Ezra Miller, and very convincing may I say. He is also very scary and manages to keep up with veteran Tilda Swinton. Swinton however is the star of the film. It doesn’t take long before she wins over your sympathy. But the further you get dragged into the family history, you start doubting her innocence.

The movie is pretty heavy and disturbing. Ramsay’s approach is brave and could seem a bit pretentious. “We Need to Talk About Kevin” gets its power not just from its complexity, but also from the great performances by Miller and Swinton. It’s a beautiful movie that gets under your skin. Fascinating and disturbing all together.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2014 - # 33: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Director: Stephen Chbosky

Genre: Drama/ Romance

Runtime: 103 minutes

Year: 2012

Starring: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Kate Walsh, Dylan McDermott, Paul Rudd, Joan Cusack, Nina Dobrev, Melanie Lynskey

Description: The 15-year-old Charlie (Logan Lerman) is an endearing and naive outsider, coping with first love, the suicide of his best friend, and his own mental illness while struggling to find a group of people with whom he belongs. The introvert freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors, Sam (Emma Watson) and Patrick (Ezra Miller), who welcome him to the real world.

Review: Charlie had a rough year and doesn’t have any hope for it to get better this year. He even starts counting down the days he has left going to school.

The American Stephen Chbosky wrote the book with the same title, made it into a script and decided to direct the movie himself. Because who else then the author knows the book the best? And it’s visible, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is a fantastic film that makes you remember the John Hughes films from the 80’s. He can’t avoid the typical high school clichés, but because the film has an authentic feel to it, that never bothers you. With that the plot is much more original then other movies in the genre.

It’s hard not to see Hermione Granger when you watch Emma Watson, but she managed to make you forget about her Harry Potter past. It’s obvious that Watson is a good actress. Leading actor Logan Lerman is very convincing as the vulnerable and fragile Charlie and Ezra Miller’s performance is very impressive as the flamboyant Patrick. The three also have great chemistry. All the actors touch you and you can sympathize with all of the characters.

“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” is made with a lot of love, which sometimes gave me goose bumps. That scene in the tunnel especially. A perfect mix of drama, humor and romance with a pleasant nostalgic feel to it.

Rating: 4,5/ 5