Movie Review - Blink Twice

Director: Zoë Kravitz
Genre: Thriller/ Mystery/ Horror
Runtime: 102 minutes
Year: 2024
Starring: Naomi Ackie, Alia Shawkat, Channing Tatum, Christian Slater, Haley Joel Osment, Simon Rex, Adria Arjona, Geena Davis, Kyle MacLachlan
 
Description: When tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) meets cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) at his fundraiser gala, he invites her to join him and his friends on a dream vacation on his private island. As strange things start to happen, Frida questions her reality.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2024 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 49: A DIRECTORIAL DEBUT
 
Review: If you like a mysterious horror/ thriller with some female rage, Zoë Kravitz got you covered. In her directorial debut everything seems normal, but you know something is fundamentally wrong. Lots of red flag, but not sure why. It’s best to know as little as possible going in, because it will leave you gasping for air at the end.

Frida, a waitress at a gala hosted by Slater King (mocking Elon Musk, maybe?), can’t take her eyes of this charismatic man. She knows he has a dark side, as he went into therapy after an unspecified incident and apologized a thousand times. But Frida is ambitious and quite willing to get to know him. Fortunately, Slater also has an eye for her and, after some hesitation, he invites Frida and her best friend Jess to accompany him and his entourage to a Mexican island he just bought.

On site, Slater has all cell phones confiscated. A week of crazy fun begins. The guest enjoy the weather, the finest mansion with luxury chalets, a large pool, tasty dishes and champagne and drugs galore. Frida’s happiness is unstoppable, although she senses that another female invitee is jealous of Slater’s attention for her. This seems like a spring-break version for adults, but somewhere also the salutation of an impending plot from a mystery novel.

Kravitz takes her time. In doing so, she’s taking a risk, because except for Slater’s dark past and the confiscated phones, for a long time there’s no trouble. But little bizarre details nevertheless create this ominous tension and you are certain something is bad will happen. And you will never predict what it is.

“Blink Twice” is exciting, has occasional dark humor, has some satire to it, criticizes society very subtly and is really original. Nothing but praise for Zoë Kravits, who really succeeds with her first directing job. Same goes for Naomi Ackie, who carries the film on her strong shoulders. Her performance will hopefully launch her to the A-list in Hollywood. Channing Tatum, the all American boy, surprises in a role that is atypical for him,

Most of the other actors don’t stand out much, their characters are drawn very superficial. But it didn’t bother me, because in the and most do have a purpose in the film.
When the film starts, you have a feeling that something is wrong, but you can never predict the direction this film is heading. Such a good film, that will especially please female horror/ thriller fans.

Rating: 5/ 5

Movie Review - The Batman

Director: Matt Reeves
Genre: Action/ Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 176 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Colin Farrell, Paul Dano, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis, John Turturro, Peter Sarsgaard,
 
Description: When the Riddler (Paul Dano), a sadistic serial killer, begins murdering key political figures in Gotham, Batman (Robert Pattinson) is forced to investigate the city’s hidden corruption and question his family’s involvement.

Review: Did we really need yet another Batman movie? It looks like we do, because “The Batman” is fantastic. Director and screenwriter Matt Reeves made a dead serious, stylish and intriguing drama.
What is he still fighting for? Fighting evil is a hopeless task in Gotham City. Crime rates are only increasing. Corruption seems to be inextinguishable. Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, sees no more bright spots.

“The Batman” is yet another film adaptation of DC Comics’ graphic novels about the dark knight. Dozens of Batman films and series have been made. With Tim Burton’s “Batman”(1989), Christpher Nolan’s impressive trilogy and even the animated “The Lego Batman Movie’ as major successes, failures like “Batman & Robin” (1997) and less popular films like “Batman V. Superman” (2016).
“The Batman” is an entirely new reboot and it does separate itself from the rest. Because it’s a complete new take on Batman and Bruce Wayne. Reeves vision is closest to that op Christopher Nolan, who around 2005 stripped the superhero film of its innocent image, without self-mockery of later Marvel films. “The Batman” is even darker and never cartoonish. In the process, Reeves exploits the specifics of the character well. Batman is one of the few superheroes without super strength, relying on gadgets, money and his own two fists. A lonely, elitist hero he is, with his butler Alfred as his only trustee.

Reeves emphasizes Batman’s humanity. Heroics are less important, though of course the action scenes are not lacking, culminating in a fine car chase. In addition the film spends a lot of time sleuthing. Grim detective films from the 1970s, but also modern versions like David Fincher’s “Zodiac” and “Seven”, served as inspiration.

Batman’s antagonist is The Riddler (Paul Dano), who sets out on a grim quest through various political assassinations. Very far from the portrayal of Jim Carrey’s Riddler in “Batman Forever” (1995). Dano’s depiction of The Riddler is psychotic and he is a truly scary and disturbing villain. Catwoman (Zoë Kravitz) also makes an appearance, as does the Penguin (an unrecognizable Colin Farrell) and mob boss Falcone (John Turturro). As far as casting goes, they did a fantastic job and the actors are all solid. Robert Pattinson foremost. I had doubts, but over the years Pattinson had his fair share of great roles and he made you forget about his awful “Twilight” period. As Batman, Pattinson doesn’t have a lot of dialogue. It’s the look, his walk, the way he is intimidating without saying a word. No cheesy one-liners or cliché dialogue. And I loved how they portrayed Bruce Wayne this time: not the playboy he is mostly known for in the other films. Here he is a broken man, lonely and struggling with his family’s legacy.

There is only one thing I didn’t like. It’s at the end of the film. Without giving any spoilers, it involves a certain character that is introduced, but barely seen. That was unnecessary and added nothing to he plot.

“The Batman” is low-key but incisive, without leaden symbolism or showy digital effects. I loved the dark and grim atmosphere and the casting was nearly perfect. For true Batman fans, “The Batman” is a definite must-see. It’s going on my 2022 favorites list, that’s for sure.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

Movie Review - Kimi

Director: Steven Sodenbergh
Genre: Thriller/ Crime/ Drama
Runtime: 89 minutes
Year: 2022
Starring: Zoë Kravitz, Byron Bowers, Rita Wilson, Erika Christensen, Devin Ratray, India Beaufort, Derek Delgaudio, Darai Kooi, Jaime Cahill
 
Description: An agoraphobic Seattle tech (Zoë Kravitz) tech worker uncovers evidence of a crime.

Review: “Kimi” builds on older films, but is also very much or our time. In Steven Sodenbergh’s latest thriller, seventies paranoia and pandemic psychology come together in a thrilling way.
The Kimi of the title is a device that, like Siri or Alexa, respond to your voice and executes commands. However, the Kimi does not work with algorithms to improve its service, but with people. Angela is one of them: her work consists of listening to anonymous recordings where the Kimi misunderstood the customer. Then she enters some new code into the system, which prevents that particular mistake from happening again. Until one day she thinks she hears a possible murder in an audio clip.
When Angela puts on her headphones to start working, for a moment the entire soundtrack of Kimi falls silent. It is an oasis in the sound design, which on the contrary constantly emphasizes the hum of machines around us. This emphasizes the fear and mental turmoil of Angela, who even before the pandemic hardly dared to leave her apartment. Although there is no longer a lockdown in the story of “Kimi”, Angela still lives in a mental lockdown that she cannot get out of.
As a result, meeting up with the neighbor across the street for breakfast out of the house already becomes a hassle. All kinds of actions before going out the door are given extra emphasis by close-ups and the editing, up to the moment when she has to turn the key in her door. An everyday act that most of us never think about.
But for her, it’s too much of a task. As Angela slumps down in frustration at her door, Sodenbergh cuts from a close-up of the key in her hand to a shot from far above. To make palpable how small she feels at that moment, and to emphasize her isolation and physical distance from the rest of the world. Before she can recover from that, in the apartment above her, remodeling is underway with cozy pneumatic drills. So far, this is the best depiction in a movie of what lockdown might feel like for many of us.
When she does have to go outside to report a possible murder to someone at the company and call the FBI, the sound really becomes overwhelming. The image also changes and seems to race by as Angela stumbles through it. In this way you can see and hear very clearly what it feels like for Angela just to go outside.
These expressive scenes are therefore exciting in themselves, and then the tension is heightened by a literal chase through the streets of Seattle. Sodenbergh cleverly plays on modern fears surrounding privacy and surveillance, while the indebtedness to those aforementioned classic as well as “Rear Window” indicates how timeless these concerns actually are.
All of this could perhaps have been fleshed out a bit more, but there’s also a lot to be said for the length of Kimi”: Under 90 minutes. This effective thriller with bold stylistic choices is a breath of fresh air.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

10s Movie Review - Allegiant

Director: Robert Schwentke
Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 120 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz, Naomi Watts, Theo James, Miles Teller, Maggie Q, Jeff Daniels, Ansel Elgort, Bill Skarsgård

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 35: A DYSTOPIAN MOVIE

Description: After the earth-shattering revelations of “Insurgent”, Tris (Shailene Woodley) must escape with Four (Theo James) beyond the wall that encircles Chicago, to finally discover the shocking truth of the world around them.

Review: The “Divergent” series has so far followed the practically all the conventions of the young adult genre. The third and final book was supposed to be two films, but the second half will be a series instead.
“Insurgent” worked mainly as an aftermath of the events of the first film and the setups for future parts were rather brief. In the final part the dictatorial faction system of a futuristic Chicago collapsed after it became clear that this society was an experiment to restore humanity. Or something like that. The main point was that the oppressed Divergents were not a problem but the solution for a peaceful future. As if you would expect something different from a film series that appeals mainly to insecure teenagers.
This hopeful end is turned upside down in the first minute of “Allegiant”. Freed from a totalitarian regime, the inhabitants of walled Chicago flock to the gates to explore the outside world. Unfortunately, their new leader doesn’t like it and locks things up. Typical case of meeting the new boss who happens to be the same as the old boss they initially hated. Of course ‘messiah’ Tris doesn’t care about such measures, so she tried to escape with a group of companions. Soon it turns out that keeping the gates closed wasn’t such a crazy idea; the outside world is a radioactive wasteland in which it’s hard to survive. Fortunately, the company is taken care of by those who run the Chicago experiment.
It is praiseworthy that a film series that has never surpassed mediocrity before doesn’t demand the same angelic patience from the viewer in this film. There are enough plot developments and well filmed action scenes for two hours. However, the CGI and special effects often look really bad, where both previous movies did look really beautiful.
The story offers few surprises and the look of the film is rather uninspiring. The movie is even at times a bit dull.
Also in terms of characters, not a lot new is offered. Main character Trisonce again gets a chance to save mankind and the contribution of her boyfriend Four is mainly of shooting and kicking people to the ground. Peter on the other hand does provide some cool moments. He was just an annoying character in the first film, now he has developed into an unpredictable wildcard.
“Allegiant” is definitely the least of the series, that wasn’t all that great to begin with.

Rating: 2/ 5

10s Movie Review - Insurgent

Director: Robert Schwentke
Genre: Adventure/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 2015
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Miles Teller, Jai Courtney, Naomi Watts, Ansel Elgort, Kate Winslet, Maggie Q, Zoë Kravitz, Ray Stevenson, Octavia Spencer, Suki Waterhouse, Daniel Dae Kim, Mekhi Phifer

Description: Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) must confront her inner demons and continue her fight against a powerful alliance which threatens to tear her society apart with the help from others on her side.

Review: The fact that many have had enough of the seemingly endless stream of Hollywood movie sof successful YA books is not incomprehensible. However, the current young adult hype has a pleasant downside: the similarities of the many productions force comparisons to be made. For example: “The Divergent” series is very easy to compare to the series of “The Hunger Games”. Both series have a lot in common in terms of story and design, but where “The Hunger Games” addresses some relevant contemporary issues, “Divergent” has no much to offer than what can be seen on the surface. The latter inadvertently contributes to the foundation of the throne on which “The Hunger Games” currently sit.
However, when the first film released in 2014 was it turned out to actually be pretty good and quite enjoyable. After all, “Divergent” was a lot better to digest than “The Host” or “Mortal Instruments” and also a lot more lucrative, even if it was not a resounding success. Enough basis to film the remaining books of Veronica Roth’s trilogy. Because there’s no time to waste, the film’s first follow-up is released just one year after the first.
At the start of “Insurgent”, Tris, her boyfriend Four, her brother Caleb and former opponent Peter appear to have been blamed by the responsible oppressors for the massacre that ended the first film. This leaves them nothing but fugitives through post-apocalyptic Chicago, constantly searching for new hiding places. That brings them to some factions that haven’t been seen before, as well as to the Factionless, which turns out to be not nearly as helpless as previously suggested.
Although this second part still doesn’t reach the level of any of “The Hunger Games” movies, “Insurgent” is on many points a good quality film. Now that all the explanations are behind us, the story movies into a higher gear, resulting in a pleasantly smooth movie that hardly repeats itself in the first part. There is plenty of visual spectacle, but fortunately the characters all get a little more to do this time as well. Not every development works equally well, but thanks to some fine surprises, replacement director Robert Schwentke holds the viewer’s attention well. Perhaps the most pleasant element of “Insurgent” is that it’s not just another typical interlude that only serves to set things up for the grand finale. This part is mainly about the aftermath of the previous film and the makers don’t seem to want to occupy themselves too much with future films. This means, among other things, that some plot lines are already neatly ended and some characters disappear from the stage for good as a result.
I think “Insurgent” did a pretty good job in continuing in this series.

Rating: 3/ 5

10s Movie Review - The Lego Batman Movie

Director: Chris McKay
Genre: Animation/ Action/ Adventure/ Comedy/ Family
Runtime: 100 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Will Arnett, Michael Cera, Rosario Dawson, Ralph Fiennes, Zach Galifianakis, Jenny Slate, Conan O’Brien, Billy Dee Williams, Zoë Kravitz, Eddie Izzard, Seth Green, Ellie Kemper, Channing Tatum, Adam Devine, Hector Elizondo, Jonah Hill

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2020 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 25: A SUPERHERO MOVIE

Description: A cooler-than-ever Bruce Wayne (Will Arnett) must deal with the usual suspects as they plan to rule Gotham City, while discovering that he has accidentally adopted a teenage orphan (Michael Cera) who wishes to become his sidekick.

Review: The fun we can have with these little plastic bricks and puppets. And not only kids. “The Lego Movie” already showed us how much fun and how creative you can be with Legos. And one of their characters, Batman, has his own Lego movie now.
Be sure you are ready from the opening titles, since that’s where the first jokes start. Batman’s deep tones narrate everything. What comes next is a fast paces animation, filled with sharp and clever jokes and a lot of nods to pop-culture.
The opening scene is a funny spoof of an attack by the Joker, only to end in a crazy rock song where Batman beats everyone. For the Joker everything gets worse when Batman tells him he’s not his special enemy. Because Batman needs no one, he thinks. Next we see him, sitting all alone in his Batcave.
While Joker and all the super villains from movie history are creating their masterplan, Batman finds a boy in his cave. An orphan, whom he accidentally adopted. This boy, Dick, wants nothing more then to be Batman’s sidekick.
The film has a moral, that together is better then alone, but it’s not one of the morals that they force on you. “The Lego Movie” was an ode to creativity, “The Lego Batman Movie” does it too but with a less creative story. But it’s one fun party for the whole family. The comedy is original and it looks stunning.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

TV Show Review - Big Little Lies (Season 2)

Season: 2
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime
Number of episodes: 7
Year: 2019
Starring: Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Adam Scott, Alexander Skarsgård, James Tupper

Description: After the death of Perry, the five women involved are all dealing with it in their own way. And new problems form for each of them.

Review: What can you say about an unnecessary second season to a good show, that got so many nominations and prizes. How can I explain to you that the second season of “Big Little Lies” didn’t need to happen, but was so good that it really doesn’t matter. The second season is really good and Meryl Streep steals the show.
Streep does everything well, as Celeste’s mother-in-law, with her snappy returns and sharp one-liners. Her Mary Louise Wright has a sad background and this reflects on her and the people around her. The mother of the deceased Perry moves in with Celeste, to help her with the twins. But she is actually there to find out what really happened to Perry. And when she finds out about Ziggy, who is also Perry’s son, Mary Louise doesn’t go easy on Jane either.
It’s off course not just Streep, the rest of the cast is sublime as well. The storylines are good, as are the scripts and the direction. Bonnie is going through an emotional rollercoaster, Renata has to deal with bankruptcy and Madeline and Ed are facing a rough patch. But what this season is mostly about is dealing with loss, the past, the present and pain.
The first season was good and it ended well. It was good the way it was, so it didn’t need a second season. But now I am very happy that there is a second season, because it’s such a joy to watch all those strong actresses perform at their very best.
The ending could suggest a third season, but that is very unlikely.

10s Movie Review - Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Director: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
Genre: Animation, Action
Runtime: 117 minutes
Year: 2018
Starring: Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson, Hailee Steinfeld, Magershala Ali, Bryan Tyree Henry, Lily Tomlin, Zoë Kravitz, Nicolas Cage, Katheryn Hahn, Liev Schreiber, Chris Pine, Oscar Isaac, Stan Lee, Lake Bell, John Mulaney

Description: Teen Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) becomes Spider-Man of his reality, crossing his path with five counterparts from other dimensions to stop a threat for all realities.

Review: It’s pretty shocking that the movies “Venom” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” come from the same studio. Even though Tom Hardy plays a fun double role in a pretty standard superhero film, is “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” a perfect love letter to Spider-Man, his comics, his fans and everything that has to do with the character. No useless action sequences, predictable plot points or forced humor, but stunning animation, incredible style and an authentic comic book feel that you will find nowhere else. Ever Spider-Man fan, Marvel geek or animation enthusiast can expect a fantastic film adventure.
Where to begin? “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” tells a story, the way Edgar Wright did it with movies like “Hot Fuzz”. Constantly there are creative switched, comic book styles, great effects and characters that narrate the movie in their own way. It’s intense, stylish and a joy to watch.
It’s quite a challenge and a great accomplishment, because the stories of many iconic characters cross. We are talking about several ‘spider heroes’ in one animation. And each has a unique personality, animation style and life story. Without having to receive a load of information at the start of the film. Different universes clash and that’s how they meet. With this, the story is pretty surprising.
You think you know what’s will happen with Spider-Man. Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman managed to create a fantastic screenplay to write this original film. The clashing dimensions lack structure and give the well-known story some dramatic moments, nice surprises and smart plot twists.
Outside the fact that you have to be a fan to love this film, there is no critical note from my side. Film, comics and the superhero genre melt together to this unique story. It’s the best Spider-Man film ever made. Sadly enough I never saw it in theaters.

Rating: 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

10s Movie Review - Rough Night

Director: Lucia Aniello
Genre: Comedy
Runtime: 101 minutes
Year: 2017
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Jillian Bell, Zoë Kravitz, Kate McKinnon, Ilana Glazer, Ty Burrell, Demi Moore

Description: Things go terribly wrong for a group of girlfriends who hire a male stripper for a bachelorette party in Miami.

Review: The comedy stars on of the funniest women of today: Kate McKinnon. Then how is it possible this film is genuinely unfunny? The screenplay is the problem and shows u lack of intelligence.
A group of friends get together in Miami for a bacholerette party, to celebrate their friend’s Jess upcoming wedding. Jess is running for senator, very ambitious and she left her party days behind her. Her best friend Alice on the other hand, has other plans and wants to give Jess the best night of her life. Then there is Blair, who is in the middle of a custody battle. And Frankie, who is living on the streets nowadays. The four are accompanied by an Australian friend of Jess, Pippa, who Alice sees as a threat.
After a fun night out partying, the friends decide to hire a stripper for Jess. And that’s when it goes wrong, when they accidentally kill him. Next is endless panic about what to do with the body, cleaning up the blood, bickering. Nothing new. And it’s a chain of illogical and impulsive decisions, followed by cliché moments and unimportant supporting characters.
Like Jess’ husband to be, who is having a pretty dull wine tasting party with his friends. Or the girl’s next door neighbors, hoping for a threesome with one of the girls.
It’s only McKinnon that makes this film a little funny, even with that debatable Australian accent. Scarlett Johansson, who is supposed to be the star of the film, comes off as a little dull and uninspired. She is on auto pilot.
“Rough Night” is a pretty lame comedy, which shouldn’t even get the title comedy. Because it’s hardly ever funny.

Rating: 2/ 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 - # 44: Divergent

Director: Neil Burger

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Science Fiction

Runtime: 140 minutes

Year: 2014

Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Miles Teller, Kate Winslet, Ansel Elgort, Zoë Kravitz, Ray Stevenson, Maggie Q, Ashley Judd, Tony Goldwyn, Mekhi Phifer

Description: In a world divided by factions based on virtues, Tris (Shailene Woodley) learns she's Divergent and won't fit in. When she discovers a plot to destroy Divergents, Tris and the mysterious Four (Theo James) must find out what makes Divergents dangerous before it's too late.

Review: The young adult film has, in a short period of time, settled down in Hollywood. Movies like the “Harry Potter” series and “The Hunger Games” series started this all. The movies, mostly adaptations from books, focus on young adults. Friendship, love and the battle between good and evil are central themes in these stories. “Divergent”, based on a book by Veronica Roth, isn’t an exception.

In a futuristic Chicago, five factions fight for power over the city. The factions are divided based on virtues: abnegation, candor, amity, dauntless and erudite. The choice for your faction is made when you’re sixteen. Tris is at that point in her life. Is she going to stay in the faction she grew up in or will she choose another faction? During her test something unusual happens. It appears she doesn’t fit in any of the faction. She is divergent.

Not a lot happens in “Divergent”. A thin plot between political power between the different factions and the place the divergents take in that society. Friendships are made and enemies are formed. Tris has to undergo a tough training and the underdog becomes the hero. And there is also a love story. Not a lot of originality, but time does fly. This is a good sign, because the movie is very entertaining.

That the book is often better than the movie, is also the case here. I feel that some important scenes are cut down. For instance the test. It’s a very important part of the story, but it goes so fast in the film. For people who haven’t read the book, it could have gone too fast.

Shailene Woodley does a good job and is a good leading lady. “Divergent” is a movie that you can’t help to compare to “The Hunger Games”. It’s not as good, but still very entertaining and I did enjoy it.

Rating: 3/ 5