Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them 5-film series

[Alex 2,835]

Finally got around to seeing this film and it’s legitimately awful

[mrbellamy 6,287]

I kinda dug it. I mean, I doubt it would bear much scrutiny, it's not much of a story and felt like a lot of set-up with little payoff, a few characters are kind of wasted, some story elements at the end that I'm not sure I buy....but hell I was never bored.

 

The screenplay has the same annoying habit as the first where it's just constantly bouncing around various subplots but I gotta hand it to him, Yatesy kept it chugging along. This might be his most briskly entertaining and visually imaginative movie for me. Every other scene had some funny bit of staging or a striking image like Leta's boggart. I honestly felt like he was kinda hitting a new stride, it made me feel like he's having more fun than ever. Score made me happy. Mostly good performances, I enjoyed Jude Law and Johnny D was more convincing than I expected.

 

I dunno, this movie was weird. 3 more sounds exhausting but I am kind of curious just watching Rowling run solo with this, even if it is eventually right into the ground Lucas-style. I say let her have it and might as well keep Yates et al around too.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Lucas did not run SW into the ground.

[John 2,032]

George tried his hardest but it bounced back.

[Will 2,215]

Yeah I saw it a couple days ago and actually thought it was pretty great. Flawed, sure, but enough good stuff to make it as good as, and maybe even better than, the first one. Jude Law was great, Depp was way better than expected, Rowling's story was imaginative (if a little confused at times), and of course JNH absolutely knocked it out of the park. I mean, just little moments like Law's Dumbledore turning around on the roof to a harp gliss and a wholesome string introduction to the character's theme really make you smile. 

[Damien F 1,742]

I just saw the new one and Rowling really dropped the ball. All exposition and no payoff. Felt like a two hour first act. And Queenie made some very unusual choices for her character.

 

I only time I felt a hint of the magic from the Potter series was when we saw Hogwarts. It made me wish this prequel series featured Dumbledore as the central character as a teacher in Hogwarts and maybe Newt as a young teacher there too.

 

Not hopeful for part 3.

4 minutes ago, Will said:

Yeah I saw it a couple days ago and actually thought it was pretty great. Flawed, sure, but enough good stuff to make it as good as, and maybe even better than, the first one. Jude Law was great, Depp was way better than expected, Rowling's story was imaginative (if a little confused at times), and of course JNH absolutely knocked it out of the park. I mean, just little moments like Law's Dumbledore turning around on the roof to a harp gliss and a wholesome string introduction to the character's theme really make you smile. 

 

Depp was actually OK mostly because he toned down his eccentricities and kept his performance fairly restrained, which therefore increased the menace.

[Matt C 454]

3 hours ago, Horner's Dynamic Range said:

Lucas did not run SW into the ground.

 

You're right. He just retconned the shit out of the series continuity.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

Leave him alone, you bastards!

[Alex 2,835]

I wasn’t a huge fan of the first film and after the escape scene at the beginning of this one I was like “This is more like it”. Unfortunately I found the rest the film to be 2 hours of cluttered storylines and filler material for future entries. Characters were left underdeveloped (Leta Lestrange shows up having been briefly hinted at in the last film and they tell her entire life story through lengthy flashbacks and monologues, how am I meant to care about her fate?). You rewrite

Nagini

, fine, but give her something to do instead of just following Credence around, otherwise she serves no purpose apart from maybe fan service (OMG it’s

Nagini!

). Also,

Queenie turns to the dark side after having one conversation.

 

However there were some positives. Eddie Redmayne is as captivating as ever, Jacob added some much needed humour to the story (although why he’s still around is debatable). As I’ve mentioned, I loved the chase at the beginning.

 

I really feel you could have made separate films out of Newt’s and Grindelwald’s stories. Their stories in this film are barely connected in anyway. 

 

It’s a shame because I love JK Rowling, she IS my childhood. I think these stories have so much potential, but I don’t think she’s the right person to translate them for the screen.

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

5 hours ago, Horner's Dynamic Range said:

Leave him alone, you bastards!

 

Ah go on then, do me in ya bastard cowards!

[mrbellamy 6,287]

Spoiler

Without knowing exactly where she’s going with this, it did feel like she jumped the gun on both Queenie’s turn and Leta’s death. The balance is wonky there, the whole climax seems more like a penultimate episode, or a 3/5 hinge point.  

 

It’s hard to gauge the arc of this series in general. I guess 3 is just more of Grindy amassing followers and choosing sides, 4) the war begins, 5) it ends? 

 

 

[Bilbo 3,709]

34 minutes ago, Alex said:

I wasn’t a huge fan of the first film and after the escape scene at the beginning of this one I was like “This is more like it”. Unfortunately I found the rest the film to be 2 hours of cluttered storylines and filler material for future entries. Characters were left underdeveloped (Leta Lestrange shows up having been briefly hinted at in the last film and they tell her entire life story through lengthy flashbacks and monologues, how am I meant to care about her fate?). You rewrite

  Hide contents

Nagini

, fine, but give her something to do instead of just following Credence around, otherwise she serves no purpose apart from maybe fan service (OMG it’s

  Hide contents

Nagini!

). Also,

  Hide contents

Queenie turns to the dark side after having one conversation.

 

 

However there were some positives. Eddie Redmayne is as captivating as ever, Jacob added some much needed humour to the story (although why he’s still around is debatable). As I’ve mentioned, I loved the chase at the beginning.

 

I really feel you could have made separate films out of Newt’s and Grindelwald’s stories. Their stories in this film are barely connected in anyway. 

 

It’s a shame because I love JK Rowling, she IS my childhood. I think these stories have so much potential, but I don’t think she’s the right person to translate them for the screen.

 

I think people forget what it was like to read the books and then wait for the next one. Rowling is a master of misdirection and plot twists. There are three more films to go and this is part 2 of a series. 

 

I didnt find Queenie’s turn that surprising or half baked. I don’t even think she’s turned bad. She’s just been hoodwinked by Grindelwald which is his biggest strength. He’s able to convince sane people that what he’s doing is for the greater good. People overlook some of the nastier aspects because they feel it’ll be for the best. She thinks the only way her and Jacob can be together and be happy and be normal is through Grindelwald. I’m sure she’ll be convinced to come around eventually. 

 

The films biggest problem is set up and backstory but hopefully now that they’ve gotten all of that out of the way the other films will be a bit more free and linear. 

 

We’re in 1927 now and we have to get to 1945 so I expect a significant time jump in the next one. I wouldn’t be surprised if we ended up in the early to mid 30s. Wonder if we’ll see Grindelwald’s followers infiltrating real world Nazis. 

I edited the title. Don’t bother with spoiler blocks for the new film.

[Arpy 4,145]

16 hours ago, Bilbo said:

 

I think people forget what it was like to read the books and then wait for the next one. Rowling is a master of misdirection and plot twists. There are three more films to go and this is part 2 of a series. 

 

I didnt find Queenie’s turn that surprising or half baked. I don’t even think she’s turned bad. She’s just been hoodwinked by Grindelwald which is his biggest strength. He’s able to convince sane people that what he’s doing is for the greater good. People overlook some of the nastier aspects because they feel it’ll be for the best. She thinks the only way her and Jacob can be together and be happy and be normal is through Grindelwald. I’m sure she’ll be convinced to come around eventually. 

Yes! She'll realize what choice she made and turn on Grindelwald. 

 

 

What has left me confused is how 

Spoiler

Aurelius Dumbledore 

will play into the established history of the family and if he will be used to help Dumbledore defeat Grindelwald in the confrontation to come.

[TSMefford 1,509]

19 hours ago, Alex said:

I wasn’t a huge fan of the first film and after the escape scene at the beginning of this one I was like “This is more like it”.

 

While I agree with other points you made. We have total opposite opinions here. Lol.

 

Especially after watching the first one again after seeing Crimes of Grindelwald, it just has so much more character, magic, life, and soul than CoG for me. I adore it. 

 

And I again had the exact opposite reaction when I saw CoG’s opening. That sequence should’ve been exhilarating, but for some reason I found it very dull, heavily underwhelming score (my least favorite of the Album) and underwhelming in almost every way. I can’t describe what it is, but I felt nothing during it. I certainly wish I had.

 

However, for me, I didn’t have my “Now that’s more like it” moment until very late. And then it was gone again.

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

20 hours ago, Bilbo said:

 

I think people forget what it was like to read the books and then wait for the next one. Rowling is a master of misdirection and plot twists. There are three more films to go and this is part 2 of a series. 

 

I didnt find Queenie’s turn that surprising or half baked. I don’t even think she’s turned bad. She’s just been hoodwinked by Grindelwald which is his biggest strength. He’s able to convince sane people that what he’s doing is for the greater good. People overlook some of the nastier aspects because they feel it’ll be for the best. She thinks the only way her and Jacob can be together and be happy and be normal is through Grindelwald. I’m sure she’ll be convinced to come around eventually. 

 

The films biggest problem is set up and backstory but hopefully now that they’ve gotten all of that out of the way the other films will be a bit more free and linear. 

 

We’re in 1927 now and we have to get to 1945 so I expect a significant time jump in the next one. I wouldn’t be surprised if we ended up in the early to mid 30s. Wonder if we’ll see Grindelwald’s followers infiltrating real world Nazis. 

I edited the title. Don’t bother with spoiler blocks for the new film.

 

Some critics found Queenie's betrayal offensive from a feminist point of view.

 

https://www.bustle.com/p/queenies-storyline-in-the-crimes-of-grindelwald-is-infuriatingly-out-of-character-13157315

[bollemanneke 3,349]

Finally watched COG.

 

Oh my goodness. I thought Dances With Wolves was the slowest film I would ever watch in my life, but it turns out I was mistaken. Where do I start? Okay, how about this: Which crimes did Grindelwald commit in The Crimes Of Grindelwald? He escaped a prison and held a speech. Big deal. (And Johnny Depp's British accent is a nightmare.) I had always kind of liked Jcob in the first movie, here he was annoying. Queenie's sstoryline is ridiculous here. And why on earth should I care about Credence, Leta and Yusuf? I want more Tina! And everything was so slow and long-winded. It felt like a bad novel. Are you reading this, Steve Kloves?

The score was mostly outstanding. James Newton Howard clearly enjoys this franchise and I honestly can't understand how he managed to write the score he did for this movie. The emphasis on female choir was wonderful, but the Hedwig's Theme reprise felt horribly forced, but that might be because I was already fed up with the movie at that point. The upbeat end credits suite conveyed only one message to me: It's over now.

I feel like creating that Harry Potter Disenchantment thread, but then again, this beautiful new box set is coming out...

[JoeinAR 1,949]

It was a german accent. His character is german, he isn't a brit.

[gkgyver 1,645]

Haven't seen a single second of any of these movies.

However, the argument that a bad movie should be looked at more favorably because there might be plot twists somewhere in the next three films, is utter crap.

If you can't manage to entertain people in a reasonable time, meaning within one movie, then fuck off.

21 hours ago, TheUlyssesian said:

 

Some critics found Queenie's betrayal offensive from a feminist point of view.

 

https://www.bustle.com/p/queenies-storyline-in-the-crimes-of-grindelwald-is-infuriatingly-out-of-character-13157315

 

First of all, most neo feminists are retarded, and secondly, it's way more offensive that you have to read through this painfully convoluted description of the scenes in question.

[Alex 2,835]

It’s not like feminists to find something offensive 

[bollemanneke 3,349]

8 hours ago, JoeinAR said:

It was a german accent. His character is german, he isn't a brit.

Then it was a terrible German accent.

[Incanus 5,715]

42 minutes ago, bollemanneke said:

Then it was a terrible German accent.

Let's just agree that he was terrible.

[Bilbo 3,709]

He wasn’t though. It’s Depp’s best performance in years. 

 

I like his accent, I don’t care what it’s supposed to be. It’s hard to pin down, the voice of someone who’s well travelled. 

[Alex 2,835]

Was worried when he started talking to Queenie that he was gonna chuck a wine glass at her

[JoeinAR 1,949]

1 hour ago, Incanus said:

Let's just agree that he was terrible.

Let just agree that he is the current most hated actor. Nothing more. His performance was fine. 

 

I prefer to laugh at all the lemmings who join in the we hate Johnny Depp bandwagon. Its the cool thing to do!

[Incanus 5,715]

1 minute ago, JoeinAR said:

Let just agree that he is the current most hated actor. Nothing more. His performance was fine. 

 

I prefer to laugh at all the lemmings who join in the we hate Johnny Depp bandwagon. Its the cool thing to do!

I haven't even seen the film. I was just having a bit of fun. He is a fine actor when he sets his mind to it.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

42 minutes ago, JoeinAR said:

Let just agree that he is the current most hated actor. Nothing more. His performance was fine. 

 

I prefer to laugh at all the lemmings who join in the we hate Johnny Depp bandwagon. Its the cool thing to do!

 

people bashed his acting in Murder On The Orient Express too, I thought he was solid.

[Bilbo 3,709]

Just now, Stefancos said:

 

people bashed his acting in Murder On The Orient Express too, I thought he was solid.

 

He was the least of that film’s problems. 

 

He was fine in it. JoeinAR is right, it’s just fashionable to hate him at the moment. 

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

He gave a great performance in his ex-wife's cell phone video where he walked around the house drunk wearing a cowboy hat and sunglasses.

[Chen G. 3,949]

In the internet age, people just can't distinguish the man from his work.

 

Someone should tell that to all the Wagnerites out there.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Wake me up when Depp gives a genuinely good performance again, it hasn't happened in almost 20 years.  But then again I'm noted among my friends for how fashionable I am.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Indeed

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

10 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

But then again I'm noted among my friends for how much of a dumbass I am.

 

Fixed.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

1 minute ago, Stefancos said:

 

Fixed.

 

Double dumbass on you!

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Wake Dear Stu. AS you challenged starting 20 years and forward I give you Fear and loathing in Las Vegas 98, Blow 01, Curse of the Black Pearl 03, Finding Neverland 04, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 05, Sweeny Todd 07, Rango 11, Black Mass 15. I do agree he has had missfires and his personal life and lack of personal hygiene make him an easy target especially now that Tom Cruise is back in favor.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Honestly, I couldn't care less about him and I shouldn't have gotten sucked into this discussion.  I don't care about his personal life, and I don't think he's been a good actor for a long time so I just don't pay attention to him generally.  It's great that you still like him, I'm not one of those crazy people who thinks it makes you a bad person if you do.  I'm one of the resident Woody Allen fans here, after all.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

It was all downhill after Ed Wood.

[Arpy 4,145]

Depp was surprisingly restrained here, I thought he did a fine job of portraying Grindelwald. By the way, I think he was doing his British accent, not German, and it wasn't distracting.

[publicist 4,643]

He just looks too american for these british movies.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Charlton Heston had the same problem!

[Arpy 4,145]

4 minutes ago, publicist said:

He just looks too american for these british movies.

It didn't help with his stupid hair. He looked more menacing during his escape with his matted hair and beard.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

12 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

Honestly, I couldn't care less about him and I shouldn't have gotten sucked into this discussion.  I don't care about his personal life, and I don't think he's been a good actor for a long time so I just don't pay attention to him generally.  It's great that you still like him, I'm not one of those crazy people who thinks it makes you a bad person if you do.  I'm one of the resident Woody Allen fans here, after all.

Gross

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actually Allen's work is easy to separate from his homelife. But his current work interest me very little. 

[publicist 4,643]

12 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

Charlton Heston had the same problem!

 

Well...

 

 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

8 minutes ago, JoeinAR said:

Actually Allen's work is easy to separate from his homelife. But his current work interest me very little. 

 

At some point he either lost the ability to write convincing dialogue or lost the ability to get his actors to deliver it convincingly.  All of his recent films are distractingly "stagey"

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Just now, Disco Stu said:

 

At some point he either lost the ability to write convincing dialogue or lost the ability to get his actors to deliver it convincingly.  All of his recent films are distractingly "stagey"

I think that is what he is going for.

[Demondm810 399]

I dunno, I absolutely love Cafe Society.  but agree with you on the other recents.  

[Disco Stu 15,495]

It's funny because it's the exact problem with John Cusack's character in Bullets Over Broadway.  Allen's dialogue is too stilted and unnatural so maybe he needs a streetsmart Italian gangster to write his scripts for him.

[publicist 4,643]

It worked somewhat in Blue Jasmine, though he usually falters badly outside expensive Manhattan apartments or Coney Island childhood memories (Café Society kind of is that). A little cuckoo thing like 'Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex' would be impossible today.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Certainly the relatable, very human and natural characters of Hannah and Her Sisters or Crimes and Misdemeanors are long past.

[TheUlyssesian 2,478]

13 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

 

At some point he either lost the ability to write convincing dialogue or lost the ability to get his actors to deliver it convincingly.  All of his recent films are distractingly "stagey"

 

That's a feature not a bug. Allen characters are always hyper articulate hyper neurotic hyper intelligent urban people. They are all either him or part of his milieu.

 

That's not to say his worldview is elitist or limited. Allen's best work has the broad compassion and tolerance of the other great humanists working in Cinema like Renoir etc.

[Pieter Boelen 740]

On 11/26/2018 at 12:05 AM, bollemanneke said:

And everything was so slow and long-winded. It felt like a bad novel. Are you reading this, Steve Kloves?

Steve Kloves didn't write it?

 

On 11/26/2018 at 4:07 PM, Bilbo said:

He was the least of that film’s problems. 

Problems in Murder on the Orient Express?

I thought that movie was exceptionally well-done; one of my favourites of recent years.