Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Movie Review

Released: 18th November 2016 (UK and United States)

Length: 133 Minutes

Certificate: 12A

Director: David Yates

Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Alison Sudol, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight, Ezra Miller and Ron Perlman

Five years after the original series concluded, David Yates and JK Rowling have returned one of the most popular fictional works of all time to the big screen with Fantastic Beasts and where to find them, a spin-off prequel that delivers plenty of enjoyment but sits below the older films.

Taking place in the 1920s, Fantastic Beasts follows magizoologist Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), who arrives in New York to document and track down creatures in the city. Things get off to a tricky start as mishaps involving aspiring baker Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler) at a bank cause several of his creatures to be released, risking the ordinary muggle world (or no-Maj as they’re referred to in the States) finding out about magic. Newt is apprehended by demoted Auror Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) and from here a darker situation unfolds as a deadly black mass threatens to consume everything in the bustling settlement. The film certainly doesn’t stray far from its predecessors; it moves along at a suitable pace, giving plenty of wonder, light-hearted comedy and rapid action sequences. It doesn’t come without some speed bumps though; the final act is quite predictable, once again falling into the same cliché of a monster about to destroy the city. There are also several scenes that don’t really contribute anything to the overall plot and many of the themes touched upon end up feeling superficial at best. The most glaring of these is the Magical Congress of the United States, an equivalent to the Ministry of Magic in previous films, which has a minimalistic role; playing this off with the political undertones from Jon Voight’s role as the father of a US Senator could have provided much more depth. Considering the film’s efforts to set up a new universe across the pond from Hogwarts, this is quite the missed opportunity.

All four central characters in Fantastic Beasts are very well-realised, with subtle, yet intriguing hints pertaining to their pasts that occasionally creep into the narrative. Redmayne plays Newt incredibly well; there’s an intense curiosity about him that wraps the audience up into his work, particularly in a scene concerning the inside of his briefcase. Kowalski is always capably amusing as he discovers the wizarding world and the opposite approach taken with Goldstein and her ditsy sister Queenie (Alison Sudol) is worked to solid effect. However, problems creep their way into the side characters. Colin Farrell (as high ranking Auror Percival Graves), Carmen Ejogo (as the Magical Congress President) and Jon Voight go by underused and so too do many of the non-majis outside of Kowalski. The villains are incredibly weak too with relatively basic characteristics that fail to add to the film’s setting; in the film’s opening moments we learn that a dark wizard known as Grindlewald is on the loose, but his build-up just can’t manage to instil a foreboding presence in the audience. It’s something else that the film is no doubt keeping back for future entries.

The new outing for the Harry Potter series continues the franchise’s proficiency in special effects; creative imagination is at an all-time high here as a variety of wacky, fascinating creatures come alive; combine this with an increased scale on magic use and you have one of the more visually extravagant films in the series to date. Buildings are trashed, sparks fly in magic duels and more sinister elements, especially in the film’s final moments, feel appropriately dangerous. Pulling and twisting through the action deftly, the camerawork is always on point while the music keeps in line with previous entries with a more delicate touch; at times, it reminded me of 2005’sThe Polar Express with its emphasis on wonder and discovery. As a period piece, Fantastic Beasts is no slouch either; detailed costume work and set design work in tandem to transport the audience into its setting, something ripe for expanding upon.

Fantastic Beasts is ultimately very well produced, marking it as an accessible prequel. You don’t need to get into the previous works to understand it and everything you loved about the original film series is still here; likeable characters, superb special effects and extensive intrigue, sprinkled with a helping of adult sensibilities. It’s burdened by a set of odd scenes, characters and themes that never quite manage to slot nicely into the overall plot; perhaps over the next four films we’ll see this rectified.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars (Good)

Aliens Movie Review

Released: July 18th 1986

Length: 137 Minutes

Certificate: 18

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Bein, Carrie Henn, Lance Henriksen, Paul Reiser, Bill Paxton, Jenette Goldstein, William Hope and Al Matthews

Ridley Scott’s chilling contribution to sci-fi horror was a massive success and word of a sequel floated around through the first half of the eighties. Coming seven years after the original film, Aliens was given the greenlight after 20^th Century Fox was impressed by a script written by James Cameron, who had achieved success with 1984’s The Terminator. Despite this time gap and a change in director, Aliens more than lived up to the 1979 classic.

Aliens continues the story of Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the sole survivor of the Nostromo vessel who first encountered the terrifying organism. Ripley is shocked to find out that she was drifting endlessly in hyper sleep for 57 years; her daughter Amanda has died of old age and on top of that her flight license is revoked after Weyland-Yutani company executives don’t believe her story about her sinister ordeal. A full-blown settlement has been established on the planet LV-426 in Ripley’s absence but when contact is lost with the colonists, company representative Carter Burke (Paul Reiser) alongside Lieutenant Gorman (William Hope) of the colonial marines ask her to come along as an advisor. At first Ripley is incredibly hesitant but eventually agrees. The film makes use of a fantastic build-up, introducing the audience to the futuristic soldiers while also laying down hints that the cocky platoon clearly has no idea what they’re in for. A careful suspense is crafted as we’re introduced to the colony of Hadley’s Hope; there’s a serious creepiness to the place with evidence of a battle having taken place. Once the action finally roars onto the scene, it never lets up; with a feeling of impending danger, not to mention the sheer number of Aliens crawling all over the place. The final act is a thrilling dash where the central motive of the Xenomorphs is finally revealed in a suitably stomach-churning fashion. Suffice it say, there is no down-time in Aliens and the pitch-perfect pacing, combined with the unrelenting tension commands the audience’s attention all the way through.

The characters in Aliens are just as fleshed out and interesting as they were in the original and a shift in genre brings a new set of characteristics and mannerisms. Ellen Ripley begins the film suffering constant nightmares from her traumatic encounter in the first film, but as the marine operation goes from bad to worse, she’s the one who rises to the challenge, taking her fears head-on in the process. It’s one of the standout character transformations in the genre and Sigourney Weaver’s excellent performance solidifies Ripley as one of the best woman warriors in all of film. The marines are no slouch either with each having their own engaging quirks that play off each other very well; this is especially true of Private Hudson (Bill Paxton) who gets the wackiest lines and the tough-as-nails Vasquez (Jenette Goldstein). I especially enjoy the more collected mannerisms of Corporal Hicks (Michael Bein) and the calculating prowess of the android Bishop (Lance Henriksen). The young, traumatised Newt (Carrie Henn) is another great character and the bond she forms with Ripley is easily the strongest emotional anchor point of the film. Ultimately the film puts a lot of emphasis on the bonds between characters, whether it’s the camaraderie between the marines or the motherly ties between Ripley and Newt which has the audience consistently invested in their struggles.

Aliens features a flurry of excellent special effects that really make its world come alive while also working to expand on the original film’s potential. The production teams headed up by Stan Winston and the late composer James Horner really outdid themselves, resulting in an outstanding showcase of practical special effects. The sets, creatures, weapons and vehicles were all carefully hand crafted, making occasional use of miniature models and stop motion to great effect. While the foreboding rain and dark lighting are instrumental in building the atmosphere, the grotesque creatures and the filthy hives they inhabit are certainly the highlight of the sets with industrialised structures clashing against ugly organic material. The hand-crafted design of the film has ensured an iconic status, one which adds many interesting components to the film’s lore and universe while also carrying over into its Vietnam subtext. The marine’s overconfidence in their technical advantage and the way the marine dropship is modelled after the AH-1 Cobra helicopter are just two examples of this. The soundtrack to Aliens is phenomenal, delivering both a slow suspense and an explosive punch in every action sequence; without it the film would lose much of its action-packed edge.

Aliens is an absolutely superb sequel and one of the best science fiction films of the eighties; it expertly picks up what the original established, flips the switch to action and unleashes a barrage of viciously thrilling moments that will leave any audience floored, or at the very least, huddled in their seat.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

(As a side note, I was lucky enough to watch Aliens as a live performance with a full on orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in London as part of its thirtieth anniversary. It was an immensely powerful experience with the soundtrack hammering into the audience and pulling them into the film, perhaps even more than the latest sound systems. I’d highly recommend it as the hall will be doing similar shows for other films including ET and Titanic)