Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them: Film Review

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them: Film Review

Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Dan Fogler, Colin Farrell, Jon Voight, Samantha Morton, Alison Sudol, Ezra Miller
Director: David Yates

There's certainly an appetite for more from author JK Rowling's Wizardly world.

The universe has been left bereft of a family friendly fantasy franchise since Voldemort bit the dust - as is evidenced by the stage appearance of the Cursed Child.

So it's perhaps inevitable that there's a degree of cynicism at the thought of 5 new films from a similar world of wizards, magic and commentary given how the Harry Potter series felt a little dragged out as it stumbled toward its denouement. (Can anyone say cash cow?)

But with a director of four of the Harry Potter films at the helm, it has to be said that Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them largely gets off to a reasonably magical start.

Set in 1926 New York, it's the story of nerdy, unsure and sheepish Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne, channeling shades of Matt Smith's 11th Doctor Who in parts) whose life has been spent collecting creatures, and storing them in a cavernous suitcase (a sort of leather bound portal into a Narnia / TARDIS style zoo of gigantic proportions).

But when Scamander accidentally loses one of the creatures, his hunt brings him into contact with genial wannabe baker and no-Maj / Muggle Jacob (played with doughy amiability by Fogler). Complicating matters further Scamander inadvertently swaps his suitcase with Jacob's, and plenty of the creatures get out - so begins Scamander's gotta-catch-em-all Ghostbusters style quest before tensions between humans and wizards boil over...

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them works fine as a first film, even if there is a feeling that the main cast don't quite have the chemistry and back-story of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione.

Comparisons are perhaps unfortunately inevitable to Rowling's prior franchise and while they serve to show the characters and their supporting ilk aren't as well-rounded out as they could be, there's plenty to marvel at visually on screen as the various critters and creatures come to life. To its credit, it doesn't spend a great amount of time setting up a world we already know that exists and simply gets on with proceedings.

In the first sequence where Jacob is summoned into Scamander's suitcase, it's clear the MO is to show off an array of cutesy creatures that will elicit shrieks of awe and wonder from the audience - and there are times when it appears that the film teeters dangerously into only having this in its magic box to show off (and leaving some doubts about how a further four films could be filled out).

Rowling's obviously aiming to talk more to the audience that's grown up with her books and who are of the age to understand bigotry, intolerance and a degree of bleakness.

In Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, there is a puritanical woman determined to drive out witches and who wouldn't be out of place in Salem (played by Morton, who's given little time and little more to do other than glower), a clutch of adopted children who are clearly traumatised by events and there's a hint of an ongoing conspiracy, complete with albino cameo, to keep the adult side a little more engaged.

However, there is a nagging feeling that some of the humanity is a little lost in this first film and parts of the plot are muddled, which is a marvel of imagination and acute period detail, with elements of Men In Black thrown in.

By far the most charming elements come from the slapstick and heart of loveable schlub Fogler, as he negotiates the wizarding world and finds himself under the spell of showgirl Queenie (Sudol), in an endearing romance that it's hard to not lose your heart to.

Redmayne's fine as the cowed and shy Scamander whose awkwardness is half parts endearing and half parts frustrating, and Waterston makes a strong start only to be subdued in the slightly laggy final third of the film which relies on the usual CGI -trashing-of-a-city trope.

Ultimately though, niggles aside, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them is at times a magical experience that swathes some of the fluffier more slapstick fun elements in a welcome darkness that's redolent of real-life and the usual Rowling plot machinations.

While it may use the CGI concoctions to disguise some of the less robust characters, it's likely to be enough fun to obfuscate audiences and separate them from their money, and with some more adult themes and some dark current allegories in play, it's clear this solid wizardly movie will magic up all the family box office money regardless of what any critics say as the new franchise begins.

Rating:

Titanfall 2: PS4 Review

Titanfall 2: PS4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by EA Games and Respawn Entertainment


The first Titanfall was a multi-player blast.

The first person shooter with robots where you got to smash and bash a la Pacific Rim against others was a great experience, but it was severely lacking a campaign element to ensure a degree of longevity.

Respawn Entertainment's second outing and improved game adds in that, as well as continuing the multiplayer elements which proved to be so popular the first time around.

In this latest, in the campaign element, you play Jack Cooper, sent to an alien planet and attacked when least expected. Jack desires to become a pilot and pilot a Titan. And when his mentor, Captain Lastimosa is wounded and dies, Jack gets his chance, as he's paired up with a Titan unit BT 7274.

The duo team up to take on the corrupt elements of the IMC and begin to penetrate a conspiracy...

Adding in elements of parkour and shooting prove to be a good concoction for Titanfall 2 and for its story overall.

Sure, there are moments that feel like meshes of both Knight Rider and Short Circuit as BT and Jack banter, but the engagement within gets over some of the fact that portions of the missions are repetitive.

That said, there's plenty of fun to be had in the running, shooting and exploring. The worlds initiated feel organic, full of life and with elements of danger all over the place. Wildlife when it attacks feels dangerous and while there are a range of weapons around to attack, reloading proves to be particularly slow and occasionally fatal.

But there's very much the dynamic of 1 guy and his mech buddy running through the campaign and it's very welcome.

As for the multiplayer, there were some concerns after the BETA, given how hard it was to kill others, and thereby depriving yourself of getting a Titan. Thankfully, that's been rectified and a Titan-meter means you can summon chaos from the sky and unleash carnage when everything comes to fruition.

All in all, Titanfall 2 is a fun title; a smash and bash style robots outing that more than serves its purpose. Thanks to tweaks in the gameplay and the addition of a campaign, this second time round is a lot stronger than the first and consequently deserves a longer shelf life.

Operation Avalanche: Film Review

Operation Avalanche: Film Review

A found footage film that proves the Moon Landing was fake may sound like a joke too far, but director / star Matt Johnson’s relentlessly inventive piece is nothing but a pure blast of cinephile love and an ode to the American space race.

In 1967, it’s the height of the Cold War, and there are concerns Russia’s going to beat America into space. At NASA, there’s an even deeper fear – that a mole has infiltrated their ranks and is stealing secrets.

Enter four undercover CIA agents (helmed by Matt Johnson’s goofball) who convince NASA to let them in under the pretense of filming a documentary about NASA – and who end up pitching the idea of a spoof Moon Landing film to ensure American interests win the day. To their surprise, the CIA says yes….

Endlessly clever and draped in 70s aesthetics with Super 8 footage and an infectious joie de vivre, Operation Avalanche is a film within a film conspiracy and it damn well knows it. But the meta doesn’t become so smart that it’s alienating – in fact, it’s anything but.

By taking the time to build character early on and set you a little off expectations by dishing out off-kilter moments and genuine laugh out loud moments at the geeky group as well as the premise that the CIA would allow a crew to blunder around filming, Operation Avalanche works incredibly well.

Unless you’re a diehard conspiracy theorist, you will love the flourishes in this gonzo film, and to be honest, nobody’s trying to convince you this found film footage is real but that’s not really the point of Operation Avalanche.

Effectively mining the special FX with ease and without obvious joins, there are authentic feeling moments which provoke marvel on a technical level – via Shepperton Studios and Stanley Kubrick. However, it’s not just these moments which stand out in Operation Avalanche.

Johnson’s created a group of likeable guys, spearheaded by his own giddy boy’s own chutzpah and it’s infectious. So much so that the final act of the film becomes a tensely filled nail biter of a finale creating as real a sense of terror as any decently done spinetingler of found footage horror can muster.

By never losing sight of the humanity in this space race shaggy dog story, Operation Avalanche is terribly evocative and effective. Clever and intelligently plotted within its layers within layers, it may be the smartest mass appeal found footage the audience will see.

Unless it proves to be true. 

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare: PS 4 Review

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare: PS 4 Review

Platform: PS4
Released by Activision

Call of Duty is back.

And by goodness, in its HD Glory, it looks impressive.

There's the usual mix of first person shooter guts and glory, but this time around, the edge is definitely given by the simple good vs evil campaign that plays out.

After a false start sequence that sucks you right into the intergalactic action of events, it's all on. You take on the role of  Captain Nick Reyes, a Tier 1 Special Operations pilot, who's called into the war between the good and the bad.

And the bad comes in the form of Jon Snow aka Kit Harrington's Admiral Salen Kotch, a guy who's clearly a cold-blooded killer capable of exacting revenge. With elements of Battlestar Galactica, and many other space sagas, Call of Duty Infinite Warfare is fairly intense and gritty.

Early action sees civilians running for cover as dust clouds from explosions cover them; there's a rawness to all of this that's beyond uncomfortable in parts and which really hits at the realities of war among the populace (aside from the fact you have to start again if you decided to shoot and pick off civilians)

But this basis in reality grounds the space saga in ways you'd not expect.

With a Chappie style robot buddy called Ethan and a female wingman for Reyes, this game's covering all the bases as it hits the sci-fi highs. And it does hit highs as well, heading to space pretty quickly and pitching you in the middle of whole-scale devastation. This is not a game that sits back on its laurels and its pace is brisk and yet at the same time, completely levelly executed. Plus, once you head into space, you get to really take control, choosing which missions to instigate and where to go to next.

With dog-fights and space fights, the Infinite Warfare with its story elements feels solid, strong and confident. This is a game that gets the little things right - from a scuttering spider bomb that attaches to its combatants and then explodes all around them to shooting which feels instinctive and intuitive, the game play is thrilling.

Elsewhere, the Zombies mode is garish, ghoulish and very Scooby Doo-ish with the let loose in a theme park 80s mentality really coming to the fore. But it's infinite fun as you try to survive the marauding hordes, either solo or in a co-op mode. The online game is also solid too, with nary a sign of a glitch as you try to survive as many hordes of shambling masses as you can. It's fun, frivolous and surprisingly frantic, trading as it does on the horror tropes and in-jokes.

In fact, the multiplayer of this iteration of Call of Duty is solid all around - Team Deathmatch has been the usual vice and you'll need wits about you to play through it. XP, Mods and perks all come to those who endure - and if you're struggling to endure, you may need to reassess your gameplay style because it's as unrelenting as ever.

With variety proving to be the spice of life for Call of Duty, this Infinite Warfare package is a no-brainer. It's welcoming to newbies and seasoned enough for veterans to sit back and shoot away - but it's a sign that despite an annual release, Call Of Duty shows no sign of resting on its laurels.

They may say the sky's the limit, but when it comes to Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, the sky's just the beginning.

War on Everyone: Film Review

War on Everyone: Film Review

Cast: Alexander Skarsgard, Michael Pena, Paul Reiser, Theo James, Tessa Thompson
Director: John Michael McDonagh

It's hard to work out if the writer / director of the sublime Calvary has his tongue firmly in his cheek in his first American film foray.

At times, War on Everyone, with its scuzzy OTT moments, appears to be parodying the 70s Cop shows that were so prevalent and so over the top with their characters and testosterone-filled leads. And yet, you're never quite sure if this was intentional or a pure drizzle of cinematic coincidence.

As it starts on a great philosophical question of "If you hit a mime with a car you're chasing him in, does he make a sound?", you could be forgiven for thinking this tale of two corrupt and nihilistic cops is going to do more than revel in its black humour.

Skarsgard and Pena play Monroe and Bolano respectively, who are one chastisement away from being kicked off the force because of their unconventional methods. But when they come face to face with tweed wearing Brit bad guy Lord Mangan (played by Theo James), the duo could have bitten more off than they can chew....

It's not as if War On Everyone doesn't have the McDonagh black humour trademarks scored through. With some truly off-kilter one-liners and some continual prodding of the Brits via an Irish character, the hallmarks are there for laughs.

But somehow, the delivery of the whole thing feels flat and at the end of the day, what should be steeped in irony and deliciously dead-pan ends up grating and frankly, at times, irritating as hell. The comic banter between the duo becomes annoying and tiresome as the satire falls flat and the film begins to drag.

For an American foray, McDonagh has his genre bases well covered and there are anarchic touches that are welcome throughout - it's almost as if it was a 70s cop TV show through a profanity laced filter.

As one character remarks, "You ain’t got a good script, you ain’t got shit". It seems an awfully meta touch from this criminal that really does hit the crux of the problem on the head. Whereas Calvary and The Guard were steeped in a dark delicious humour that delivered emotionally and cinematically, War on Everyone spends most of its time trying to beat you into submission like a moustachioed police officer trying to garner a confession from a crim.

It's not a fatal flaw for War on Everyone, but this lack of consideration over how it will sound on the screen does hold the film back from soaring and making you reflect on why films like Lethal Weapon and the buddy dynamic work so well.

Instead, this cop film deserves to be locked up - and McDonagh needs to be given a warning over its disjointed narrative and execution.

Sing Street: DVD Review

Sing Street: DVD Review

Rating: M
Released by Roadshow Home Ent

There’s plenty to love in John Carney’s cloyingly generic yet somehow winning uplifting coming of age tale, Sing Street, even if it does skirt with a story you’ve heard many times before and tackles any kind of cynicism head on.

Carney’s musical trilogy and the meaning of music began with the romance of the duo of Once,before taking a circuitous route with Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo in Begin Again.

It’s come full circle with 80s Dublin set tale Dublin about Conor (newcomer Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, channeling elements of Moone Boy Padraig’s charming simplicity) and his uprooting to a state school, because of financial family issues.

Initially bullied at the new school (so far, so stereotypical) Conor decides on a whim to impress Lucy Boynton’s Raphina whom he sees hanging about the school. Believing her claim she's a model and needing to be cool, he tells her he’s in a band and they need for a shoot.

The only problem – the band’s non-existent and the clock is ticking for Conor to pull together a ragtag crew of musical misfits to win over the day - and potentially, the girl.

As previously alluded to, the musical comedy Sing Street isn’t exactly original, but by goodness, it’s certainly heart-warming fare that proves hard to resist, thanks to a heady mix of pop nostalgia and some solid performances from a largely unknown cast as well as a comic script that is laugh out loud funny in places and bitterly recognisable in others.

But it also helps that Carney once again demonstrates his immense directorial nous for bringing music to life. 

As with Once’s 2007 pairing of Glen and Marketa’s live performance inside a studio and 2013’s Begin Againbringing dormant musical instruments together to show how a song is constructed by those who understand music, Carney’s exuberance is evident in his musical execution.

From the faux New Romantic Be Kind Rewind style video of Conor’s first song (the annoyingly catchy earworm The Riddle of The Model) to a tautly executed shot from within a solo rehearsal in a front room that swirls and turns into a full on front room band performance, Carney’s aptitude for breathing life into music and demonstrating why so many are so passionate about it is immensely and satisfyingly contagious.

There’s an earnestness to Sing Street that is undeniable too, even if it does wear its heart on its sleeve and bellows its occasionally bittersweet, happy/ sad narrative universality to many.

The whole story actually pivots on the fraternal relationship between Conor and the terrific Jack Reynor’s Brendon, a college drop-out and stoner whose guidance of Conor’s musical education becomes more formative than he could have realised. 

While the other fripperies of the coming-of-age genre are skirted with (hints of abusive priests at school, the bully at school, the potentially unattainable girl) and the characters of the band fall away in the wash, underdeveloped despite initial flirtations and amusements, this one relationship between brothers is central to proceedings and is as crucial to the proceedings as Conor’s musical journey.

There’s no denying that the rite-of-passage Sing Street is wish-fulfilment film-making in extremis and feel-good fare that could clog the arteries , but it’s difficult not to fall hard for this toe-tapping flick given the immense charm and spirited optimistic energy that springs from the screen.

Warcraft: DVD Review

Warcraft: DVD Review

Released by Universal Home Ent

If Warcraft ever had an obstacle to over come, it's set out right at the start - a way in for those non familiar to the genre.

While the games and novels have been massive for years, the idea of a CGI fantasy helmed pic is a hard sell  to non-fans (even ones like us blessed with the Lord Of The Rings and Hobbit series) and unfortunately Duncan Jones' flick will do little to convince those who don't know their orcs from their wizards to sign up.


Half the problem lies in an info dump at the start which is confusing, exposition heavy and tries to create a breathing world that you can embrace right away. But it is muddled and drops so much that the rest of the plot somehow manages to be flimsy in its wake.

Loosely, Warcraft is about a horde of orcs invading Azeroth, a kingdom of humans and another world through a portal because their's is dying.But the humans, led by Travis Fimmel's fighter Lothar and Ben Foster's magician Medivh, the guardian of their lands won't stand for it.

However, with one of the Orc chiefs Durotan (a mo-capped Kebbell, the unsung star of the piece)  unsure of his magician Orc leader's choices and with betrayals aplenty, the fight may not be as straightforward as expected...

With too many action and bloodless fight sequences that are both brash and noisy, as well as difficult to care about, WARCRAFT's cod fantasy and slightly ropy dialogue makes this FX fest something of a drudge. 

It's a shame as the visuals are reasonably impressive on an IMAX setting, with castles and kingdoms looking as good as anything Peter Jackson has ever crafted, and giving the lands a sense of being.

Equally, the first close up of troubled Orc Durotan bristles with sharp contours of skin and detail popping out and feeling realistic, rather than a rote CGI creation.

But it's the human elements and story which unfortunately don't shine here.

Blessed with too little character and a rushed execution, Warcraft barely finds space to breathe or time to invest in the emotional journeys. 

Be it Paula Patton's out of place female Orc slave being set up as a potential love interest, Travis Fimmel's supposedly broken warrior, Dominic Cooper's fey king or Ben Foster's scenery chewing and mumbling Guardian, these are once over lightly protagonists that do little to sell their oh-so-familiar story arcs.

It's a shame because the conflicted Orc chieftain, as well as a warlord unwilling to embrace the archaic honour code to subjugate their own are interesting threads worthy of growth. But they wither on the CGI vine, unloved and left out in favour of the old fantasy deus ex machina, magic.

Plus emotional moments which should fuel the plot's momentum and deepen the character engagement feel rushed and less than effective in the final third.

The fact Warcraft will satiate large swathes of its core game fans (of which there are billions who've invested countless amounts of time in the World of Warcraft second world) is not necessarily a good thing. 

The fact the story is frustratingly inconclusive and a desperate grab for new franchise is yet another slap in the face after 2 hours of soulless CGI drudgery that revels in nothing more than sound and fury.
Ultimately, Warcraft is neither magical nor engrossing as a saga, or the first part thereof: it's a formulaic fantasy film that's neither fantastic nor thrilling, and is dangerously close to an over-long, unexciting game of Dungeons and Dragons.