Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: DVD Review

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald: DVD Review

In truth, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald struggles to justify carrying on the franchise into five-films beast.

From the pen of JK Rowling and expanding on what was a flimsy compendium of creatures, the latest picks up the end thread of the appearance of nasty wizard Grindelwald (Depp, bleached white, and downplaying the menace for once) and ups the ante with talk of shattering the fragile peace between the wizarding world and the Muggles.

Finding himself in the centre of all this is Eddie Redmayne's awkward, but openly honest and pure-of-heart Newt Scamander, still being punished for his altruistic actions in Fantastic Beasts.

To say more, is to break the marketing omerta imposed on all reviewers, but suffice to say the problem with Fantastic Beasts 2 is that it gets tied up in its own world, starts talking only to its own and not the average Muggle who's not that keen on every throwback.

Character arcs feel unformed with one twist feeling unearned and emotionally underwhelming, demanding you appreciate them because you met them in the last film, rather than for their own journey.

And for a film whose subtitle is The Crimes of Grindelwald, Grindelwald himself carries out scant any crimes - although given the uproar of Johnny Depp's casting as the veiled Trumpian baddie, some may strongly disagree.

The major problem is a lot of what's delivered here is swathed in large amounts of world-building, of set-up and of promises further down the line; sub-plots swirl and float, leaving undernourished edges to waft among the murkily executed CGI.

Of the principal cast, Depp is serviceable and serves really to bookend the film; Redmayne and Waterston conjure up the same kind of tension that was last seen executed by Edward and Bella in The Twilight Saga; and Law brings a heart and earnestness to a young Dumbledore which is sorely needed to anchor the film's lack of anything else.

Ultimately, the Fantastic Beasts film series needs to deliver more of a case for being fantastic and bring the magic back to the world - and feel like less of an ill-conceived thinly-veiled cash grab to extend a dying franchise. 

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms: DVD Review

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms: DVD Review

Possibly the best-looking film of the year, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms' fairytale approach is the one thing strongly in its favour.

Foy plays Clara, whose life is staccato following the death of her mother; with her father trying to ensure Christmas still happens, even though nobody is interested, Clara's given a gift from her departed mother - a locked egg that says everything she seeks is within.

During attending an annual festive ball, Clara finds herself pulled into the magical world that's facing danger from Mother Ginger (Mirren). Recruited by Sugar Plum (Knightley in Marilyn Monroe squeaky voice territory) to help, Clara finds her loyalties torn as she tries to save the realms from falling into war.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms's production aesthetic is second-to-none, and is Oscar-worthy in extremis.

Every sequence oozes with sumptuous details, with figures from fantasy tales standing out and with each scene dripping with colour and attention to detail. It's almost overwhelming, but does go some way to setting the fantasy tone needed for the film, whose plot sadly falls flat and feels uninspired and underwhelming at best.

The message is easy to decipher from early on, and even though Foy tries, she can't quite summon enough of the depth needed to sell the lighter story to an audience. Knightley's flouncy Sugar Plum is a joy to behold, although Mirren's baddie Mother Ginger feels underwritten and inconsequential.

Ultimately, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms feels more shallow than a tale as old as time should.

Its fantastical visual images may capture the audience of a younger generation, but in truth, they may get restless later on with the film as it ploughs a furrow between whimsy and empowerment message.

It may have some elements of visual pleasure, but The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is more a confectionary headrush than a nourishing lasting pleasure. 

Creed II: Blu Ray Review

Creed II: Blu Ray Review

Essentially lacking the knockout blow that helped the first Creed achieve a technical win at the box office, Creed II does much you'd expect a film about pugilist pride to handle and still delivers a solid bout in the cinematic ring - even if you've seen a lot of it before in Rocky IV.

This time around, Michael B Jordan's Adonis Creed is on the top of the world - having won the Heavyweight champion title, and with his relationship with singer girlfriend Bianca (Thompson, making good of a role that barely calls on her for more than support and a few rote relationship scenes).

But when Ivan Drago, the song of the boxer who killed his father in the ring challenges him to a bout, Creed has no choice but to rise to the challenge, with or without the help of Rocky Balboa.

Creed II is as formulaic a sequel as you could expect for a boxing franchise that has spawned more than a few of them in its time. That's to say it very much wants to hit the beats of an expected sequel, and does so with veritable ease and aplomb.

However, without Coogler at the helm this time, and with a script that relies heavily on sports commentators providing the exposition via match commentary, it feels somewhat flat and lacking the killer punch, preferring instead to provide the requirements like a training montage and some inspiring speeches when necessary.

Jordan makes the best of his pride-before-a-fall arc, and there's a lot to be viewed in the hubris of the boxer and the subtext of American arrogance against Russian brute strength.

Equally Muntenau as Drago's son does much with what little he has as well, with hints of family tensions nicely put in place, and cinematography showing the icy conditions of Russia against the relationship opulence of Creed.

A reliance on the aforementioned commentary leads to a feeling the film's been heavily subsidised by pay-per-view channels, and robs Creed II of the kind of emotional depth and heft that was present the first time around. And what's outside the ring is more emotionally hefty than what's in - even if it does occasionally veer into heavy-handed territory.

All that said, while this doesn't quite go the full 12 rounds of cinematic excellence, it does provide a solid title card and spirited defence of the sports sequel, thanks in part to Jordan and also a taciturn Stallone as Balboa who's terrified of history repeating itself.

But with moments like an enforced family rift laid on heavier than repeated body blows raining down, Creed II emerges a victor only on a technicality, rather than delivering a knockout from beginning to end. 

Win a copy of Robin Hood

Win a copy of Robin Hood

The Legend You Know. The Story You Don't.

Robin of Loxley (Taron Egerton) a war-hardened Crusader and his Moorish commander (Jamie Foxx) mount an audacious revolt against the corrupt English crown.

A thrilling action-adventure packed with gritty battlefield exploits, mind-blowing fight choreography, and a timeless romance.

Thanks to Sony Home Entertainment, you can win a copy of Robin Hood.

To win all you have to do is email your details and the word ROBIN HOOD to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com 
or CLICK HERE NOW  darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com!

Win a copy of Disney's The Nutcracker & the Four Realms

 Win a copy of Disney's The Nutcracker & the Four Realms

Disney’s “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms”

The Stunning, Magical Adventure Arrives Home on DVD, Blu-ray™ and 4K UHD™  Mar.6

Featuring a star-studded cast, including Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy and Misty Copeland,

with Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman

Disney’s dazzling adventure “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” - inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale and the beloved ballet “The Nutcracker” - carried audiences along with 14-year-old Clara (Mackenzie Foy) to a magical, mysterious world with breath-taking performances by Misty Copeland plus sweets, snowflakes, soldiers, scurrying mice … and no shortage of surprises. 

Destined to become an annual viewing tradition for adventurers of all ages, the film arrives home instantly with never-before-seen extras and deleted scenes on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD March 6, 2019.

To win all you have to do is email your details and the word NUTCRACKER  to this address: darrensworldofentertainment@gmail.com or CLICK HERE NOW!

Puzzle: DVD Review

Puzzle: DVD Review

Generally sweet-natured, but prone to cliches like 'getting all the wrong pieces right', Puzzle's gentle domestic drama is anchored by a rather muted Kelly MacDonald and a typically charismatic Irrfan Khan.

Macdonald is Agnes, a stay-at-home mum, who never went to college and has never left home.

Surrounded by her Bible group church friends and catering to her loving, but oblivious, husband, Agnes is a shrew, ignored largely by all.

The dynamic's set early on, when Agnes is fussing around a birthday party, apparently for her husband - but a clever twist reveals the truth.

However, at that party, Agnes gets a 1000 piece jigsaw and sitting down with it one day, discovers she has the ability to piece it together easily and quickly. This awakens something in her, shaking her from her dull bubble to a degree and she heads to buy more.

Her interest's piqued in an ad for a puzzle companion, leading her to meet Irrfan Khan's Robert, a charming man. Hiding the visits to prepare for a competition from her husband, Agnes begins a clandestine life.

Puzzle is entirely predictable and while one of the narrative moments is a bit of a leap, the coming alive of the subdued American housewife is not a new path to tread.

But it's done with such geniality and such refusal to label all the parties as anything less than human that when the shocks come (such as they are), they do pack the required resonance.

Macdonald's dialled down housewife feels largely rounded, and the opening of this flower into the puzzle sun is handled nicely. Equally, Khan's charm and delicious way with some of the script swathes the whole thing in a reality that's both engaging and surprisingly pedestrian.

Director Marc Turteltaub is not interested in pulling any real punches (until the end, which feels a little cheap and quick) and the result is that Puzzle is perhaps more a collection of its parts, than the overall picture.

Puzzle's less a film about competition, and more a piece about finding a place in life (spot the parallels, kids) but as a gentle genial outing at the movies, it does what it needs to do - but it does little more than this, despite a very human performance from Kelly Macdonald and Irrfan Khan. 

If Beale Street Could Talk: Film Review

If Beale Street Could Talk: Film Review

Cast: KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Ed Skrein
Director: Barry Jenkins

Based on James Baldwin's novel, and opening with a quote from him, the gorgeously shot If Beale Street Could Talk is once again proof that Jenkins knows lighting perfection from shot to shot.

Told across different time periods, Jenkins' latest is the story of childhood friends and lovers Tish (Layne) and Fonny (James) who in the 1970s in downtown Harlem found themselves the victims of an egregious crime of the times.

When Fonny's arrested and imprisoned for the rape of a neighbourhood woman, Tish vows to fight to clear his name and get him out of jail. But their plans for a future together are derailed by constant stops and starts in the quest to reunite.

If Beale Street Could Talk is lyrical poetry personified.

Much like Moonlight did, the film takes a deep dive into its subjects, placing them front and centre of every shot, bathed in different lighting moments to evoke mood and internal turmoil and emotion.

But it also conveys the deep love of the duo, with many shots being close ups of their face as the slow, quiet and deliberate tale weaves its web over the audience. However, it has to be said, despite the layered performances of the central leads, and the sterling work done by King in a supporting role as the mother, the film feels like it holds you away at emotional arm's length.

It's an interesting stance, with its languid pace doing much to keep the audience at bay, and stopping the anger at the injustice rising up. Sure, there are some racist cops of the period, that feel like they've been ripped from the fringes of movie Detroit; and there's some commentary on life of the time, but there's never the righteous indignation being given the chance to rise up and continue.

It's perhaps Jenkins' approach to the story which has been told time and time again; he cares not for the well-worn tropes (all of which are present and correct), but is rather more consumed with the details of the situation, lacing all of it with a trembling OST that evocatively quivers when needed.

As commentary on the time, and the period as well as the crimes, If Beale Street Could Talk falls short - but what it does provide is something more mellow, more intimate and perhaps more astounding because of it.

It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but If Beale Street Could Talk is a masterclass of how to make a film and a well-worn subject look incredibly good, deeply rich and resonant, even if it does feel emotionally aloof.