Rush Hour 3, oh my god! "He is mi and I am yu". I've watched that scene several times and still cannot get through it without falling down laughing. That was beautifully done!
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Spoilers What Movie Are You Watching?
- Thread starter Huntn
- Start date
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Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them (2016)- It's no Harry Potter although Hogwarts is mentioned.
I enjoyed it, even though I agree with some comments that JK Rowling doesn't "get" America/Americans.
B
I don't want to say don't see it. I'm sure some people will love it, and won't hold it against anyone who does like it
, however that was my way of saying wait to stream without sounding too negative. And since you forced my hand , I did not enjoy it, nothing memorable about it.It lacked the charm and warmth of the HP series, instead of warm and welcoming, it felt cold and distant. Not helping, it lacked any appealing characters, although Kowalski (Dan Fogler), the wanna-be baker, and Queenie (Alison Sudol), the mind reader, grew on me. I distinctly disliked Colin Farrell's prominent wizard character.
I realize the name is Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, and the beasts have a presence, but they seem to be used more for visual candy, filler distractions than anything else. The lead off little beast with an eye for shiny baubles at the bank set a poor tone for the launch of the story, because it came close to being an over the top slapstick sequence. It could have just been me having a bad day as my hopes for a splendid HP related story or possibly a new wonderful series was dashed.
And while I can't dispute the depiction of 1920s NYC, I specifically disliked the sepia rendition of the city, I guess to be sure we realized this was happening a long time ago. NYC lacks the architectural style that was so appealing in the HP Series, so they could have taken some tips from Peter Jackson's King Kong on how to animate an early 20th century NYC, unless the intent was to give it a somber, doused in coal soot feeling.
Edit: typo
[doublepost=1480606267][/doublepost]
Could you expand on that? Just curious.
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I don't want to say don't see it. I'm sure some people will love it, and won't hold it against anyone who does like it
It lacked the charm and warmth of the HP series, instead of warm and welcoming, it felt cold and distant. Not helping, it lacked any appealing characters, although Kowalski (Dan Fogler), the wanna-be baker, and Queenie (Alison Sudol), the mind reader, grew on me. I distinctly disliked Colin Farrell's prominent wizard character.
I realize the name is Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, and the beasts have a presence, but they seem to be used more for visual candy, filler distractions than anything else. The lead off little beast with an eye for shiny baubles at the bank set a poor tone for the launch of the story, because it came close to being an over the top slapstick sequence. It could have just been me having a bad day as my hopes for a splendid HP related story or possibly a new wonderful series was dashed.
And while I can't dispute the depiction of 1920s NYC, I specifically disliked the sepia rendition of the city, I guess to be sure we realized this was happening a long time ago. NYC lacks the architectural style that was so appealing in the HP Series, so they could have taken some tips from Peter Jackson's King Kong on how to animate an early 20th century NYC, unless the intent was to give it a somber, doused in coal soot feeling.
Edit: typo
[doublepost=1480606267][/doublepost]
Could you expand on that? Just curious.
No, thanks a lot for your honest opinion; much appreciated.
I had been debating whether to visit a cinema and take it in, as I am rather partial to the Harry Potter Universe. And I have seen some of the real locations in real life (Laycock which served for some of the Hogsmeade shots, and Gloucester Cathedral) though this is because I love history, rather than Harry Potter.
I've been reading reviews which sort of hint at similar things. One review described it as "The Phantom Menace of the Harry Potter Franchise."
(No, I won't stream, - I don't stream - but, some year, I might sit down at Christmas with a glass of wine and watch it, if I don't see it now in the cinema, and my internal debate was whether it was worth making a deliberate choice to head out to try to see it.)
Deep down, I suspect that this is an attempt to make more - that is, generate more by way of an income - from the franchise.
I suppose that I would probably prefer to see more books.........big books - as the original Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them was an exceedingly slim volume.
The closest thing to the HP universe is mentioning Hogwarts, and a Brit.
Yes, there is a wizard/witchcraft society in the colonies. It would probably be helpful if I read book to see if JK still has it.
The closest thing to the HP universe is mentioning Hogwarts, and a Brit.
As I recall, the book, an exceedingly slim volume, was put together as a 'charity' exercise - with the proceeds to go to Comedy Relief - (and I have no quarrel with that). It was published in early 2001, and was very much envisaged (and marketed) as a part of the 'background' or wider 'world building', to the Harry Potter World.
But, while I don't mind them making a movie from it - as a book, it was a short bestiary purportedly written by Newt Scamander - it would be nice if the movie was used to expand on this somewhat by telling a proper story, rather than merely adding more (income generating) filler to the Harry Potter World.
Now, I'll happily read 'filler' - I do like this world, - but I would prefer a bit of substance.
Looking forward to your opinion after you see it..eventually. Be sure to mention me in the post.
Looking forward to you opinion after you see it..eventually. Be sure to mention me in the post.
I shall be sure to do so, if and when I do see it.
Candidly, I am more than a bit conflicted on whether or not to see it.
At this time of year, - while I rarely visit the cinema - I would enjoy being able to 'take in' an occasional movie that I know I would have some chance of enjoying.
However, I really dislike lazy movies, and the reviews are less than ecstatic.
Au nom de ma fille, amazing French movie about the murder of a man's daughter and his fight over the years to jail the responsible. Incredible and based on a true story.
Au nom de ma fille, amazing French movie about the murder of a man's daughter and his fight over the years to jail the responsible. Incredible and based on a true story.
That sounds absolutely fascinating, and has a terrific cast; I must keep a eye out for it.
I'll have to watch that; Auteil (and the cast) were so wonderful in The Well Digger's Daughter (the 2011 version), also in French w/ subtitles.
This evening I watched Me Before You (2016) A completely charming movie and a cure for having had enough of a grey day and the mud after a snowmelt. And for those interested,
one hour and ten minutes into the film: an unexpected snippet of Pachelbel’s Canon, no less. Not only that, a glimpse or three of a familiar face for Downton Abbey fans, that of a certain Brendan Coyle. One should not always shrug off the recommendations of a friend who likes romance movies. This one turned out to be just the ticket.
You can't put a price on Emilia Clarke in that super sexy red dress thoughI'll have to watch that; Auteil (and the cast) were so wonderful in The Well Digger's Daughter (the 2011 version), also in French w/ subtitles.
This evening I watched Me Before You (2016) A completely charming movie and a cure for having had enough of a grey day and the mud after a snowmelt. And for those interested,
Looks at Asian Action under $10 sale at iTunes (yes I know all the Shaw Brothers are under $10 all the time), but still iTunes. Need to get some Ti Lung in that list stat!
Which reminds me, I need to watch some more Ti Lung.
I might pick up The Grandmaster as that was a beautiful movie with some great lessons and a much more realistic look at Ip Man & Wing Chun than the Donnie Yen series.
@Huntn thanks for your honest assessment of Fantastic Beasts... I never read or watched Potter. I prefer adult magic users myself so it was good to hear from a different perspective.
@Scepticalscribe yes Fantastic Beasts is a way to continue to profit from the Franchise. WB lined up five films in this series and with the massive box office haul, we will see at least one sequel. That said, for those that love this world, I am envious you get some more time to explore it. <Sitting on Pins and Needles for the Doctor Strange sequel announcement>
Which reminds me, I need to watch some more Ti Lung.
I might pick up The Grandmaster as that was a beautiful movie with some great lessons and a much more realistic look at Ip Man & Wing Chun than the Donnie Yen series.
@Huntn thanks for your honest assessment of Fantastic Beasts... I never read or watched Potter. I prefer adult magic users myself so it was good to hear from a different perspective.
@Scepticalscribe yes Fantastic Beasts is a way to continue to profit from the Franchise. WB lined up five films in this series and with the massive box office haul, we will see at least one sequel. That said, for those that love this world, I am envious you get some more time to explore it. <Sitting on Pins and Needles for the Doctor Strange sequel announcement>
Well, I love this world and would have no issues contributing to the future good health of the franchise, with a single, simple, caveat: Namely, to wonder whether the story itself in the movie is a story worth telling, whether it has intrinsic merit as a story, or tale.
Personally, I would devour material from the Harry Potter world irrespective of how it would add to 'the franchise', but I do draw the line at supporting something just designed and intended to 'milk more' from the franchise rather than actually adding to it.
Actually, I'd love to see (and read) genuinely fresh material from J K Rowling set in this world.
Oh, I'd be quite interested in some fresh reading out of this universe, too. Those books were awfully entertaining. As for the movies, I wasn't that into the previous ones. I rarely see movies in the theater anyway, but I'm sure I'll end up watching this newest one on the plane at some point.
You can't put a price on Emilia Clarke in that super sexy red dress though
Yes well what's a red dress for, anyway! The blue one she wore at that wedding wasn't too shabby either.
omg but her clothes in that movie; it was a costume buyer's dream... all her insane outfits at work... the shoes with the designer-print soles... stuff right out of "shopping haul" videos. Even if one is not into clothes it's a fun watch.
The movie was well done with minor characters as well, you could want to know more of them just from what you were let to know. Her boyfriend, for instance, with his relentless running workouts, and the planned trip to Norway for a race. Of course the film was pretty much sanitized as far as actual caregiving to a quadriplegic, but it certainly portrayed some of the frustrations of a person who has left independent living behind forever in an instant of ordinary human carelessness.
Agreed with the bolded. Many a franchise I enjoyed has been milked dry. If there are worthy stories to tell, great (I am starting to think otherwise with Star Wars.) Anyway, Ms. Rowling is quite a talent and I'm glad so many people love her work. She proved fantasy is still very popular to some who would pooh pooh otherwise and she made reading fun again for younger people so that is gold star in my book.
