Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) returns to track down the woman he has fallen for ina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston) and to be commisioned by Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) to find Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), before dark wizard Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) can get his hands on him.
PRAISE : So much better this time around !! The silliness and long drawn out moments to just show off SFX are kept to a minimum.It's well acted by the entire cast which includes : Claudia Kim, Carmen Ejogo, Zoe Kravitz, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, and Callum Turner.
Director David Yates keeps things moving steadily for the most part.
The inclusion of some characters give the film a boost.I actually felt something for the characters.Some strong emotional moments and multiple romances brought strength to the story,actually making the film intriguing.
I found the climax to be very involving and action packed.Some really amazing and stunning SFX and a great score by James Newton Howard.
PROBLEMS :I was about to pull out a notepad or hoped there was an App i could use to keep up with the numerous story threads.If you dont pay close attention especially to the flashbacks you will be confused.
Depp was good but i felt he wasnt given enough time to shine,and was only able to display his skills fully at the films climax.There are a couple of dull moments.Some characters are sidelined.
Im far more invested and im actually looking forward to the next 3(?)chapters in this tale
Scale of 1-10 a 7½
WIDOWS
After their husbands are killed during a heist the widows of the men are cornered into trying to pulloff a heist themselves.
PRAISE:The acting in this film is off the charts great.The cast does a great job which includes :
Viola Davis, Daniel Kaluuya, Brian Tyree Henry, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, Cynthia Erivo, Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Debicki, Michelle Rodriguez, Liam Neeson.
Their perfomances are laces with intensity,intimidation and raw emotion.
Scenes crackle with devestating dialogue.
The opening action sequence hit me like a lightning bolt.I liked how the film displayed how the women were novices to anything criminal and had to find their rhythm together and individually.
I loved how Director/writer Steve McQueen and writer Gillian Flynn didnt make it easy for the widows.
PROBLEMS: A major plot twist was extremely predictable.The film meanders here and there and i kept saying wow i wish they would pick up the pace here.It was odd how some scenes were shot but maybe the director was trying to show off or it was anod to something i couldnt recall
Theres a big plot hole i couldnt make peace with long after i left the theatre.
Widows is a good film but not the great one i hoped it would be and may be a bit over hyped.
Scale of 1-10 a 7½