Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Image From Pinterest

Spoilers Ahead - although if you haven't already seen it, where on earth have you been??

I was reallyyyyy hesitant about seeing Fantastic Beasts. In fact, I didn't really want to see it until my friend mentioned a certain someone making a sneaky cameo appearance at the end.

I was partly worried it'd taint the Harry Potter universe and not live up to that giant reputation. But I was also partly worried it'd overshadow it too.

Thankfully, it's so different that it does neither. I think it's on par with Harry Potter and I really enjoyed it.

I loved Newt as a character and Eddie Redmayne was phenomenal portraying him. He was one of those people I was initially wary of because I didn't think he could be that good of an actor as everyone had raved about him. But he really is. (I watched The Theory of Everything shortly before Fantastic Beasts and he is simply amazing).

Jacob was another character I loved and (portrayed by Dan Fogler) was equally as good as Redmayne. He was cheeky and funny and adorable with his passion for bakery and his head-over-heels-ness for Queenie.

Tina and Queenie were great. It was great how opposite they seemed to be but they still had a strong sisterly bond.

Now, the setting. Oh. My. God. I never knew a Harry Potter universe set in the 20s could be so amazing. And in New York as well! Brilliant.

The balance of humour and dark magic worked very well indeed. It had me guessing throughout of what this subplot could be about and as soon as we saw the Deathly Hallows symbol or the surname Lestrange was mentioned, we both got so excited!

The effects for this dark magic were amazing. I especially loved when all the darkness seemed to be spiralling around inside the train station.

Of course, I can't not mention the Fantastic Beasts. The effects used for them were also great and they provided a lot of entertainment throughout.

And finally, the spoiler I can't wait to talk about (so if you haven't seen it yet, look away now for God's sake!)

My friend told me a certain Mr Johnny Depp makes a tiny appearance in this film which is kinda (wholly) what swayed me to go and see it in the end.

And I knew, I just knew, that Colin Farrell's character was way too powerful for his own good and that there was something fishy there. And I was right. My suspicions were confirmed when he transformed into none other than Gellert Grindelwald aka Mr Depp!

I AM SUPER EXCITED FOR THE NEXT ONE.

And who are they gonna cast as Dumbledore?!

EEK!

Absolutely brilliant and a fantastic addition to the Harry Potter series.

Keeping the magic alive.

---

Rating:
★★★★★

The Fall (The Strain Trilogy, #2)

By Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Narrated by Daniel Oreskes

Image From Audible

[Humans have been displaced at the top of the food chain, and now understand - to their outright horror - what it is to be not the consumer, but the consumed. Ephraim Goodweather, director of the New York office of the Centers for Disease control, is one of the few humans who understands what is really happening. Vampires have arrived in New York City, and their condition is contagious. If they cannot be contained, the entire world is at risk of infection. As Eph becomes consumed with the battle against the total corruption of humanity, his ex-wife, Kelly, now a vampire herself, is ever-more determined to claim their son, Zack. As the Biblical origins of the Ancient ones are gradually revealed, Eph learns that there is a greater, more terrible plan in store for the human race - worse even than annihilation...]

I actually wanted to write about the Chinese New Year Celebrations we went to on Sunday but I feel that it deserves more of my time and concentration, so for now, here is another review.

I quite enjoyed this second instalment, but not as much as the first one. I didn't feel as engaged.

Although there was the imminent threat of the vampires, obviously, it wasn't as immediate for me anymore because, well, the outbreak is the most exciting part, right? It has immediate consequences of who gets infected and who survives. So once the main outbreak has claimed the majority of the human race it doesn't quite seem as scary (obviously I wouldn't be saying that for a real virus outbreak).

As I'd already seen the series, I knew somewhat of the plot (although I feel like it almost lacked in this one, not a whole lot actually happened) so wasn't too surprised about what did happen.

Eichorst made his appearance (hallelujah!) but he wasn't as horrible as he is in the series which is a little bit disappointing. Still no Dutch (I reckon they used their "artistic licence" for the show and created her).

But I do like Zach better in the books. He's a right little twat in the TV show (good technical term there) and I don't particularly like him, but in this - so far - he's alright.

I'm a little surprised by the ending of this one though. Something that didn't happen in the TV series is definitely something good as I didn't see it coming. I'm now perplexed as to what to expect in the final one!

☽