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Showing posts with label Harry Potter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harry Potter. Show all posts

Saturday, November 26, 2016

Movie Review: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
Directed By: David Yates (II)
Written By: J.K. Rowling
Nov 18, 2016

132 minutes
Rating: PG-13 (for some fantasy action violence.)
Genre: Action & Adventure , Kids & Family , Science Fiction & Fantasy
Cast: Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol, Dan Fogler, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton The magic of Harry Potter lives on in this Warner Bros. spin-off penned by {J.K. Rowling}, and intended as the first chapter in a whole new fantasy film franchise. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

I've read the Harry Potter books and seen all the movies, but I haven't read the Fantastic Beasts book. So I went into this movie without expectations. I went with my husband, 15 year old daughter (never read the books or seen the movies! I know, right?!) and her boyfriend (big Potter fan).

It started slow...lots of CGI and crazy looking creatures. I felt like they tried to hard, but then it went dark...quick and things got interesting. By the end of the movie I was ready for the next one and invested in the characters. The movie will make you cheer and tear up. The acting was excellent and there is a surprise actor revealed in the end who I assume wil be in the next film. Maybe you've already heard who this is, but I'm not giving it away.

This film is one that is worth seeing in the theater. We saw it in IMAX, but not 3D. You don't have to be a Harry Potter fan to enjoy the story and characters.


Our ratings:
Holly & Hunter: 5 sheep
Don: 4 sheep (because of the slow start)

SharonS: 4.5 "fantastic" Sheep


Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Book Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two (Harry Potter #8) by Rowling, Tiffany, Thorne


by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany, Jack Thorne
July 31st 2016 by Little Brown UK
Hardcover, Special Rehearsal Edition, 343 pages
Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

Being a skeptic about sequels I ordered this book mainly because I am a closet Harry Potter "groupie". Yes, I read the books in my 50's and have "Pottermore" on my computer favorites!

Besides being a "sequel" the book is presented in script form, written as a read through and directive for scene settings of a play. How can any of those things compare to the addicting words and characters of J.K. Rowling?

Well, it hit the mark for my unquenchable thirst for continuing the saga of Hogwarts and it's favored alumni. I felt an immediate connection to Harry's, Hermione's and Draco Malfoy's children. The story of Albus and Scorpius had a more contemporary feel but I loved the fact that the old favorites were included and given some closure. It took no more than a chapter to adjust to the literary structure and from there my mind assimilated the words easily and went into picture mode. I loved the story and the characters and felt a seamless continuation of the original series.

My only lingering thought is: "How will this go over as a live stage presentation?" A movie? Sure. But a live stage may be a difficult venue to keep the drama and electric charge alive without the special effects. Although I will be in line for a ticket if it comes to a venue near me!

You immediately see Rowling's engaging writing and development of the new characters. I am sure Thorne and Tiffany made the way easy for adaptation to play format. Their biographies show their success in that venue. All should be proud of this addition to the Potter family of books! HP fans...definitely pick this up!

I give this 4.5 "back in time" sheep!





Jeanie G.