Saturday, November 19, 2016

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Time to Relive the Magic

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

After the success of the famous Harry Potter movies by renowned author J.K. Rowling, we get to travel new lands away from Hogwarts School and Ministry of Magic in England to MACUSA (The Magical Congress of the United States of America) in United States. Featuring yet another ensemble cast with Eddie Redmayne, Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller, Katherine Waterston and Dan Fogler leading the way in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, viewers will be witnessing another exciting journey to the world of magic!! The special effects are supercool and the visualization is just fantastic!!!

The movie is directed by Harry Potter veteran David Yates and produced by David Heyman, J. K. Rowling, Steve Kloves and Lionel Wigram. The biggest name to be added in the cast has to be the one and only Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald whom we had heard a lot in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. To those muggles or No-Maj people who still do not know about who he is, Grindelwald was once the best friend of Albus Dumbledore who was power hungry and was the most dangerous wizard of all time before You-Know-Who. Readers are hereby told that Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will be a trilogy and we will come to know more about Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald in the coming movies.


As the movie has released this Friday only, therefore I will not reveal the storyline yet, though you can go through Wikipedia for the full synopsis. Link will be present at the end of the post. I can tell you that this movie may lead to the answers on how Ariana died, was it because of a curse hitting Ariana when Dumbledore, Grindelwald and Aberforth were dueling or because she was possessed by “Obscurus” which is known to be a dark force unintentionally created by young children who subdue their magical abilities out of fear of people from non-magical community.

Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamader is terrific and did full justice to his role. Dan Fogler was an able muggle ally to him. Colin Farrell, saw him in many movies before, never expected him to be a part of the magical universe, was great too! Erza Miller as the troubled adopted son of Mary Lou also did his best. We will get to see Erza in the latest Justice League movie as the Flash. But the biggest twist was the inclusion of Johnny Depp as Grindelwald. Just took my breath away!! Though I would say it was rather injustice to Colin Farrell who did a great job as Percival Graves, Director of Magical Security for MACUSA.

Do watch the movie in theaters and specially in 3D and feel the magic inside you!!

Directed by David Yates
Produced by David Heyman, J. K. Rowling, Steve Kloves & Lionel Wigram
Written by J. K. Rowling
Based on Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J. K. Rowling

Cast:
Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander
Katherine Waterston as Porpentina "Tina" Goldstein
Dan Fogler as Jacob Kowalski
Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein
Colin Farrell as Percival Graves
Johnny Depp as Gellert Grindelwald
Ezra Miller as Credence Barebone
Carmen Ejogo as President Seraphina Picquery
Samantha Morton as Mary Lou Barebone

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Doctor Strange - The Journey from a Neurosurgeon to Becoming Sorcerer Supreme


Director Scott Derrickson
Producer Kevin Feige
Writers Jon Spaihts, Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill
Based on Doctor Strange by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko

Ratings:
8/10 IMDb
90% Rotten Tomatoes
72% Metacritic

Cast:
Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange & Dormammu (uncredited)
Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One
Rachel McAdams as Christine Palmer
Chiwetel Ejiofor as Baron Mordo
Mads Mikkelsen as Kaecilius
Michael Stuhlbarg as Nicodemus West
Benedict Wong as Wong

Doctor Strange, Marvel's 14th Cinematic Universe movie, is the story of how an arrogant, egocentric neurosurgeon who thinks he is the best, becomes the Sorcerer Supreme, ruler of the Mystic Arts through study and hardwork and saves the Earth from the hands of Dormammu, who is the Lord of the Realm of Darkness with the help of Baron Mordo and Wong.

In my view, this is one of the best movies made by Marvel after Avengers 1. I thoroughly enjoyed it from start till the end. Though there are many questions arising of not giving chance to Asian actors for the respective roles in the movies (mainly the character of The Ancient One), but Tilda Swinton (superb as the White Witch in the Chronicles of Narnia Series) gave it all! She was fantastic and did proper justice to the character.

Now coming to the character for whom this movie was worth watching not just once, but many times... you all know him as Sherlock Holmes from BBC... the one and only Benedict Cumberbatch! I just love what he does. Nobody could have played Doctor Strange better than him. And the Marvel Cinematic Universe is giving the audience a great treat every time by bringing all the fan favorite actors and actresses and making them a part of one big family starting from Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson to name a few!


Doctor Strange is filled with superb special effects and is a visual treat for people of all age groups. From start till the end you will witness amazing visual effects which will root you in your seats!

You can read more about the reviews of Doctor Strange from Forbes or Indian Express.

Do watch this movie in IMAX for a visual treat and an epic journey!!