Birds of Prey: Long Live The Quinn

In Birds of Prey, Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) moves on from the Joker and embarks on a crazy adventure in the city of Gotham with Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez), and Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco).

The Beardict: 8.25 out of 10. Birds of Prey is loads and loads of fun so you should definitely see it. It’s a flashy, action-packed superhero film with a heart, where storytelling is not sacrificed for the sake of laughs and violence. Margot Robbie proves once again that she is perfect for the role of Harley Quinn. She’s so effective as the Clown Princess of Crime that I’d watch a movie with her just narrating and doing monologues. The all-female team was fleshed out quite well and did not come together just because they had to. Plus, it has a hyena named Bruce. What more can you ask for?

#1 Margot Freakin’ Robbie. Robbie first gained international stardom when she appeared alongside Leonardo Di Caprio in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street (2013). Since then, she’s been in a flurry of movies where she always shines. However, much like Hugh Jackman can be the only Wolverine, Robbie is so great at playing Dr. Harleen Quinzel that it’s hard to imagine anybody else in the role. She totally gets Harley’s voice, mannerisms, and emotions. Right now, I feel like going on a Margot Robbie marathon just because I can’t get enough of her.

#2 The Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. Since I know some things about the Birds of Prey in the comic books, I was slightly concerned that the initial trailer for this movie seemed to focus too much on Harley and not on the core members of the group (Huntress, Black Canary). When I saw the Emancipation subtitle, things became clearer. I was quite happy that they did not dwell on the events after the Joker broke Harley out of prison at the end of Suicide Squad (2016). Let’s face it—Joker is a full-fledged psycho, and their time together is the epitome of a toxic relationship. Here, Harley gets some alone time, and she gets to reflect on the questionable decisions she’s made in the past because of love. She experiences a lot of character growth and is not on the screen just to be sexy and weird, which was unfortunately kind of the case in her appearance in Suicide Squad.

#3 Organic All-Female Team. One of the best things in Birds of Prey is how these awesome ladies (with different circumstances and motivations) came together naturally for a cause. This is a total opposite of what happened in Avengers: Endgame, where all the heroines like Captain Marvel, the Scarlet Witch, and Wasp just converged in one area of the battlefield randomly. Furthermore, Birds of Prey is a movie about girl power and female empowerment, and it does this without painting all men as evil. Some men are just extremely evil, like the Joker and Black Mask/Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor).

#4 Suicide Squad Recognition and a Grounded Gotham. Although Birds of Prey is leagues away from Suicide Squad in terms of quality, I am quite pleased that they did not pretend like it didn’t happen (even though it was lambasted by fans and critics alike). After all, that’s where Harley Quinn first appeared in the DCEU. In her GQ interview, Director Cathy Yan talks about the things she decided to retain from Suicide Squad, and how they helped her build the Birds of Prey world. In fact, there are references to the 2016 film: Harley talks about “saving the world” (although she doesn’t mention that it’s from a creepy, belly-dancing Cara Delevingne) and even finds a WANTED poster at the police station of Captain Boomerang (Jai Courtney).

That being said, Yan’s Birds of Prey is definitely more grounded and leaves out (most of) the supernatural stuff, as she pits our heroines against mob bosses and goons who need to get their asses kicked. Her depiction of Gotham is also more lively, and is very far from how Todd Phillip’s portrayed it in Joker (2019) – a city in decay.

#5 Engaging Script. Harley Quinn narrating was a good move, as it helped the audience understand what was going on. It felt like your favorite friend was letting you in on the shenanigans she did the night before. Writer Christina Hodson gave each member of the Birds of Prey distinct personalities, which can be explored even more if ever we’re going to get a sequel (Trivia: Hodson is also in-charge of the screenplay for The Flash and Batgirl, which is probably why Barbara Gordon, a central Birds of Prey figure in the comic books, was not featured in this movie). Humor was relatable and did not seem forced, which was the vibe I got during some of the scenes from The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017) and Thor: Ragnarok (2017).

#6 Non-Stop Action. Birds of Prey’s runtime is 109 minutes, and there’s never a dull moment. People get punched, shot at, and hit with a baseball bat (or hammer – I can still recall Harley’s faced filled with glee as she used it on her enemies) repeatedly. The fight scenes and choreography are top-notch. Because they went with the R-16 route, there is no shortage of blood at all—a bona fide festival of violence that can rival Deadpool’s.

#7 DCEU – Back in Business. It feels like the dark days of the DC Cinematic Universe are finally behind them (I’m talking to you, Martha!). Aquaman got a billion dollars in the box office and Shazam! pulled off a family-oriented superhero movie. Wonder Woman 1984, slated to be in theaters this June, seems to be very promising. Birds of Prey has a chaotic brilliance to it that was not seen in both Suicide Squad and Justice League (2017), and it opens up the stage for a plethora of Gotham characters. I’m particularly interested in the future dynamic between Robert Pattinson’s Batman and Robbie’s Harley Quinn. In the comic books, Harley eventually realizes that Batman is a waaay better person than the Joker, and has teamed up with him several times already. Indeed, the future is bright and the possibilities are endless.

I know forecasted U.S. weekend box office numbers are not that promising right now, but do give Birds of Prey a shot. Harley Quinn and the gals can surprise you in a very good way!

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn), now showing in cinemas!

Just Mercy is a legal drama worthy of your attention

“Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.” – Bryan Stevenson (Just Mercy)

Set in the early 90s and based on a true story, Just Mercy is a drama that centers on Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan), a Harvard Law graduate who relocates to Alabama and starts the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a non-profit organization that aims to represent prisoners who have been forgotten by society. There, he meets death row inmate Walter “Johnny D” McMillian (Jamie Foxx). Convinced of Walter’s innocence, he does everything he can to give him justice and bring him home to his family.

The #Beardict: 8 out of 10. Just Mercy gives us an insight on how the justice system can fail us because it is run by flawed people, and flawed people can be motivated by the wrong things. The film is an emotional journey about going all out for the truth even if society desperately wants to bury it. The all-star cast of Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, and Brie Larson had me in tears.

WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

Idealism. When Walter first meets Bryan, we see how jaded he’s become inside his prison cell and immediately brands Bryan as too idealistic. However, he soon discovers that it is this exact idealism that makes Bryan different from all his lawyers in the past. If Bryan were more practical, then he would have taken on simpler cases that had more chances of success. Bryan’s resolve and tenacity were stronger than the obstacles in front of him. He also had the right support system in Eva Ansley (Brie Larson), the operations director for EJI who worked tirelessly with Bryan on Walter’s case.

Discrimination/Racism. “When you’re guilty the moment you born.” On November 1, 1986, in the town of Monroeville, 18-year-old Ronda Morrison was brutally murdered inside a dry cleaning store. There was not enough evidence to point to Walter McMillian as the killer, but somehow, the law found a way to put him behind bars. Alabama remains to be a predominantly white state, and whether consciously or unconsciously, the authorities picked Walter to take the fall because he was an easy target – a simple, imperfect black man who would not be missed (except by his family and friends). It’s deeply troubling how a community would easily believe a lie and condemn the wrong man to death if it helps them sleep at night.

Death Row. When we hear the words death row, we can’t help but imagine the most vile criminals locked up, not remorseful at all of the despicable things they did when they were free citizens. Just Mercy successfully shatters this notion by showing us that being part of death row doesn’t make anyone less human. In fact, that uncertain timer towards their death can make them more reflective of the things they’ve done in the past. This was especially seen in Herbert Richardson (Rob Morgan), an inmate in Holman State Prison who eventually becomes Walter’s friend.

Become Better People. It’s been more than 30 years since Walter McMillian was sentenced to death in Alabama for a crime he didn’t commit. They say times have changed now that it’s 2020, but has it, really? Just Mercy is more than a great movie; it’s a call to action to do our part and become better people in the face of injustice and poverty.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures Philippines. Just Mercy opens exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas on January 22. 

Bonus Trivia: Just Drama is also additional proof that eventually, all major actors and directors in Hollywood would have been involved in at least one Marvel movie:

Michael B. Jordan – Erik Killmonger (Black Panther), Johnny Storm (Fantastic Four)

Jamie Foxx – Electro (The Amazing Spider-Man 2)

Brie Larson – Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel)

Director Destin Daniel Cretton – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)

 

 

 

Richard Jewell shows how being a good person is very, very hard

As human beings, we make decisions daily. And most of the time, what we end up doing is not necessarily the best for others. We tend to choose what’s easiest given the resources that we have, and we move on with our lives. That is why whenever we meet someone who shows even a hint of altruism, we stop and think if there are ulterior motives: “Wait a minute…What’s in it for this person?”

Then, we realize that standing before us is an outlier. While we feel blessed to experience such kindness, we also dread how society can take advance of our outlier friend.

Richard Jewell, a helpful security guard assigned to Centennial Park during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, is one such outlier.  Based on true events and on Marie Brenner’s Vanity Fair piece called “American Nightmare–The Ballad of Richard Jewell,” Richard finds a bomb during his shift and manages to save lives in the process. Initially hailed as a hero, the media and the government eventually twist the narrative and make him the enemy of the people.

The #Beardict: 8.25 out of 10. Richard Jewell is a movie for everyone who’s always wanted to do good but is afraid to step up, be in the spotlight, and face the (negative) consequences. With outstanding cinematography and solid performances from veteran actors such as Kathy Bates and Sam Rockwell, the film excellently portrays the rocky path to doing the right thing. Director Clint Eastwood delivers yet another cinematic gem that tackles the complexities of being a decent human being.

WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

“No good deed goes unpunished.” This is why people are hesitant to help out, but it didn’t seem to bother Richard Jewell (played by Paul Walter Hauser–a dead ringer for Jewell). He just knew that he had to do what he had to do. As the story progresses, we realize that Jewell is not perfect and his inability to defend himself and see the bad side of people can be downright frustrating. His overzealous nature in performing his duties made him strange in the eyes of society, and he became an easy target. Fortunately, for him, he had loyal allies who never doubted his innocence–his mom Bobi (Kathy Bates, who recently was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the film), and his friend turned lawyer Watson Bryant (Sam Rockwell). Bryant and Jewell’s friendship is proof that random acts of kindness, the ones where you don’t expect anything in return, can never be classified as overrated.

The detractors in Richard Jewell, journalist Kathy Scruggs (Olivia Wilde) and FBI lead agent Tom Shaw (Jon Hamm), cannot be classified as villains. They’re not really bad people, but they just 1) prioritized the easier route in bringing success to their own lives and 2) were in disbelief that a shining beacon of hope like Jewell could actually exist.

Clint Eastwood is really a master when it comes to making meaningful heavy drama that tugs at your heartstrings. I was hanging on to every scene, with both my mind and heart racing in anticipation. For sure, Richard Jewell is right there with Eastwood classics such as Gran Torino (2008) and Million Dollar Baby (2004) in terms of quality. The way the 90s was brought to life was superb (using actual footage from the Summer Olympics was a nice touch), and there were no dragging parts even thought the film is over two hours long.

Personally, I found Richard Jewell so relatable because of a lot of things. I’ve been told multiple times by friends and family that I’m such a nice guy, sometimes “too nice” for my own good. I’ve been judged by others because of how much I weigh or because of what I’ve done in the past. To top it all off, I have a supportive mom who always has my back when times get rough. Trust me: give this film a watch, and you’ll be in a reflective mood once you leave the movie theater.

Richard Jewell celebrates the goodness that a person can achieve, despite obstacles in the way. The film reminds us that being the Good Samaritan may not be the easiest thing to do, but we must become one anyway since not everyone will be willing to.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures Philippines. Catch Richard Jewell in cinemas near you, starting January 15!

Joker Proves That A Film About A Comic Book Villain Can Be Oscar-Worthy

The Beardict: 9.25 out of 10.

Anarchy starts within a person, and then it spreads like wildfire to a society just waiting for a catalyst. Joker (2019) is a disturbing piece of cinema worthy of Academy Awards and the utmost praise. Warner Bros. successfully abandons the traditional superhero movie approach and transcends the genre through this well-crafted origin story. By going all out in his transformation from Arthur Fleck to the Clown Prince of Crime, Joaquin Phoenix makes audiences everywhere shudder at just how effective he is at playing a deranged individual. 

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

I honestly didn’t know who Director/Writer Todd Phillips was before Joker (2019), and when I looked up what he did, I was surprised to find raunchy comedies such as The Hangover Trilogy and Old School under his belt. I suppose you can make a case that Joker is just a different brand of “comedy,” as it’s probably the saddest movie of all time with the most laughter in it. Phillips’ familiarity with the subject of humor must have been responsible for the inclusion of the laughing disease officially called “emotional incontinence” or the “pseudobulbar affect” (which explains why Arthur laughs uncontrollably during random moments), as well as Joker’s speech about who’s to decide which material is funny or not.

In the Philippines, the uncut version of Joker (2019) was released and slapped with an R-16 rating, and for good reason. Mature themes such as mental illness, suicide, bullying and abuse were tackled immensely. When it came to the violence, it was not gratuitous at all as each kill and act of brutality were instrumental to Joker’s character development.

There has always been some mysticism in terms of how Joker came to be, and even comic book stories over the years have offered up various explanations. However, this time around, we get a solid look inside the complex mind of one Arthur Fleck, who’s suffering from mental illness and is constantly being pushed over the edge. The fact that we get to know a lot about his thought process without character narration is a testament to how great this movie is.

Someone like the Joker doesn’t just happen overnight. The film excellently lays out how an awkward outcast becomes a full-fledged psychopath. One could say that in the beginning, Arthur was just an average person doing his best to survive. He worked as a clown to bring joy to people. He liked to dance, had dreams to do stand-up comedy, and took care of his ill mother (as any responsible son would). However, the cruel nature of Gotham quelled any shot he had of living a happy life. Aside from the beating he regularly took from strangers, the city cut funding for his therapy sessions and pills, and the divide between the rich and the poor grew even wider.

It didn’t help that he also had daddy issues, and Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen) and Murray Franklin (Robert De Niro) were potential father figures who failed him.  To make matters worse, both of them represented Gotham’s elite, who were not necessarily bad people but just way out of touch when it came to reality. To say that his relationship with his neighbor Sophie (Zazie Beetz) also complicated things is a severe understatement.

Joaquin Phoenix has played a host of characters over the years, from Commodus in Gladiator (2000) to Theodore in Her (2013). However, his take on Arthur/Joker has to be his best performance ever. From his facial expressions, voice, to his body movements and mannerisms–how he made the role his own is both impressive and downright terrifying. It’s so convincing that it makes me want to ask him in real life if he is feeling okay. Seriously. That being said, I’m glad Phoenix didn’t take the role of Doctor Strange because it looks like he was really meant to play the Joker. Together with the superb sound editing and score, he made every scene he was in riveting. In case It Chapter Two and Pennywise were not enough in making us scared of clowns last month, then Phoenix’s Joker will surely do the trick, and he didn’t need supernatural powers at all to accomplish it.

Indeed, Joker doesn’t have a superpower, but his unpredictability comes close to being one. When we were at the cinema, viewers were literally squealing in their seats because no one was sure of what was going to happen next. A very calm scene could lead to a gut-wrenching one in a span of three seconds. When Joker finally strips himself of inhibitions and stops giving a crap about things, he becomes downright lethal. He changes his mind often but once committed to a decision, he implements it ruthlessly without a single shred of remorse. He doesn’t think he’s good, but he doesn’t think he’s evil either. He just thinks and then acts, consequences be damned. 

Although Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece The Dark Knight (2008) was released more than 10 years ago, many still regard it as the best Batman movie of all time. Clearly, Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker had a lot to do with that. While we’re not here to debate who the better Joker is, and obviously, Joker (2019) exists outside of the Christian Bale trilogy, we can confidently say that Phoenix’s Joker is a believable predecessor of Ledger’s Joker (except for that problematic 20-year Bruce Wayne age gap presented). All the self-doubt was already gone in Ledger’s Joker, and he was very comfortable in his own skin, which is how Joker (2019) ended. Gotham’s criminals gravitated towards him because of the chaos he represented. Phoenix’s Joker could have easily said this famous line from The Dark Knight: “Madness, as you know, is a lot like gravity. All it takes… is a little push.”

If you’re keeping up with pop culture, you’ve probably seen memes of the Joker dancing on a flight of stairs, edited to include Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) from Spider-Man 3 and sometimes even Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) from the Star Wars prequels. While the memes are quite hilarious and all, the real scene is actually pivotal to the film as it is the exact moment where Arthur breaks free from the bonds of society. All his life, he tried his best to conform to a city which consistently rejected him, but no more. He celebrated Arthur Fleck’s death and the Joker’s birth with spectacular over-the-top dancing. Finally, he was visible and had the stage, and can now shape the world to his advantage.

Without a doubt, Joker (2019) is an affair unlike any other movie that deals with superheroes and villains out there. It is a cinematic masterpiece (albeit, a depressing one) by DC Films that centers on a psychopathic murderous clown and touches on several very controversial topics, something Marvel Studios won’t be doing anytime soon. If Avengers: Endgame is the type of movie that gets your heart beating with excitement, then Joker is one that will punch it several times to remind you that life is painful, and you have to live with that pain.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Joker is out now in cinemas near you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Godzilla: King of the Monsters has great visuals overshadowed by a convoluted plot

In Godzilla (2014), humanity was shocked to find out that massive monsters dubbed as Titans were living among us all along. Five years later, in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), the government wants to shut down Monarch, the secretive organization tasked to study the Titans and determine their purpose in the world. Are these Titans threats that need to be exterminated, or are they here for a reason?

The Beardict: 5 out of 10. I want to recommend Godzilla but I just can’t. It’s a perfect example of a blockbuster’s marketing/trailer doing an excellent job, only for the actual film to fall short of the hype. Although Godzilla himself is a sight to behold (slapping and blasting all those who dare challenge his dominance), the story that surrounds his return is too complicated for a monster movie. It’s pretty obvious that a lot of time was spent in developing the design and battle sequences involving the Titans, so it really sucks that irrational and underdeveloped characters take away the spotlight from them.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

The criticism of Godzilla (2014) was that there was too little Godzilla (his adversaries, the MUTO’s, ridiculously had more screen time). This time around, they corrected this mistake, and Godzilla was present from start to end. Having Godzilla as the “good guy” in this revived franchise is a nice spin, as most versions in the past have almost always painted him as the enemy. It’s actually easy to root for Godzilla because he’s like your loyal giant dog who will defend you from your enemies. By the end of the film, they succeed in establishing him as King of the Titans, and that’s perfectly fine.

The problem lies with how they got there in the first place. There are so many things that are introduced one after the other that it’s hard to catch up–the (borderline useless) Russell family drama, the “twist” that Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) wants to release the Titans (billions to die in the process) so that the world can be saved from man’s destructive nature, the fact that King Ghidorah/Monster Zero (the three-headed hydra-like nemesis of Godzilla) is not a Titan but some sort of alien, the idea that Godzilla can be supercharged by dropping a nuclear bomb on him. In the final battle, Godzilla even pulls off a Jean Grey and even harnesses some sort of Phoenix Fire power. Don’t get me wrong–the visual effects are outstanding, and they are, without a doubt, a treat to look at, but in movies, there’s an important thing called “making sense,” and Godzilla: King of the Monsters sometimes forgot about that.

Additionally, there was so much talent among the cast of Godzilla: King of the Monsters that was wasted. We have Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things), Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air), Ken Watanabe (The Last Samurai) and  Zhang Ziyi (Memoirs of a Geisha), and yet, almost all of them are just there to bounce speculations off of each other and get caught up in some sort of blast but miraculously still survive. Charles Dance (Game of Thrones) as extremist Jonah Alan is not given enough material to work with, and his best contribution to the entire movie is the line “Long live the king” (which is honestly something Tywin Lannister would say).

Overall, Godzilla: King of the Monsters is an explosive blockbuster that could have been great, but ends up mediocre at best because it chooses to explain the fun out of things rather than concentrating on entertaining its audience. Luckily, we have Godzilla Vs. Kong next year, so maybe that one will be able to hit the mark.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures. Godzilla: King of the Monsters out now in cinemas near you!

9 Magical Reasons To Watch Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

Note: This post contains very minor spoilers. There is nothing about the major storyline, so there’s no need to threaten me with your Avada Kedavras. Hehe.

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

Potterheads, unite! It’s time once again to relive the Harry Potter experience through Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The first movie without Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry, Fantastic Beasts focuses on Newt Scamander and his visit to America. He brings his magical creatures to New York, a city being terrorized by a mysterious force.

Here are nine magical reasons why you should catch Fantastic Beasts:

1. New Beginning. It’s a new beginning for the Harry Potter universe. Fantastic Beasts deals with a different time and a different place. There are different terms involved, different wizards, and of course, different threats. It’s 1926 New York, where American wizards try to fend off magical disturbances so they won’t be discovered by No-Majs (American term for Muggle). The Magical Congress of the United States of America, or MACUSA, for short (not much of a fan of the abbreviation, it sounds so much like another secret organization. Hehe.), do their best to keep things in order, while being wary of the Grindelwald threat back in Europe.
2. No-Majs, time to shine! Non-magical folks like you and me are given the limelight for a change. The average Joe Jacob Kowalski, played by Dan Fogler, is a huge part of the film and is undeniably one of its best characters. His perspective gives us unique insight on how a Muggle or more appropriately, a No-Maj, would feel about the discovery of the magical community. In the Harry Potter movies, we just got the Dursleys most of the time, and they definitely weren’t good Muggle ambassadors.
3. Beasts galore! As expected from the title, much focus on the magical creatures are given in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I remember reading the book of the same title that J.K. Rowling wrote many years ago, which contained descriptions of beasts in the Wizarding World (and Ron’s doodles), many of which were not explored in the Harry Potter movies.In Fantastic Beasts, we finally see Rowling’s creations on the big screen, and yes, it is definitely worth the wait. The film is perfect for someone who not only loves Harry Potter but also animals. There’s a beast that looks like a fluffy beaver-platypus hybrid and another that looks like Yoda. Some are beautiful, some are scary, and some are just plain adorable. If you’re the type who imagine your pets to have magic, your dream has now come true! I’ll stop here so you won’t be spoiled; you’ll just have to see them to be amazed yourself.
4. Familiar yet fresh. The moment the movie starts, a variation of the traditional Harry Potter theme plays, and we get eased into the experience. I literally WOW-ed while watching, awe and excitement running through my veins. However, unlike a Harry Potter movie, where more or less you know the ending already (if you’ve already read the book), the direction of the story is on the table, and it keeps you really excited for what’s going to happen next. I appreciate the fact that the trailers don’t reveal much (you won’t even know what the conflict is/who the villain is by watching it).Bar a few scenes, the tone is lighter in Fantastic Beasts, and the feeling of dread is not that much compared to the last HP films. Although it is set in America, it’s not a complete change since our main protagonist, Newt Scamander, is still very British. Mr. Scamander and his friends are all adults, and yet they have this childlike vibe, giving you fond memories of Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
5. Interesting characters. The characters are the lifeblood of Fantastic Beasts. When I first encountered the name Newt Scamander as one of the authors of Harry’s textbooks, I knew he would be a peculiar guy with great understanding when it comes to beasts. Academy Award-winner Eddie Redmayne plays the part excellently. (For the Doctor Who fans here, his portrayal of Mr. Scamander actually reminds me of Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor).  He has this awkwardness that’s a perfect complement to Katherine Waterson’s Tina Goldstein, who, based on society’s standards, isn’t too normal herself. Jacob Kowalski, an aspiring baker, makes you realize how absurd the magical community is, and reacts the way you probably would if you discovered magic was real. Alison Sudol as Queenie Goldstein is such a treat to watch.  Queenie is a lot nicer than Tina but just as brave, and much to Jacob’s delight, is curious about No-Majs like him. Her disarming (Expelliarmus-like) smile is enough to bring warmth to the entire theatre. When I watched the trailer, I wasn’t too accepting of Collin Farrell as a wizard (since I will always remember him as Bullseye haha), but his Percival Graves grew on me while I watched. I’m excited for more characters to be revealed in the next movies, and of course, old characters with young versions of themselves (more on that later).
6. Harry Potter and the fantasy genre live on. Much like Star Wars: Episode VII, Fantastic Beasts serves as a starting point for a large number of viewers. Although Harry Potter mania did not ever die (my friend is testament to this), Fantastic Beasts provides a chance for new enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the Wizarding World. This serves as a catalyst for renewed interest in the Harry Potter franchise, and even a boon to stories about fantasy and magic in general.
7. Stunning visual effects. It’s been 15 years since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released, and technology has immensely improved. For the best experience, watch it in 3D and IMAX! The fantastic beasts on the screen pop out wonderfully, and spells flash and flicker with vivid colors right before your eyes.
8. Comments on current social landscape. At first glance, the setting of Fantastic Beasts is very different from today, given that it’s in the 1920s and there’s magic involved. However, the issues discussed there are quite relevant today. By treating Jacob Kowalski as a major character, the film makes a move towards inclusion, regardless if one has magic or not. It also speaks about discrimination by showing the reincarnation of the Salem witch hunters movement, and wizards who think lowly of No-Majs—both extreme sides of the spectrum. Cultural differences are also tackled, given English and American terms and practices differ on quite a few things.
9. Surprise twist and a taste of things to come. Most of the time, I’m able to guess movie twists halfway through, but Fantastic Beasts really surprises with its ending. It gives you a preview of what challenges our wizards will face the next time around. J.K. Rowling has confirmed that there are four Fantastic Beasts movies left. Yes, please! I’m still hungry for more Fantastic Beasts, and whether or not it will still have the same central characters, people are now excited about the possible appearance of famous Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. The search for the young Dumbledore is on! Moreover, Director David Yates is planning to remain at the helm, so he should be able to keep the consistency of the Wizarding World we’ve grown to love.

Beardict: Although there are a few scenes which seem somewhat draggy (and cheesy), overall, Fantastic Beasts is a great watch. It has whet my appetite for more stuff from the Harry Potter mythos. What can I say? I’m spellbound! As long as J.K. Rowling writes and David Yates directs, we’ll be in good, capable hands. I’m confident that it can only get more magical from here.

Want to be as happy as I am in this photo? Watch Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them now!

IMAX Midnight Screening, SM Mall of Asia