Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

Introduction:

It may have taken eight movies, but we finally experienced the entire Harry Potter saga on the big screen. For most of us it was an entertaining experience and the adaptations were handled about as well as you could hope for a series of novels with so much detail in them. But studios can’t let a good series end without trying to wring a few more stories (and dollars) out of it. Soon enough we heard that series author J.K. Rowling was working on a new storyline set in the same world, but occurring before Harry Potter was born. Sounds intriguing, but Hollywood prequels have never been all that great.

Summary:

Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) arrives in New York in the middle of the 1920s. He’s on a mission to return a rare magical creature back into the wilds of Arizona. Unfortunately he has a mishap with a non-magical man named Jacob (Dan Fogler) who ends up with Newt’s case. When the case opens, some of the magical creatures inside escape, and start to run amok in New York!

At the same time the magical society in New York is dealing with internal struggles. Some feel that the “no-maj” denizens are creating more trouble than should be allowed. They feel the time may be ripe for wizards to step forward and assert some kind of control. Others are against the idea. But this results in uncertain times where breaking the law is bad for everyone. Newt’s little indiscretion is going to cause some major problems. Tina Goldstein (Katherine Waterston), a  employee for the magical government, tries to get a handle on things, but each move she makes puts her in the way of Graves (Colin Farrell) a man who is on a mission of his own. Will Newt be able complete his quest for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, or is he going to find himself involved in something much more dangerous?

Good Points:

• Gives us a look at the wizarding world in the United States and in the 1920s
• Performances by the four main protagonists pull you into the tale
• A score that captures the feel of the earlier series but gives it a jazzy twist

Bad Points:

• Feels like it is trying too hard to set up future tales instead of focusing on its main tale
• The movie moves in fits and starts
• Some of the action sequences are difficult to follow

Overall:

Solid entertainment if you are in the mood for a deeper look into Rowling’s wizarding world. But all the world building and story set up for the later films takes up a lot of screen time and is actually the less entertaining part of the film. I was more interested in Newt’s search for his lost beasts and his interactions with Jacob, Tina and Queenie. That story was full of laughs, whimsy and fun characters. The darker material felt more obligatory. In the end I hoped for something a little less calculated and more engaging.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 5

Sound: 4

Acting:  4

Script: 3

Music: 4

Direction: 3

Entertainment: 3

Total: 3

Curious about a full review, sent me an email and I’ll make additional thoughts to this review.

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Score Sample: Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them (2016)

The Harry Potter films actually have a pretty impressive film music history. The series started with the maestro himself, John Williams, crafting memorable themes for the first three films. Hedwig's Theme has become the identity for the franchise and is used in nearly every instance of Harry Potter mentioned in television or movie form. After that you had composers like Patrick Doyle and Alexandre Desplat providing some equally impressive scores for the series.

So when Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them was announced many film score fans wondered who would take up the mantle and if Williams themes would be used. The job fell to James Newton Howard, who has provided some excellent fantasy adventure scores in his day. He seemed like a good fit for the project. What is more, the film is set in the 1920s, so Howard was able to have some fun with the score. He took John Williams signature sound for the earlier films, added a bit of jazzy 1920s style and created a wonderfully fun score that hits all the sweet spots. 

This concert suite shows off both sides of the score using the memorable main them and taking it through variations. The last couple minutes go full 1920s jazz, and it is a lot of fun. So here is the track A Man and His Beasts from James Newton Howard's score to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

Nostalgia Nugget: So Good at Being Bad

I get the feeling that Gruber always got coal for
Christmas.

Alan Rickman was one of those actors who was so good at being bad. I first saw him in Die Hard. When it comes to 1980s action films, it is difficult to top that one. So many elements of the film work, and Rickman's portrayal of the urbane and deadly Hans Gruber became a template for baddies after that. Not only did Rickman get some great lines, but his delivery (along with his accent) made the character memorable and a solid match for Willis. Gruber was calculating and clever. But his plans are wrecked but he wild card John McClane. Still Gruber never gives up... never surrenders. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Rickman played a similar role as Marston the wicked rancher in Quigley Down Under. While the role itself isn't too interesting, Rickman makes it work and you love hating him. But his real triumph as a villain in the early 90s was as the absurd, cowardly and hate filled Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. Costner was pretty bland in the lead role, but Rickman brought the goods, going over the top in a fun way and making all his scenes count. This version of Robin Hood works because of its villain (and the wonderful assist from Morgan Freeman). But around this time, Rickman admitted he was tired of playing the villain.

"You were never serious about the craft!"

He was in plenty of great films after that. Sense and Sensibility, Michael Collins and Love Actually filled out his drama roles. He also got into some comedy roles with Dogma and Bob Roberts. But my favorite comedic role that he tackles was as Alexander Dane in Galaxy Quest. He combined the long suffering "talent" with the fish out of water concept and the result was comic gold. In a movie that is filled with hilarious lines, a fun concept and solid casting, Rickman steals the film. Galaxy Quest is one of my favorite comedies from the 1990s and he is one of the main reasons.

Snape has had just about enough of Mr. Potter.

However it is his role as Severus Snape that gave him a whole generation of fans. Rickman appeared in all eight of the Harry Potter films. I remember when I first heard about his casting as Snape. I had been reading the books and the casting seemed so perfect. He could take that contempt he expressed in Galaxy Quest and combine with the deliciously evil performance of Die Hard. But Rickman went beyond that. He made Snape into his own character. The performance was so good that any time I reread the Harry Potter novels it is Alan Rickman I see in my mind's eye as the character (not something that carries over with a lot of the the film cast). Kids who grew up with the Harry Potter films may know Rickman from this role only. But the role was more than a simple villain (as we discover in the final installments of the story). I think that is why Rickman took the part. Snape seems like the perfect dark wizard. But by the end of the series we discover he was an unpleasant man, but there was a very powerful reason for his actions. Rickman brought this part to life on the screen, and made his scenes in the final episode really resonate. I don't think his legacy in that role will soon be forgotten. 

It is sad that we lost a fine actor. But Alan Rickman gave us so many wonderful performances and we can always go back and revisit those. And with some certified classics in his resume, I think we will be revising them for years to come.

Movie Music Musings: Favorite Composers - John Williams

Favorite Composer?

When I mention my hobby of collecting and enjoying movie scores, one of the first questions I hear is, “What are your favorite scores?” The answer to that is never easy, mostly because it seems to change on a weekly basis. I go through phases with music, enjoying one style over another. Some film scores I like for nostalgic reasons, others I enjoy because they inspire my writing, others take me back into the world of the movie.

So depending on when you ask me I may be in one of these periods where I explore the work of one composer and try to get a well-rounded idea of what their work is like. While I may shift my attention to one composer, it doesn’t mean stop listening to a previous favorite or don’t listen to anything else. But I’ll find myself revisiting a certain composer’s material over and over again.

Originally this was going to be one post about my favorite composers, but the further I got into this, the longer each entry became. I decided to just go ahead and make this a series.

So I’ll give some insight into the composers who I keep coming back to, why I enjoy their work and give you some samples of what I think is their most accessible stuff. As I’ve mentioned before, my musical vocabulary is limited. This is not going to be in depth analysis of styles, but a more general and yes, fan based, approach.

First up, is one of the most famous film composers out there …

John Williams

My love of film music started with my love of Star Wars and so that means John Williams was the first composer whose work I really explored. For a long time I really only had six soundtracks by him, the Star Wars and Indiana Jones trilogy. And when you want to talk about the classic John Williams sound, these are the scores that always get mentioned. 

What is amazing about Williams and is really obvious in these scores, is his ability to create so many varied and memorable themes. These themes also perfectly fit the characters and situations they are matched to. This creates a real fusion between the visuals and the music. The result is that when you hear a track from Empire Strikes Back or Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom you will most likely remember exactly what moment it is from.

While I love his material from the late ‘70s and into the ‘90s, the man has not lost any of skills. His work on the first three Harry Potter films is truly magical and his music for Memoirs of a Geisha is great stuff.

But Williams had a major style shift at the end of the ‘90s. It revolved mostly around his action music style (and doesn’t affect his dramatic work much). In his earlier work, Williams could create action music that would work as it’s own set piece telling a story in a clear musical way. Some of the best moments in this are the Asteroid Field from The Empire Strikes Back and the Desert Chase from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

His later action music drops the use of themes and ceases to create a story with the music. Instead it goes for a more rhythmic approach, supporting the action with a wall of sound. You can hear this in the Star Wars prequels. The music is still very much Williams but it is less appealing to me than his earlier more theme centric material.

When it comes to film music, I love the adventure scores. The combination of action, drama and usually a little romance is what I end up listening to the most. But Williams is very adept at scoring dramas too. Some of his most dramatic scores are for Spielberg’s films: Schindler’s List, Empire of the Sun, War Horse and Saving Private Ryan. But for me, one of my favorites of his dramatic writing is the excellent score for Memoirs of a Geisha. He infuses a wonderful Asian sound with his typical style, great stuff.

Honestly I feel like I’m leaving out some of his best work. I haven’t mentioned Hook, Jaws, Close Encounters of a Third Kind, Superman, ET or JFK. But I’ve got to stop somewhere. The thing is, if you listen to some of Williams work and enjoy it, chances are you’ll find plenty more to dig into and enjoy.

What’s the best place to start with John Williams? It would probably be Raiders of the Lost Ark. Not only do you get the memorable main theme (The Raiders March), but you also get one of Williams’ best romantic themes with Marian’s Theme. His music for the power and majesty of the Ark is revealed in the awesome cue; Map Room: Dawn. There is also one of the best examples of Williams’ earlier style of action scoring in the track: Desert Chase.

Check out the end credits for the film below. It starts with Marian’s theme, goes into the Ark theme, then unleashes with the Raiders March, Marian’s Theme again and a wonderful reprise of the Raiders March. Adventure scores don’t come much better than this.

Next month we head to the far East with one of my favorite Japanese animation composers: Yoko Kanno.