Fantastic Beasts and How to Find Them

Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) is completing a project to find and document magical creatures.  Things become complicated when he arrives in New York, runs into a Muggle (or No-Maj in America) named Jacob Kowalski (Dan Folger), and some of the Fantastic Beasts escape from Newt’s magical case.

Newt discovers that the New Salem Philanthropic Society has an agenda to find and kill witches and wizards, and that a secret group, the Magical Congress of the United States of America, wants to keep the magical world secret.  With the help of Jacob and two magical sisters, Portentina “Tina” (Katherine Waterston) and Queenie Goldstein (Alison Sudol), Newt prevents the wizarding world from being exposed.

This is a fun movie.  I like the setting, the 1920s, and I like the references to Hogwarts before Harry Potter’s time.  Fantastic Beasts and How to Find Them is first referenced in the Harry Potter books as a textbook written by Newt Scamander that belongs to Harry, and I like origin stories.  The cast does a good job in their roles, and the interaction between the main characters (Redmayne, Folger, Waterston and Sudol) is entertaining.  The special effects are well done and the creatures are interesting.  I would recommend this movie.

Rocketship Park

I visited a park in my area recently.  It's a pretty place.

Happy Thanksgiving

Dr. Stange

Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), an arrogant, self-centered neurosurgeon, is in a life-changing car accident that results in him losing the use of his hands.  When traditional treatment doesn’t help, he searches for healing outside of traditional medicine after hearing about a paraplegic, Jonathan Pangborn (Benjamin Bratt), who can walk again.

Dr. Strange travels to Tibet, where he meets the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), and under her guidance learns about magic, alternate dimensions and the astral plane.  Dr. Strange ultimately has to decide whether to use what he learns for his own benefit or for the greater good when confronted with a sorcerer, Kaecillus (Mads Mikkelsen), who has his own agenda.

This is an enjoyable movie, and Cumberbatch’s performance is a big reason.  He captures the personality of an egotistical individual learning it’s not all about him well.  Tilda Swinton does as excellent job in her role as the Ancient One who has taken on the task of helping her student realize he must overcome his arrogance, although the whole cast contributes to the film with strong performances.  The special effects are well done and imaginative also.   Dr. Strange is worth seeing.

A Pumpkin Patch

I visited a pumpkin patch recently.  I like autumn-Although it has been so hot the last couple of days it doesn't feel like autumn.

A cute scarecrow.

And some pumpkins.

Out and About - The Marina

I walked around the Marina in Long Beach recently.

I like the ocean, so I was glad to get the chance to be here.