Making good on his threat, Grindelwald (Johnny Depp) has escaped custody and has set about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings. In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) enlists his former student Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne), who agrees to help, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

In The Crimes of Grindelwald things take a much darker turn and director David Yates takes this continuing story in a bold new direction. While his previous film, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, introduced us to a whole new time period of the Wizarding World in the 1920s, here in The Crimes Of Grindelwald, the Wizarding World is dealing with the fallout of the presence of dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald (Depp) and his escape from  MACUSA. Thrown into all of this is our magical zoologist hero Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and once again he embarks on a journey that will take him to new locations and throw plenty of new obstacles and a host of new creatures in his way.

While I had expected Yates to merely follow on in the same direction, I really wasn’t expecting him to changes things up in the way that he did and I very greatful that he took this film in the direction that he did. Taking the setting to Paris, Yates guides us through a new corner of the magical world and gives the film a certain film noir polish thanks to his sepia inspired colour palette and the Art Nouveau styling of his Parisian setting. Sets, costuming, hair and make-up and extensive cinematography really pull you into this exotic European setting and just like all the other corners of the world, Paris has its own distinctive style of magic and you really sense its presence here. I loved the rich textures of the city and all of it pulled me deeper into the narrative that was presented up on screen.

I also believe this film noir, Art Nouveau styling also pulls out the film’s central theme of a world in conflict. While the shadows of the First World War are still being felt, dissension and diversion are in the air and Grindelwald’s escape has many on edge. Yates captures all of this for his audience, and you feel the mounting hostilities amongst our characters as they begin to question everything they have ever believed in. But do not despair for its not all doom and gloom and Newt once more takes some time to attend to his menagerie of magical creatures which feature many of our favourites, such as the devious little Niffler’s, and a host of fantastical new creatures such as the Zouwu, a Chinese lion type beast that gives Newt a good run for his money.

Part of every good sequel is that it should work to grow our characters and that is indeed what we find here. Eddie Redmayne is once again front and center as magical zoologist Newt Scamander and this time we get an insight into how his personality and mind works and how his past relationships have shaped him into the man he is today. This is most pressing with his estranged relationship with his one time love interest Leta Lestrange (Zoë Kravitz) and the friction that they share between one another leads to some very interesting narrative moments.

While The Crimes of Grindelwald certainly has an inherent darkness to it, Newt remains the hopeful optimist of the piece. Far from being your typical dragon slaying hero, Newt is a person who likes to find the possibility in the world and whose eternal belief in the power of goodness inside every individual makes him someone we want to look up to and root for. This is especially present in his search to find the troubled Credence Barebone (Ezra Miller), whom he once tried to help before and who is the fascination of every wizard for his extraordinarily dangerous Obscurus parasite that he keeps hidden from the world.

With a growing film franchise we’re also lucky enough to once again find ourselves in the presence of the great Albus Dumbledore who this time is plaid by the dashing Jude Law. Law’s performance is that of a confident, and supremely intelligent Dumbledore who knows more than he’s letting on and who sees the bigger picture that is at play with Grindelwald. I really liked the confidence that we saw in this younger Dumbledore and although he is already a fully-fledged professor at Hogwarts he is only beginning to develop the sage wisdom that will inform the character that a young Harry Potter will one day meet. Again it is the unexpected moments that I enjoyed here with Law’s Dumbledore and I can tell you that I’m excited to see more of him as we move down the line with later adaptations.

And finally there’s Johnny Depp who makes a triumphant return as Gellert Grindelwald. I still maintain that Depp is one of my favourite actors of all time and he really hits the ball out of the park here. Possessed of a creepy and adversarial intelligence, his performance as Grindelwald reminds me of a rock-god/revolutionary whose commitment to an ultimate vision is a very scary thing to behold. As a performer Depp is someone who imbues his whole being into a character and does everything he can to fall into them and this is entirely present here. As Grindelwald he carries himself with a dark elegance and his cast down eyes will fill you with dread. It’s a great return to form for the actor and I’m really excited to see what the next move is for this dark and dangerous wizard.

Thematically The Crimes Of Grindelwald asks its audience to question everything they hold dear and makes the point that in this divided world everyone must pick their side. The one character who doesn’t hold to any of this is Newt and its his stance as the outlier, who believes in the possibility of an inclusive world where everyone and everything has meaning that gives the film its hope.

And can I also say that you should expect plenty of shocks here as well. While I can’t go into anything without risking running into serious SPOILER territory I will say that the twists and turns come straight out of left field and this ending will leave your heart pounding.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald really changes things up and it’s rocketing good time from beginning to end. It really shakes up the Wizarding World and if you’re a long time Rowling fan then you’ll seriously love this film.

Image: Roadshow Films.

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In a tale of high adventure and wild romance, Tarzan of the Apes lives again thanks to the genius and passion of director David Yates. Working from the idea that audiences know the basic history of Tarzan, Yates takes his story in a different direction, focusing on his central character’s return to nature, and rediscovery of his inner savage as he fights to save the ones he loves.

Holding his own on the big screen as Lord John Clayton/Tarzan is Alexander Skarsgard, whose physical commitment to the character is  clear to see. Skarsgard truly gives his all as this classic hero, and his transformation from mere mortal to jungle beast (which has been well documented) definitely shows on screen. Skarsgard is the truest representation of Edgar Rice Burrough’s character that I’ve ever witnessed, and he balances an animalist strength with grace and agility as he swings through the jungle. But while his physical skills are outstanding, it is his handling of the Tarzan’s emotional core that really impresses. He crafts the presence of a man who is lost between two worlds and racked by the pain of not belonging.

Joining Skarsgard’s Tarzan in his adventures is Margot Robbie as his beloved wife Jane Porter. But this is not the Jane of yesteryear, and this fiery redhead is no damsel in distress. Pragmatic, feisty, sharp, quick-witted and sassy, Robbie’s Jane is a fireball who throws back quick one-liners and gives as good as she gets, utilising her unique knowledge of the jungle to bring out the worst fears in her captors. Whether playing up the seriousness of her character’s kidnapping or the love she has for Tarzan, Robbie is completely committed to the character, and completely steals every scene she’s in.

Joining these two phenomenal young talents is Hollywood legend Samuel L. Jackson, who has plenty of fun as true life explorer and adventurer George Washington Williams. Williams uses Tarzan’s mission to the jungle as a way to right wrongs and uncover the misdeeds of greed and corruption of a foreign power. Giving both support and wisdom, Jackson’s adventurer provides the audience with a deeper insight into the character of Clayton as he transitions back to the man he once was as Tarzan, and he’s also first into every action scene with his own set of big guns.

Tarzan is always one to have a worthy adversary, and it doesn’t get much better than Christoph Waltz as the disturbing Captain Leon Rom, a mercenary with his own agenda and whose nastiness knows no bounds. Waltz definitely applies considerable creep factor in his face-to-face meetings with Jane, and his total lack of empathy for human life is chilling to watch.

The Legend of Tarzan combines amazing practical effects and CGI to bring to life the untamed wilds of the jungle, and the great apes who rule it. Skarsgard’s interactions with his ape family are beautiful to watch, and his challenge for leadership of the pack makes for a brutal action set piece. Praise must also be given to Henry Braham’s exquisite cinematography, which captures the rich colours and vast scale of the jungles of the Congo. Audiences will find themselves getting lost in the grandness of the sights that appear in front of them.

With a superb story, great characters, epic action and amazing visuals, The Legend of Tarzan is a film experience that will have you gripped from beginning to end.

Image: Roadshow Films

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After teasing the song on his Instagram, Hozier has now released the full music video, which has the singer at a piano inter-spliced with some terrific new footage.

Hozier’s melodic voice accompanies the love ballad perfectly, and the new footage showcases the complex relationship that is shared between Alexander Skarsgard’s John Clayton, and his soulmate Jane Potter, played by Margot Robbie.

The Legend of Tarzan will be released in theatres on June 30 in New Zealand and Australia, and on July 1 in the US and UK.

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While star Alexander Skarsgard is sure to enjoy plenty of vine-swinging action as the mighty Lord of the apes, it’s his mission in the jungles of the Congo that draws out the historical implications of the film. Set during the height of the Belgian occupation of the Free Congo State, Skarsgard’s Clayton will find an ally in real-life Civil War veteran and African American historian George Washington Williams, played by the legendary Samuel L. Jackson.

Williams’ involvement in the plot is crucial to the story. Following the American Civil War, he travelled to the Congo and was witness to the atrocities inflicted upon the natives by the Belgian contingent on orders from King Leopold II. Leopold had invaded the Congo region in an effort to exploit the lucrative ivory and rubber trades that were established there, and he was not above using terror to get what he wanted. In 1890, Williams took steps to address these atrocities publically to both the king and the international community in a damning letter and legal case, where he called for an investigation to be carried out.

Williams’ real-life journey will provide the backdrop for The Legend of Tarzan, where he teams up with the fictional hero to bring down the Belgian contingent and save Jane. In the trailers released so far, Samuel L. Jackson’s Williams is shown as a dynamic man of action, who will do whatever is necessary to restore justice.

The film has been given another historical touch in the form of Christoph Waltz’s chief antagonist Captain Leon Rom. This debonair but twisted villain has the cadence of a big game hunter, and appears to bear some kind of personal vendetta against Tarzan. Waltz’s portrayal appears to be in keeping with his real-life counterpart, who was a sadistic Belgian soldier appointed to annex the Congo State. He personally enslaved many Congolese into forced labour camps, and showed no mercy to those who fought back. His villainy was so well known that he even inspired famed author Joseph Conrad’s infamous Colonel Kurtz in a Heart of Darkness. Waltz has long had a skill for villainy, and he should prove to be a worthy adversary for both Tarzan and Williams.

The Legend of Tarzan will be released in theatres on June 30 in New Zealand and Australia and on July 1 in the US and UK.

Image source: Roadshow Films.

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The first spot focuses in on Tarzan’s animalistic fury, while the second zones in on his relationship with his true love Jane Porter (Margot Robbie), and their first meeting in the jungle.

In a third TV spot we finally get to hear Skarsgard speak, and his English accent as the gentrified Lord John Clayton III is spot on in terms of its British upper-classness. This spot also sets up what is likely to be one of the film’s central conflicts in the form of Clayton’s identity clash between being the gentlemanly Lord of Greystroke, while also fighting his base animal nature as the mythological Tarzan.

From everything we’ve seen so far it appears that director David Yates (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows) has crafted a film that will honour the source material and original writings of Edgar Rice Burroughs, as well as packing the energy and action that modern audiences expect from a summer blockbuster.

The Legend of Tarzan will be released on June 30 in New Zealand and Australia, and on July 1 in the US and UK.

Image source: Roadshow Films.

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The new trailer is packed with epic passion, and high action adventure, and introduces audiences to the Tarzan story from his birth in the jungle, to his adoption by the female gorilla Kala. It also reveals glimpses of his life in the wild, before he returns to the world of men to live out his life with his great love Jane Porter (Margot Robbie). Skarsgard looks absolutely heroic and at the peak of physical perfection as Lord John Clayton III, the man once known as Tarzan.

While Skarsgard holds the attention of the screen as the athletically gifted and silent hero Tarzan, his presence is magnified by the film’s supporting players including Robbie as the gorgeous and strong-willed Jane, who is definitely no damzel, while Christoph Waltz is perfectly villainous as Rom, who appears to have the cadence of a big game hunter who is looking to mount Tarzan’s own head upon his trophy case.

Packed with bone crunching fights and epic sweeping jungle swinging action, the world’s first pulp hero is back, and ready to enthral audiences when The Legend of Tarzan opens in theatres on June 30 in New Zealand and Australia, and on July 1 in the US and UK.

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Years have passed since John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke (Skarsgard), left the jungles of the Congo and he has now transitioned to the life of an English gentleman in 1880s Victorian London. Summoned by the Queen, Clayton and his beloved wife Jane (Margot Robbie) are dispatched back to the Congo as emissaries of Parliament. But when Clayton runs afoul of an old enemy, the despicable Captain Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz), and Jane is taken from him, he is forced to return to his true nature as Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle, and take back what was taken from him.

While Tarzan may have made his first appearance back in 1914, Yates is promising an entirely fresh. In discussing what audiences can expect, Skarsgard, in an interview with USA Today said, “it’s almost the opposite of the classic tale, where it’s about taming the beast. This is about a man who’s holding back and slowly as you peel off the layers, he reverts back to a more animalistic state and lets that side of his personality out.”

Yates is also promising a very 21st century take on the character of Jane Porter, explaining that she is “in no way a passive partner to Tarzan. She’s a really strong, assertive, beautifully knowledgeable, very sexy modern woman who can more than look after herself.”

Yates’ supporting cast are just as impressive as his leads with Samuel L. Jackson playing real-life soldier George Washington Williams, Djimon Hounsou as Tarzan’s ally Chief Mbonga and Christoph Waltz who is teasing another tantalizing and vile villain as Belgium mercenary Captain Rom.

The Legend of Tarzan is set to roar into cinemas on June 30, 2016 in Australia and New Zealand, July 1, 2016 in the US, and July 8, 2016 in the UK.

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