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books_tea_and_fantasy's review against another edition
2.0
✨REVIEW✨
⭐️⭐️
I should have known by the size of the book (it quite thin for a behind-the-scenes/making-of book) that it would be very basic.
Being a huge fan of making of documentaries about Harry Potter and having seen the making of on the LotR Extended edition multiple times, this one just didn’t do it for me.
Each chapter consists of a fragment of an interview with the very basics. Same goes for the artwork/photographs. Which explains my low rating and the fact that I decided to unhaul it from my collection.
Personally, I feel this book is suited for a younger public that wants to know a bit more about the characters and the film without too much details and technicalities.
2/60
⭐️⭐️
I should have known by the size of the book (it quite thin for a behind-the-scenes/making-of book) that it would be very basic.
Being a huge fan of making of documentaries about Harry Potter and having seen the making of on the LotR Extended edition multiple times, this one just didn’t do it for me.
Each chapter consists of a fragment of an interview with the very basics. Same goes for the artwork/photographs. Which explains my low rating and the fact that I decided to unhaul it from my collection.
Personally, I feel this book is suited for a younger public that wants to know a bit more about the characters and the film without too much details and technicalities.
2/60
leafblade's review against another edition
5.0
My 100th book for the goodreads challenge!!!!!
Can I give an HP book lees than 5 stars??? Up to this point, no.
(cursed child is in no way an HP book)
Can I give an HP book lees than 5 stars??? Up to this point, no.
(cursed child is in no way an HP book)
pewterwolf's review against another edition
3.0
Can't decide to give this a 3.5 or a 4 star.
Review Taken from The Pewter Wolf
This is a behind-the-scenes book revealing most (not all, but most) of the film-making of Fantastic Beasts, with character profiles (and small interviews with the actors), props and sets, information about New York, MACUSA and The Blind Pig, the characters within Newt's case and other titbits.
I am a little torn on this. Now, I love these types of books so, yes, this book can't go too much into depth because of spoilers. And, because this is an adult companion, it is more aimed for movie-goers and people who like this type of books (aka me). I loved the photos and the details. The amount of text is aimed more for an adult audience but I don't see why teens or children with a higher reading level can't read it.
However, there are problems. This isn't perfect. This does feel a bit like a whistle-stop tour of how the movie was made. Again, this is something I see in most "making of [insert film here]". Actually, compared to most of them, this has more information. So, for that, I will let slide, but it still felt like we were skimming...
But the main issue, the thing that tainted this book for me, was a small line. A sentence of 8 words. I know... I know... this is stupid to say, but I am going to state it. On one of the pages, linked to costume design, we have a small photograph of the actor Gemma Chan (you will know her from the Channel 4 show, Humans). She isn't an important character - her character has one sentence in the movie (and she is one of the few speaking characters in the movie who isn't white unless I am misremembered...), but we see her in character. The line that accompanies this photo is "Gemma Chan plays an exotic witch visiting MACUSA".
Why, OH WHY, is it that when a non-white character/actor (who isn't really important to the story) is in movie/TV show/radio/etc, they are described as "exotic"? It's a lazy writing, a throw-away remark which could and can be seen as a racist term. In this instant, the term devalues her character. She, to my knowledge, is a foreign representative visiting MACUSA to take part in a wizarding equivalent on United Nations. Her character even has a name - I checked! Madam Ya Zhou. So, why isn't her character name or the term "foreign representative" used? Why isn't it "Gemma Chan plays a foreign representative witch visiting MACUSA"? Or "Gemma Chan playing Madam Ya Zhou"? The term "exotic" should never have been used - it's cheap, lazy, sloppy writing.
*deep breath*
So, book overall. While it's one of the better "making of [insert movie name here]" books, it does have some faults.
Review Taken from The Pewter Wolf
This is a behind-the-scenes book revealing most (not all, but most) of the film-making of Fantastic Beasts, with character profiles (and small interviews with the actors), props and sets, information about New York, MACUSA and The Blind Pig, the characters within Newt's case and other titbits.
I am a little torn on this. Now, I love these types of books so, yes, this book can't go too much into depth because of spoilers. And, because this is an adult companion, it is more aimed for movie-goers and people who like this type of books (aka me). I loved the photos and the details. The amount of text is aimed more for an adult audience but I don't see why teens or children with a higher reading level can't read it.
However, there are problems. This isn't perfect. This does feel a bit like a whistle-stop tour of how the movie was made. Again, this is something I see in most "making of [insert film here]". Actually, compared to most of them, this has more information. So, for that, I will let slide, but it still felt like we were skimming...
But the main issue, the thing that tainted this book for me, was a small line. A sentence of 8 words. I know... I know... this is stupid to say, but I am going to state it. On one of the pages, linked to costume design, we have a small photograph of the actor Gemma Chan (you will know her from the Channel 4 show, Humans). She isn't an important character - her character has one sentence in the movie (and she is one of the few speaking characters in the movie who isn't white unless I am misremembered...), but we see her in character. The line that accompanies this photo is "Gemma Chan plays an exotic witch visiting MACUSA".
Why, OH WHY, is it that when a non-white character/actor (who isn't really important to the story) is in movie/TV show/radio/etc, they are described as "exotic"? It's a lazy writing, a throw-away remark which could and can be seen as a racist term. In this instant, the term devalues her character. She, to my knowledge, is a foreign representative visiting MACUSA to take part in a wizarding equivalent on United Nations. Her character even has a name - I checked! Madam Ya Zhou. So, why isn't her character name or the term "foreign representative" used? Why isn't it "Gemma Chan plays a foreign representative witch visiting MACUSA"? Or "Gemma Chan playing Madam Ya Zhou"? The term "exotic" should never have been used - it's cheap, lazy, sloppy writing.
*deep breath*
So, book overall. While it's one of the better "making of [insert movie name here]" books, it does have some faults.
elon's review against another edition
2.0
Repetitive and not very revealing. This book was seemingly released to build hype for the movie, rather than to properly get behind the camera. It feels so much more like a large promotional pamphlet than a informative tour.
ditalion's review against another edition
4.0
Great book! I highly enjoy reading about all the different aspects they put thought in, to create the movie.
The book gives a nice overview of the production of the movie. However, I would have liked it to be a little more in-depth. It was somewhat aimed at an audience that hasn't seen the movie jet, and therefore doesn't mention important plot-points or twists (thereby not providing "the making of" information about those aspects).
Overall I really enjoyed reading it.
The book gives a nice overview of the production of the movie. However, I would have liked it to be a little more in-depth. It was somewhat aimed at an audience that hasn't seen the movie jet, and therefore doesn't mention important plot-points or twists (thereby not providing "the making of" information about those aspects).
Overall I really enjoyed reading it.
kitsunebi_reads's review against another edition
5.0
Really enjoyable look of what goes into a movie. Lots of facts and interviews spanning all aspects of the movie.
helenephoebe's review against another edition
5.0
Review - I loved this because the film was so fantastic! It was really interesting to see how they made the characters and creatures come to life on the screen, especially with the special effects and how the actors had to act against green screens and stand ins for the creatures. I think that the interviews with the actors, director and producers were enlightening as it gave an insight into how a film is created and what happens with different departments working together to create something.
General Subject/s? - Wizarding World / Film / Harry Potter
Recommend? – Yes
Rating - 20/20
General Subject/s? - Wizarding World / Film / Harry Potter
Recommend? – Yes
Rating - 20/20
thoroughlymodernreviewer's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good overview of the production of the movie. Wish the book had been longer so it could've gone into a bit more detail about certain production departments. Due to its length, the book kind of ends up being a surface level tour through the making of the movie. More of an appetizer than a main dish, really. But still enjoyable.