Hunger Games: Catching Fire Review
Fresh from rereading the book, I had such high expectations for this movie and let me just say, I was BLOWN AWAY. From the minute it starts the cinematography and directing was just beautiful. I enjoyed the first movie a lot, but Catching Fire takes us to a whole new level. The acting performances are better from everyone, it's edgier, no shaky camera, believable chemistry between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale, the budget is bigger, there's less CGI and the CGI that is in it is more realistic, the arena is stunning! All in all it was a perfect film in every way and got the tones of the books down to the T.
Everyone did SUCH an exemplary job with their characters, but two people stood out to me a bit more than the others and that was my girl, Jennifer Lawrence and Sam Clafflin who plays Finnick. Jennifer Lawrence has such amazing expression that you don't need a first person perspective like the book to know what she's thinking. You can just see it in her eyes. Jennifer really perfects this role, it's the best I've ever seen her.
Sam Clafflin also had a lot of pressure entering this all star cast, but he totally nailed it. Finnick's character is so likeable and he encompasses everything I imagined him being in the book perfectly. Now of course there are other names that did absolutely amazing as well, Jena Malone as Johanna Mason, Josh Hutcherson really brought it this time around, and I loved the new game maker played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman, just to name a few.
I am so happy with how much detail from the book was in the movie from the smallest things. Buttercup actually looked like Buttercup instead of some random black cat like in the first movie. Katniss and Gale's hair were actually black like it was in the book instead of dark brown. Little details like this made the movie so much stronger than the first and that's saying something cause I really loved the first.
Director Francis Lawrence's vision of Catching Fire is definitely worth the price of an admission ticket. It's the best sequel I've seen since The Dark Knight.
5 out of 5 stars, no doubt! (A Must See)
Thor: The Dark World Review
While I was excited to see Thor kick butt, I'd be lying if I said I didn't see this film mainly for Loki. He's unpredictable, sarcastic, twistedly awesome, but not that much in the film which had me a bit disappointed.
The film's strength was it's comedy in that it didn't take itself really seriously at all. It knows it's cheesy, we know it's cheesy and it doesn't try to be what it's not, which I can respect. The visuals are beautiful especially in a particular scene involving a boat and a waterfall. However, there were quite a few flaws that I simply couldn't overlook. The plot was all over the place (most of the time I wasn't even sure what it was), Jane and Darcy were borderline annoying most of the movie, and again, I wanted more Loki!
The more you think about it the less you like it, but if you are in the mood for some fun mindless action, this is the film for you. I enjoyed the first movie more which makes Thor: The Dark World just good enough not to be bad. 2.5 out of 5 stars from me. I left the theater thinking, "Meh." (Watch If Free)
Ender's Game Review
I want to start off by saying that I have NOT read the book and so there will be no comparisons in this review; that being said, after seeing this, I would definitely like to.
One of the things I can't stand in movies is bad child actors, thankfully most of the cast was really good! While some of the children had a hard time with the complex dialogue, (Ender) Asa Butterfield's line delivery is spot on. After seeing him in Hugo and Boy in the Striped Pajama's I already knew he was talented, but in Ender's Game he holds the entire movie on his shoulders and even stands out next to Harrison Ford, Ben Kingsley and Viola Davis. With such a tremendous amount of emotional range at such a young age, this star has a bright future ahead.
I was very impressed with the character of Ender himself and his development. He was effortlessly likeable, smart, and respectable, definitely a leader I'd want to get behind.
While at some points the story is a little hard to follow, long winded, and some of the emotional moments seem forced, Ender's Game held its head above the water with solid performances, strategic character development, and a powerful ending. It was hardly perfect, but it was charming. 3 out of 5 stars. (Rent It)
The Prestige Review
The Prestige stars Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as the two leading magicians and they do absolutely amazing jobs in their roles. In fact, the entire cast is terrific and all of the characters are brilliantly developed. Props to Christopher Nolan for crafting one of my favorite films of all time.
I love how terribly flawed our protagonists are and how accurately this film portrays obsession. Unlike The Illusionist, The Prestige breaks down all of the tricks so that we as an audience can follow along with Borden and Angier's rivalry. Not only that, but the film itself is like a magic trick. The answers are right in our face and yet we are so consumed with the illusions of our characters that we cannot see it.
There is an elegant yet mysterious aura about this movie which makes it quite spectacular to watch. Nolan doesn't treat his audiences as intellectually inferior and this movie is proof of that. If you don't like it, it's because you aren't paying attention. The Prestige, without a doubt, earns itself 5 out of 5 stars. (A Must See)
Captain Phillips Review
I enjoyed this movie a lot and definitely think it should be up for nominations. The performances were top notch from the entire cast. Tom Hanks really brought it in this and so did Barkhad Abdi, who played the leader of the pirates. The complexity of the characters really added to the story. We could see how desperate all of the characters were and why they did what they did which was much more interesting than if there were just bad guys and good guys.
There was a little bit of shaky camera at first which kind of bothered me but it was only in the beginning. Once the plot started, I was so fully invested that I hardly even noticed the long length, however I do realize that some will. Other than that, I don't think there was much else to critique. This movie is solid from beginning to end and I look forward to buying it on DVD. 5 out of 5 stars! (A Must See)
Gravity Review
I went into Gravity with a pretty hyped up expectation of it. The reviews were crazy good and people were even saying it was likely to be up for Oscar nominations. While I did like Gravity, it wasn't exactly what I expected.
The cinematography was so richly striking that if anyone could walk away from this and say there is no God, they are deluding themselves. The sound and score were also amazing. If this isn't nominated for special effects I would be really upset.
Clooney and Bullock give very solid and realistic performances, however the movie was more plot driven than character driven so sometimes I found myself wishing it had more layers.
I did expect it to be far more intense and scary and it was in certain parts, but after a while you get used to it and it loses a bit of tension until the end.
Gravity is a very good piece of art technically and is elegantly filmed, but I don't know if I'd be excited to see it again. I'll give Gravity 3.5 out of 5 stars! (Worth Ticket Price)
Upside Down Review
Upside down is a steaming hot mess. I'll start with what I liked and end with what I didn't. Firstly, Jim Sturgess outdoes himself in his role as he has done in previous roles I've seen. He performs so effortlessly that he seems TOO GOOD for such a messy script. Kirsten Duntz was decent, but nothing to get excited about. It was nice to see Timothy Spall as a protagonist for a change.
The visuals, directing, and cinematography were flawless and inspiring, executed with perfect precision. It was almost like James Cameron directed this with a Nicolas Sparks script. The science behind the concept would have been intriguing if it wasn't so flawed, but even if you were to suspend your belief of how the worlds work, you would still have characters with little development. Sturgess did the best he possibly could with such an underdeveloped character, but it just wasn't enough to bring the plot together. He and Dunst had chemistry, but we are told they love each other and we must accept that with no other background other than they met as kids. Sturgess himself is endearing and that translates into the character he played, but Kirsten's character we care little about. If they got together it wouldn't really matter and if they didn't we'd probably only feel bad for him, but not that bad.
The ending was abrupt, anticlimactic, and forgettable. I wanted to like it more than I did. For Sturgess and the breathtaking cinematography, I'll give it a 2.5 out of 5 stars. I just couldn't get it to 3. (Watch If Free)
