Season 2, Winter 2014, Movie Review #8: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

   Late 2013 brought, in my opinion, the two movies that stole the year, one being the second Hobbit film, The Desolation of Smaug, and the other being The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, a film adaption of Suzanne Collin's New York Times Bestselling sequel to The Hunger Games, a dystopian book series set in the near to faraway future.
   Between The Desolation of Smaug and this movie, I am tormented to come up with a favorite, and I can't decide yet, but I'm leaning towards Catching Fire. So, if you've got a little time, pull up a seat and enjoy my take on this box-office monster.


PART ONE: THE PLOT

   A handful of berries. A moment of rebellion. A martyr. A spark of hope.
Oppressed by the total power of the Capitol for over 75 years, the 12 starving Districts under its power have long since abandoned even the vain dream of hope, as far away as the stars from the soil they strive over.
   For 74 years, the Capitol has forced the 12 Districts to send two Tributes, one male and one female, to compete in the Games, a fight to the death among children from the ages of 12 to 18.
  The Games take place in a nightmarish Arena full of terrifying creatures and deadly challenges, to say nothing of the other Tributes. Death is certain, as only one Tribute can come out alive, with the promise of lifelong wealth and comfort.
   A promise that was kept...Until now.
In the wake of the 74th Annual Hunger Games, in which not one but two victors were allowed to live, the female Tribute from District 12, the Girl on Fire, Katniss Everdeen, is home again. Struggling with her own trauma and confused between the two men she cares about, Gale and her fellow victor, Peeta Mellark, Katniss has come to the conclusion that she never truly won the Games.
   With the attention of the Capitol solely resting on Katniss and Peeta, the 'star crossed lovers from District 12', Katniss fears for the safety of her family and her District.
   When the Capitol's President Snow himself visits Katniss's new home in the Victors Village, the deadly thread she must walk is made clear: She will be madly in love with Peeta. She will convince the Capitol and the President that her gambit for bringing both of them out of the Arena was an act of passionate love, not of rebellion. She will not be the spark of hope the Districts think she is.
   She will go on her Victory Tour with Peeta, visiting the Districts, and say nothing but what is pre-written by the Capitol on her cards. If she fails, neither she nor any of the people she loves will have a second chance.
   But when the 75th Annual Hunger Games is announced to involve twice the number of Tributes, all reaped from the existing pool of Victors, however, Katniss realizes that following Snow's orders may not be as easy as she thought.
   Struggling to quell both the rebellion in the Districts as well as the rebellion within, Katniss Everdeen fears the last thing she will see is the whole of Panem catching fire.


PART TWO: THE REVIEW

   Cinematography: Excellent. Visual Effects: High quality. Music: emotional and fitting. Physical Plot: Intense and very suspenseful.
Emotional story: Tear jerking and heartfelt (Of course, I didn't cry), incredibly well-done.
   As an adaption from the book (Which I read), I could not be happier. In the book, I felt like Suzanne Collins threw together a bunch of elements and plot moments at random, dispensing with organization, and adding things that were not necessary. The movie, however, is well-scripted, well organized, and excellently streamlined, wasting no time with unnecessary stuff. The suspenseful plot, combined with the emotional story, were straight to the point, the point itself being well communicated.
   The familiar themes of the original return: Survival versus sacrifice, killing versus sparing, the role of government, the role of rebellion, the symbolism of Katniss herself, paired with the Mockingjay, the power of hope versus the strong control of fear, and much more. Very thought provoking stuff, worthy of discussion with your family and friends.
   Though there are definitely evil forces in the film, the positive messages conveyed by the good characters are well contrasted against that evil.
   Peeta is kind and looks out for Katniss, willing to risk his life for her. Gale pushes Katniss to become the Mockingjay, the symbol of District rebellion, and to achieve her potential, while at the same time showing his willingness to fight for what and who he believes in. Newcomer characters Johanna Mason and Finnick Odair risk their lives, along with a few other new Tribute characters, to save or help Katniss and Peeta.
   Cinna, like Gale, reaches out to Katniss's inner rebellion in his own way by making Mockingjay outfits for her. Haymitch, Katniss and Peeta's mentor, promises to go to the Games in Peeta's stead, and Peeta does the same. Haymitch is very supportive of Peeta and Katniss and helps every way he can.
 

 
   Obviously, though, it's Katniss who takes the cake.
Devoted to loving and protecting her family and friends, Katniss shows a brave and selfless face to others despite her own inner torment. She tries to save Peeta and others over and over, and does not toy with either Peeta or Gale's feelings. She is giving and loving towards her little sister, Prim, and is impressed by Prim's own growing bravery. She stops a Peacekeeper from brutally torturing Gale, and is involved with getting him healed afterward. When District 12 receives a visit from a large troop of Peacekeepers who go around destroying black markets and harming anyone in the way, Katniss helps an elderly women whose eye has been hurt. Katniss shows her heartfelt regards to District 11, the place where the little girl and martyr of the rebellion, Rue, was born, and Peeta promises to donate money and food to the people of the District.
   It hardly needs to be said these days, but Jennifer Lawrence not only portrayed Katniss perfectly--she blew other actors out of the water. The other actors and actresses performed seamlessly as well, but as before stated, it's Lawrence who takes the prize.
   A fresh and exhilarating story, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire took center stage for 2013 cinema.
In fact, I'll decide it now--I preferred it to The Desolation of Smaug (Although I beg you to go watch that too!).


PART THREE: CONTENT REPORT

   Katniss does much more kissing this time around with Gale and Peeta, and also gets kissed randomly by a stranger. Johanna Mason has an unforeseen stripper moment in an elevator in front of Peeta, Katniss and Haymitch (Shoulders and back seen only, along with the others' reactions), after asking Peeta what it's like to have everyone in the Capitol want to sleep with him.
   Johanna also has a f-bomb dropping episode against the Capitol with Caesar Flickerman (the profanity is bleeped out, but heavily implied, although I say the Capitol deserves what it gets). S--t is said, also.
   As in the previous movie, the Games take place with Tributes killing each other with a variety of weapons and in a variety of ways (Stab, drown, slash, shoot, poison etc.), and some innocent people are killed off camera. There are riots, Peacekeepers destroying black markets etc. and dealing public whippings. Peeta and Katniss are the youngest contestants in the Games, and as such they bring back the idea of children killing each other.
   People are shown covered in what looks like a mixture of mud and blood (Not their own).
Creepy monkeys attack the Tributes, poisonous fog brings hideous boils/blisters to their skin, and Jabberjay birds simulate pained screams of those the hearers love, which is particularly painful for Katniss and Finnick. There are a few jump-out-of-your-seat moments.
   As sensitive as I am to psychological elements in movies (PTSD moments, for example), I was not disturbed in the least by Katniss's moments of fear after nightmares and flashbacks. They aren't dramatized or focused on too much, and they aren't eery, but that's not to say more sensitive viewers than me might be disturbed by them.
   Katniss and Haymitch drink, and two Tributes are called Morphlings, a reference to their Morphine or whatever it is addiction. A person in the Capitol offers Peeta a drink that will make him throw up so he can eat more. The movie is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some frightening images, thematic elements, a suggestive situation and language.


PART FOUR: RATING AND CONCLUSION

   I shall give it five stars. There's nothing I can think of about this movie that I dislike. I love the symbolisms involved (As a writer, I try to create my own symbolisms, so it was fun looking for them), the themes explored, and the story told--what more could you say? I was emotionally invested, mentally involved, and satisfyingly entertained--more so, I admit, than I was with The Desolation of Smaug (Again, though, go watch that too!). While I disliked the book, I very much enjoyed this film adaption, and I look forward to when it comes out on DVD/Blu-Ray. You won't be able to resist following Katniss Everdeen, and you won't be able to take your eyes off the story as it really does start catching fire.
   So, I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it! Go get a ticket or two and give The Hunger Games: Catching Fire a try!

Peace,
Matt~
 
        

Season 2, Winter 2014, Movie Review #7: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

   So my family and I went to see the Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the sequel to 2012's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Here is my take on it.
Enjoy reading!



PART ONE: THE PLOT

 

      The Lonely Mountain, Erebor, filled with treasure beyond the imagining of mortals and immortals alike, stands open and unguarded. The Dragon Smaug, conqueror of the Dwarf kingdom of Erebor, has not been seen for many years, and as birds return to the mountain, countless eyes watch, and wait, and weigh the risk.
   Having narrowly escaped death at the hands of the Pale Orc chieftain Azog, Thorin, rightful heir to the throne of Erebor, travels with a company of twelve other Dwarves, a wizard and a Hobbit to reclaim his homeland.
   But as Gandalf's suspicions of a dark force returning to power increase, and a certain Ring of Power begins to take hold of Bilbo Baggins himself, the threat to Middle Earth grows.
   Worse, as outside forces from Elves to Men and dangerous monsters threaten to stop Bilbo and his companions, true colors are revealed and the quest to reclaim Erebor teeters on the edge of a blade.
   And at the end of the journey lies the greatest challenge of all, one that could wreathe all of Middle Earth in flame...


PART TWO: THE REVIEW

      While I think it a fair suggestion that
the Hobbit films will never be as good as the Lord of the Rings trilogy, I also think it a fair thing to give this movie wild applause and appropriate praise.
  While I have wondered how Peter Jackson took a few hundred pages from the Hobbit book and a few pages from the Lord of the Rings Appendices and is making three films out of it, the fact is, it works.
   Tolkien fans may be annoyed by several liberties the filmmakers took with the book, mainly the following:
   -A non-Tolkien she-elf character, Tauriel, is added into the story as Captain of the Mirkwood Guard. Though she isn't in the book, the movie makers needed at least one female face in the story, as the book was pure males all the way through, and besides, Tauriel's epic war capabilities will be sure to please.
   -Legolas, son of the Mirkwood king Thranduil, returns, although not described in the book.
   -A love triangle between Legolas, Tauriel, and the Dwarf Kili is introduced--for what benefit to the story I know not, but I guess if it makes Peter Jackson happy, whatever.
   -Other small liberties, such as shortening the scene with Beorn, lengthening and altering the time spent in Laketown, etc.

   Despite these changes, the movie is a great improvement over the less action-packed original, being filled with incredible visual effects, shape shifters, horrific giant spiders, Orcs galore, greedy leaders, noble and skilled warriors, a terrifying Dragon and most importantly, the key emotional moments shared with the protagonist, Bilbo Baggins. As his attachment to the One Ring grows, so does his determination to see the quest through and his bravery to achieve it. As the most active and resourceful character, Bilbo dares countless dangers, risks his own life, and does everything he can to get his companions out of trouble, even when in the end some don't return his goodwill.
   The performances of the actors and actresses in the movie are almost all perfect, with the exception of a few cheesy lines in moments with Tauriel and Kili.
Martin Freeman flawlessly embodies Bilbo, Ian McKellen pulls off Gandalf's awkward wisdom, Richard Armitage performs well as Thorin, highlighting his gradual change for the worse and inner conflict, and Benedict Cumberbatch dazzles the audience with his motion-capture portrayal of the Dragon Smaug.
   The music and cinematography are a huge credit to the people who made it happen, as is the story itself.
   While I can't say I care much for the love triangle between Legolas, Kili and Tauriel, all the other changes to the story, I think, were beneficial ones.
   Changed as it may be, the story of the Hobbit remains true at its core: Even the smallest person can change the course of the future--as long as that gem of Tolkien's is still intact, the story is great at its heart.


PART THREE: CONTENT REPORT

   Kili asks Tauriel if she's going to check down his trousers in one scene as 'he could have anything down there'. Tauriel replies by saying 'or nothing'. Kili flirts and holds hands with Tauriel.
   Violence involves a character being shot and suffering under the influence of a poisoned arrow, Smaug breathing fire all over the place, Orcs and spiders being killed in many stylish ways, including decapitation, and one character being buried in a pool of molten gold.
   The shape shifter Beorn can transform into a massive, frightening bear, and Orcs, giant spiders and the spiritual form of Sauron himself may be scary for some in the audience. Thranduil reveals a gross wound on his face that might also catch watchers off guard.
   Thorin tells Balin he told the Elves to *Dwarvish word* themselves, which is the closest reference to a strong curse word I've ever seen in a LOTR movie.
   Some Elves are shown drunk, and the opening scene takes place in a pub, while the ravenous Dwarves eat a lot and drink a lot as well.
   Greedy leadership in Laketown and Mirkwood, along with the growing dark side of Thorin are shown, but dwarfed by more positive role models, such as Bilbo. 
   The movie is rated PG-13 for extended sequences of intense fantasy action violence, and frightening images.


PART FOUR: RATING AND CONCLUSION

   I award the film four and a half stars. While the sparse cheesy lines and added love triangle put a question mark over my head, the rest put a big grin on my face and a tall exclamation point over my head. The cinematography, music, visual effects, story, action and connection with Bilbo exceeded my expectations.
   As said before, though, what's most important is the heart of the story, the core values and positive messages that are central to its success--and Peter Jackson has definitely kept true to them.
   So, with that said, the film has only made a little over $700,000,000, so go buy tickets and help it exceed the one billion dollar box office mark, and enjoy!

Peace,
Matt~