Review: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

It’s finally here, the final instalment of The Hunger Games, it’s a bittersweet moment leaving me both excited and apprehensive.  I’ve been so excited about seeing Katniss, Peeta and Gale back on the big screen but this means that it is the end, what if it isn’t as good as the others (or only just as good as Mockingjay Part 1) what kind of sobbing mess would I be then?!  A gaping Hunger Games shaped hole in my life and no way to fix it (other than read the books again!).

Following on from the Mockingjay Part 1 (funnily enough), Peeta has been trained to hate Katniss, Katniss is the face of a revolution, Gale is a soldier and Primrose is a nurse.  Along with some firm favourites, Finnick Odair (Sam Clafin), Cressida (Natalie Dormer) and Pollux (Elden Henson), Katniss leads the team into the capitol and to President Snow’s mansion.  The route is fraught with ‘pods’ which release various terrifying booby traps from explosions to oil slicks. 

This is basically another Hunger Games, as noted by Finnick “Welcome to the 76^th Hunger Games” but set in the streets of the capitol instead of an arena.  All that was missing from that line was a 'looking into the camera breaking the fourth wall' moment. That would have been perfect! The gamemakers have made it near impossible for anyone to get to the mansion without being killed or maimed in the process.  

I will admit that the third was my least favourite book, there was a lot of talking and it seemed so much less action packed that the previous two.  However, what happened with the film it seems, is that all the boring stuff was jammed into the first film (my least favourite of the movies) and all the action and emotional gumph is in this one, making it ten times more awesome than I imagined.  Maybe it’s because I’ve see the first and second one a hundred times and this one is completely new but I think it might be my favourite of them all.  I spent much of the time tensed up while Katniss and co try to break free of another cruel booby trap and Josh Hutcherson was brilliant to watch as he fought the demons in his own head and tried to decide what was real and what was planted in his mind. After 4 years I'd thought I would have grown tired of being Team Peeta, but I loved all of his scenes!

I'd forgotten actually how much dialogue was in this part of the book. That's the main thing that frustrated me with this movie, the pacing was all over the place. It went from 5 minutes of solid dialogue to crazy action, back to chatter again. It was a bit stop start! I actually really liked that, it kept me on my toes - plus for me, the dialogue is what made the films so close to the books.

I think they really captured the reason behind Katniss’s choices, maybe more so than the books.  I don’t want to reveal any spoilers but her decision at the end of the book baffled me a little bit as it wasn’t what I expected but in the film it felt like the perfect ending.  I also didn’t find myself as emotional watching the film as I had in the book, I was sobbing like a small child when I read the third one but managed to scrape by this one without a single tear or sniffle.

One thing I'd forgotten from the books was how dark some of those scenes were! I won't mention because of spoilers, but with everything happening in the world right now one scene in particular was quite harrowing to watch.

I stand by my thought that Mockingjay didn't need to be split into two parts. If the dull, unnecessary moments from both parts were taken out and made into one movie, it could have been amazing, but my favourite from the series is still Catching Fire. 

I almost wanted this to be my least favourite of the films so I wouldn’t be sad that it was over but it has turned out to be my favourite, now I’m gutted all over again that it’s finished!  Back to the books I go…..

The Girl Week Blogathon

Dell over at dell on Movies has once again offered up an awesome blogathon for us to get our teeth into, this time it's Girl Week.  You can find the original post here:

The rules are simple and as follows:

1. Create a post about a film with a female lead character.  It can be a review, but does not have to be one. If it is a review, it doesn't have to be a positive one as I personally did not like every film I'm going to be showcasing this week. However, you are welcome to talk about women in any capacity relating to film.
2. Use one of the banners I created, or feel free to create one of your own.
3. Link back to this post.
4. Leave a link to your post in the comments section below.
5. Have fun!

I can't think of a better female protaganist than Katniss Everdeen and as I am super excited about the final movie release this weekend, it seemed daft not to comment on the series.  

If you don't know about them The Hunger Games is a trilogy of books by Suzanne Collins, recently made into four movies with Jennifer Lawrence in the lead role.  Katniss Everdeen spends her life providing for her younger sister and mother and when Prim, her sister gets called up to xxx in The Hunger Games she willingly volunteers to take her place.  The Hunger Games is an annual event where 12 girls and 12 boys between 12 and 18 are pitted against each other in an arena for both entertainment and to keep control of the lower classes in Panem.  It's a terrifying concept and yes the people of the Capitol watch it on the TV as if its Keeping up with the Kardasians, not young children being slaughtered by each other.

I read the books before the movies were even a blip on the radar and straight away I loved Katniss, I liked the idea that she wasn't always being saved by men, she was the fighter and particularly in the first book/movie she was the one saving everyone.  After the popularity of books and movie trilogies like Twilight and Divergent, where the woman is not safe until protected by a big strong man (or two!) it was refreshing to come across a character who could take care of herself and even the people around her.  

Although she is a strong female character, it has become apparent to me over the course of reading the books and watching the movies that in the world of Panem there actually is a level of gender equality.  The Capitol put together 12 girls and 12 boys in an arena and its considered a fair fights, there are the Careers (volunteers who have trained their whole life to be pulled up and fight) and the regular participants and that is the only divide line.  There is no mention of gender in the commentary nor a question when it becomes apparent that Katniss could win.

I may have gone a little off topic here, but I love the idea that Katniss is both a compassionate, heartfelt character that takes care of her little Sister and Rue but also intelligent, strong and skillful enough to win the Hunger Games against 23 (or 22 dependin on how you look at it!) others.

Looking Forward to Seeing in the Cinema this Month...November 2015

So when I came to do this post I went to search for all the films in the month and by mistake searched for October, because there is no way its nearly November....is there?! Where has the year gone....

There is only one film I'm looking forward to seeing this month and that is The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2.  Admittedly, the third is not my favourite book and the third film wasn't my favourite of the films but I'm so excited to see how they play this final out.  I don't think I need to say anymore, I'll just leave you with this:

Oh and the trailer of course:

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 will be released in UK cinemas on 19th November 2015

I am so stuck this month! Despite not making it to the cinema nearly as much as I would like to, there are two films this month I am desperate to see! They're both so very different, and that's why I can't pick. I need to pick though, I need to pick...eeney, meeney, miney, mo. Okay, I'm really looking forward to seeing Burnt! (but also The Lady in the Van!)

It's no secret that I love food (I mean, who doesn't?) so when I first saw Chef (2014) I instantly fell in love, and also wanted to eat the contents of my kitchen. That said, there are similarities between the two films, as they both feature down-on-their-luck chefs. Only, Burnt looks much more serious and dangerous, and I like that. How weird, I saw the trailer for this (and you know I too love food) and thought it looked terrible, I can't find anything to like about it.  I may let you watch it and give me an update ;-) Booooo!

Did I mention food? The wedding diet is going great, by the way. Anyway, here's the trailer if you haven't seen it yet:

Burnt will be released in UK cinemas on 6th November 2015.

Dream Vacation Blogathon (Allie's Version)

Summer is here and I can’t help feeling a little glum. I’m not going on a vacation this year, although to be fair it’s because I’m saving for my wedding next year which is much more exciting. However, Katy at Girl Meets Cinema has saved the day with her Dream Vacation Blogathon!

The idea is simple enough, we get to pick 3 characters to bring with us on our vacation, and we can go wherever we want. I’d say the sky is our limit, but it really isn’t. Please check out Katy’s original post here, she explains it much better than I ever could.

I’m not one for a ‘relax and do nothing’ holiday. I don’t do sitting quietly by the pool with a book, I’m much happier exploring local towns and beaches, so this holiday is going to be one big adventure. What use is an adventure like this without a seasoned adventurer such as Mr. Bilbo Baggins? We’ll be travelling to some weird and wonderful places on this vacation, and so I’m bringing Katniss along for protection. Plus, I’m hoping she can give me some fashion advice and teach me to braid my hair. For some fun during this trip, who better to bring than the God of Mischief himself, Loki! He’ll probably cause the trouble that Katniss will have to help us get out of.

To start us off, we’ll don our warmest gear and set sail for Arendelle, the home of Queen Elsa and Princess Anna from Disney’s Frozen. I’ll sing cheesy songs with Anna, and yes, I most certainly want to build a snowman! Katniss and Elsa with have some sort of braid-off, I’m sure. Bilbo heard that Arendelle throws a fantastic feast, so he’ll be happy, and Loki and Olaf will no doubt be creating some kind of snow-related disaster. That’ll be the signal that it’s time to leave.

After purchasing some souvenirs from Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post, Loki will show us the way to Asgard. I’ve been fascinated with Asgard ever since I watched the Thor movie for the first time, and would love nothing more than to take a stroll down the rainbow bridge, accompanied by Thor himself, for safety of course, you know, in case I swoon and fall. In the evening, Katniss and I will swap our furs for fine silk, and get ready to party into the wee hours of the morning.

Putting these fantasy worlds behind us, Heimdall will provide us with safe passage to Manhattan, New York. There are too many movies to name filmed in this action packed city, but I had Begin Again in my mind when planning this vacation. Who doesn't want to bump into Adam Levine whilst on vacation? I’ve been to Manhattan once before and will hopefully go back again next year. I’d love to spend a whole day just walking through Central Park in the summer. That is, if Loki doesn’t try to take over the world while we’re there. There’s always one, eh?

Using the powers of Twitter, we’ll track down which city in the US Carl Casper’s food truck from Chef is at the moment, and take a road trip for some tasty food. Have you noticed that food seems to be a prominent feature in this vacation? Oops. It’s for Bilbo I swear, not me! If you’ve never watched Chef before by the way you really should, unless you hate food, and well then I’m afraid we really can’t be friends.

For the final leg of our journey, and with Loki’s rebellious streak rubbing off on me, we’re going to break the blogathon rules and head to the beaches of Miami, home of Dexter Morgan, the star of the TV Show, Dexter. Living in the UK, we get to see very little sun, and living right in the Midlands as I do means I hardly ever get to visit a beach. After the journey we’ve had, I’m sure we would all appreciate some sunbathing and cocktails.

Finally, I want to thank Katy for hosting this blogathon and giving me the chance to create my dream vacation! I can’t wait to read everyone else’s posts, too.

Review: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

This was my most anticipated film of the year and for November, see here for further information on that.  So, after looking forward to this film for 12 months, was it worth it...

The Hunger Games; Mockingjay Part 1 returns to not long after where we left off in Catching Fire, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) has been captured by the Capitol, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is holed up in District 13 under the watchful eye of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman).  Katniss is recruited at the Mockingjay, the symbol of the rebellion and thrust into the limelight to rally the troops.

I loved these books, the last was my least favourite but was also the most dark and grown up of the three so I had high hopes for the movie.  What it definitely did was keep to the dark tone of the book, it was much bleaker than the first two and the death and destruction seen by Katniss is a lot more jarring and heartbreaking in this one.  They do a really good job of making you feel as though you are seeing these horrific scenes through your own eyes, I got a bit teary when Katniss goes to visit District 12 by herself and seeing the sights that I had toned down in my head when reading the books.

Jennifer Lawrence and the rest of the cast were brilliant as they have been in the previous two movies.  The make up work on Josh Hutcherson was great, but what I couldn't get my head around was if they have all these make up techniques in the Capitol why did they let Peeta go on camera looking gaunt and sick.  Logically, Peeta could have stayed looking his healthy self until Katniss sees him when he is brought back and then realised that he was being forced, after realising how damaged and gaunt he is.  It's a minor gripe but it bothered me!  Effie Trinket played by Elizabeth Banks brought some much needed humour to the proceedings, Banks did an amazing job of portraying someone who has been raised with everything handed to her having to fight with the 'lower classes' to save people she has actually grown to care about.  Her lack of understanding of why she has this bond with these people is brilliant and provides a bit of light-heartedness in a very dark movie.

There didn't seem to be much need for splitting the final book, this one felt quite dragged out and like it could have easily been half the length it actually was.  This has reinforced for me that they have only split the films for the finance side of it not because it would make better movies.  Bit disappointed but it does mean I get to look forward to another instalment next year :-)  I don't know if anyone else thought this, but when I read the Mockingjay book, everything that happened up to the end of this movie felt like an introduction to the real story, the attack on the Capitol.  In that respect, this movie just felt like an opening to the 'real' story in the next movie.

The only part of this movie that REALLY bothered me was Jennifer Lawrence's terrible wig, it was quite obviously not her hair and looked awful to the point that I probably missed a few key points obsessing about it.  (This is what happened to me with Footloose when I got obsessed with the leading ladies wide shoulders and missed most of the film because it was annoying me that much!!)

Fans will love it, even if they do find it a bit long for the story it's telling and it makes you itch for the next instalment but all in all really good adaptation of the book, kept to the story well and didn't shy away from the dark and sometimes uncomfortable.

Would have been 8 if it wasn't for that damn wig!!!

Review: House at the End of the Street (2012)

I'm not a huge fan of horror films, but I do like to watch one every now and again. I'm not brave enough to see them at the cinema and so I have just one friend who will watch them with me at home. She was over last night and so we watched House at the End of the Street.  I really want to watch this a) so I can add to the review and b) because Jennifer Lawrence is in it BUT I wont watch horror films on my own, my Dad hates them and now my Flick Chicks buddy has seen it, therefore this is the grand total of my comments on this one ;-)

A few years ago, a tragic event took place in the house. The family's daughter murdered both her parents. Four years later, Elissa (Jennifer Lawrence) and her mother Sarah (Elisabeth Shue) move in to the house next door. They learn that the son of the family next door still lives in his parents house, and nearly the whole neighbourhood have a extreme dislike of him due to the fact that he brings down everyone's property value.

I'm sure some of you will scoff at my fear of films like this but it's the suspense that gets me. The only way I can cope is to just talk quietly through the film and make fun of everyone. It's a great tactic of finding plot holes and goofs actually.

'Wasn't that room pitch black earlier? There aren't any windows.'

'Why won't anyone just grab that policeman's radio?'

'Who carries a supply of USB sticks with their own songs on?'

And so on!

Elissa ends up befriending the son next door Ryan (Max Thieriot), although her mother has already mentioned that Elissa likes to find the most damaged boy she can find, and 'turn them into a project'. That said, their relationship seems genuine and actually quite sweet. There was a moment which shouldn't have been funny but was actually hilarious, where the two of them were sat outside looking at a tree. Ryan told Elissa to look closely and she saw a face in the tree, but no amount of squinting could make us see it! Did anyone else?

As the story continues, we start to wonder if Ryan is actually as weird as everyone else seems to think he is. Without spoiling anything, his friendship with Elissa certainly turns sour.

I wasn't expecting a plot twist in House at the End of the Street at all, nor did I see this one coming, although you know me, I tend to be a little oblivious to everything film-wise. The final scene dragged out a little, and relied on cheap scare tactics (which worked on me) but other than that, I thought the ending was okay.



All in all, I thought this film wasn't that bad. The characters did stupid things and some parts made little sense, but an awful lot of horror films do that too. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be either. Grab a blanket, check the batteries in your torch and give it a try sometime. 



Review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

I watched this film at the cinema when it was released but I recently saw it on a list of films on a flight to Qatar so I went for it again...

 

I had completely forgotten how much I love this film, I actually think I loved it more than the first one (which is impressive for a sequel), its tougher, scarier, grittier and more heartbreaking than the original.  I loved that the first half was not in an arena but showing Katniss, Peeta and Gale coping after the first Hunger Games and how they respond to being sent back in again.

 

The arena is much more brutal and horrific than the first with blood rain, deadly smoke and evil baboons.  There were more characters to get your teeth into and many hints to the 3rd book (3rd and 4th films) that only readers of the book will understand (makes be feel abit smug when watching it to be honest!).  

 

I'm totally one of those annoying people who sit there with a smug face, reminding everyone who will listen that I've read the book! I was pleased at how well they kept to the book in Catching Fire, they just played around a bit with the timeline and missed out one of my favourite moments which pained me.

 

There's a scene in the book at the party which in the book happened after the names had been picked for the Quarter Quell, where Katniss is dancing with Plutarch (I think) and he whispers in her ear, 'It begins at 12'. This was the major clue for the Quarter Quell arena and would have been an awesome inclusion in the film.

 

I loved the build on the characters from the first film, such as Cinna and President Snow but the additional characters added this time round really gave it more edge. Jena Malone's, Johanna Mason was amazing - ideally at the beginning you are supposed to hate the character but I loved her and the impact she had on Katniss.  She seemed to be the only character that could get a rise out of her, which gave Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss more depth.   

 

Jennifer Lawrence as always was amazing and stole every scene she was in.  She made the character more tough this time round but also showed more vulnerability than has been  previously touched on.  The scene where Katniss isn't allowed to say bye to her family and the scene when she's hit by the Jabberjays in the arena were heartbreaking to watch and admittedly I cried a little on the plane. 

 

Catching Fire was brilliant and I'll definitely be watching it again just before the third film comes out. I'm a bit nervous about the third book being split into two films though, and I hope it allows them to do justice to the book, and not to just make as much money as they can.

I would without a doubt recommend this to anyone, preferably after reading the books and watching the first film but definitely a must.  Everything was bigger and better, from the arena to Effie Trinket's hair and eyelashes.

Looking Forward to in the Cinema this Month, May 2014

Okay, I was polite last month and let Jenna have Spider-Man. It was a pretty slow month for film releases to be honest, I haven't seen Transcendence yet and I'm not even sure if I want to now I've heard so much about Locke. My point being that I'm going to get in there first this time! Haha! Can't argue with that...

There's actually a whole load of things I want to see this month. Bad Neighbours, X-Men and A Million Ways to Die in the West are but a few. What I'm really looking forward to though is Godzilla. I am so glad you said that, I thought you were going to take X-Men and my heart broke a little!! Sorry carry on...

There is no doubt in my mind that this is going to be epic. I'm going to see this at the Giant Screen in Birmingham, tickets will have gone on sale by the time you read this and I'll have booked mine too! I saw Pacific Rim there last year, and despite what some people may say about that film, you can't deny the sheer awesomeness of that screen!

Cue another gasp of disbelief but I never saw the original Godzilla. I err, kind of get the gist though. Watch this space because I'll be reviewing this very soon! My dad LOVES this film but I wasn't all that impressed.  It's not bad just could have been better.

If you've been living under a rock for the past couple of months and haven't seen the trailer yet, here it is in all its glory.

 

 

Thankfully, mine is X-Men: Days of Future Past, I am HUGE fan of the X-Men movies (except The Wolverine but lets not get into that here - wise!) and I have been looking forward this one for years.  When I found out there was a full panel of all the cast at Comic Con last year (where I was supposed to be but wasn't) I was distraught.  Watching it on YouTube wasn't the same!  So, Jennifer Lawrence is one of my favourite actresses right now and who doesn't love Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen, only for this photo:

 

If that's not enough then you have the rest of this stellar cast to look forward to:

How can we not be excited.  Although, I am a little concerned about the confusion element (to be fair the title confused me alone) and after watching Singer's work on The Usual Suspects, I'm not holding out much hope for understanding what the heck is going on - but hey that's what the second viewing is for! This is going to be a headache for me, I only understood 1 out of 4 Pirates of the Caribbean films so I don't stand a chance!

Here is the trailer in case you missed it:

What films are you most looking forward to in May??