The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Year of release: 2013

Director: Francis Lawrence

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth, Donald Sutherland, Sam Clafin

  

I have been looking forward to the release of this film all year! I read the books over summer last year and fell completely in love with the story. Admittedly, I wasn’t sure whether I would like them as the story is a bit of an odd one isn’t it?! Each year the in the city of Panem 12 boys and 12 girls are selected by an annual lottery draw and then dumped in an arena where they are forced to fight to the death on live television? It doesn’t sound like the most cheerful story in the world does it?! But with so many people raving about how great The Hunger Games was, I figured I would give it a chance and I’m so glad I did because I absolutely loved it! Now usually when you love a book and they make a film of it, it can be somewhat of a disappointment (Twilight being a perfect example here. Total. Let down.). I will admit to being that annoying person that sits there moaning that they’ve changed bits and start spouting “well, that didn’t happen in the book!” So when I watched the first Hunger Games movie I didn’t set my hopes too high, but it actually turned out to be brilliant. A few characters were a little different than I imagined (Haymitch and Peeta, for example), but all of the actors did such a fantastic job that I can’t help but picture those characters in any other way now. So with one great film already in the bag, could they do it again with the second? Simply put: yes.

       
      Catching Fire is even more thrilling and exciting than the first. The story is a lot more action-packed and there is a greater sense of threat and danger throughout this movie. President Snow is brought into the forefront in this one and the brutality towards the people living in the outer districts is severely increased (as poor Gale finds out). The film really hits the ground running from the off and it doesn’t lose pace from start to finish – there really is no time to be bored and there is certainly no lapse in the excitement. In this second instalment, we see Katniss and Peeta thrust back into the arena to battle it out once again. As punishment for the rebellion breaking out in some of the outer districts, President Snow (in a desperate attempt to restore order) decides to prove once and for all who is boss by sending 24 victors from previous years back into the arena for the 75^th annual Hunger, known as the “Quarter Quell.” New alliances are formed and we are introduced to new characters, Finnick Odair and Johanna Mason being two of the more prominent characters, and this time around the games are tougher, more brutal and the most challenging yet – but the tributes are ready to fight back.  I won’t spoil what the ending by revealing what happens in the games in case you haven’t read it, but I will say that it did the book justice. 

          Jennifer Lawrence is (again) fantastic as the brave and feisty Katniss, whilst Josh Hutcherson and Woody Harrelson are equally superb in their roles as Peeta (Hutcherson) and Haymitch (Harrelson). The relationship between Katniss and Peeta starts to really blossom in this one, but of course, their partnership is never without its complications. I do also have to commend Jena Malone for her brilliant performance as Johanna Mason, a victor from District 7. The story can seem a bit doom and gloom but it does have its comical moments, brought particularly by Jena Malone – her scenes certainly brought in the most laughs! The only criticism I can think to offer about this film (and this is really nit-picking) is that occasionally the scenes in the jungle were a little too dark at times and it was often hard to distinguish what was going on and who was taking a swipe at who! But other than that, I can’t really fault it. It was as good, if not better than I hoped it would be.  

May the odds be ever in your favour...

Favourite bit: There are so many but the elevator scene with Johanna was very amusing!

Rating: 9.5/10

Suit Up - Iron Man 3

Year of release: 2013

Director: Shane Black

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce, Gwyenth Paltrow, Don Cheadle

Like most other huge movie franchises, I’ve been a bit late with getting into the Iron Man craze. I seem to have quite a habit of completely missing the boat and then stumbling across them way after everyone else.  I didn’t really know much about the Iron Man movies until the third one was released earlier this year and after hearing so many people raving about it I decided to get watching. After seeing the first movie, my love of Iron Man was well and truly established. It wasn’t quite what I was expecting, as unlike most superhero movies Tony Stark doesn’t actually have any crazy superhuman powers, he just happens to be a techy genius – his ‘super power’ is his brain which I thought was pretty cool. It also helped make the story more believable in my opinion. So after the first, I quickly went on to watch the second, followed by The Avengers and then finally the third.

         The film begins with Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) recalling a New Years Eve party back in 1999 which he spent with scientist Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall), the inventor of a regenerative treatment known as Extremis which is used to help people recover from crippling injuries. Whilst they are leaving the party, they are approached by disabled scientists Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) who offers them a chance to work in his company Advanced Idea Mechanics (AIM), an offer which Stark rather rudely rejects. The film then jumps back to the present to find an anxious and over-worked Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) struggling to cope with panic attacks following the events of the alien attack in New York (in The Avengers), whilst he attempts to discover the identity of a terrorist organisation, fronted by a chap known as the Mandarin. After his head of security, Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau), is hospitalized after a suspected terrorist attack outside the Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, Stark makes it his mission to find the man responsible before anyone else gets hurt.

      This third instalment is certainly much darker and more sinister than the previous films and Stark is faced with a greater sense of threat and danger from his enemies than ever before. The villains in the film, led by disabled scientist Aldrich Killian, are able to regrow body parts and can withstand almost any form of attack following their treatment with Extremis, leaving them seemingly impossible to defeat – Stark certainly has his work cut out with this lot. You really do doubt whether the almighty Iron Man will be able to pull it all off this time or if he has finally met his match. And with his on-going battle to deal with his anxiety, Stark is presented with his greatest challenge yet.

Quiet Please. Genius at work.

     Whilst the plot is fast-paced, exciting and action-packed, it can be a little vague at times. The villain’s attacks often seemed a bit without reason and it was difficult to really grasp what their motivation was. But despite this minor ambiguity, the film is hard not to like – it has everything you would hope for in a superhero action movie. The special effects were spectacular. Everything from the explosions, to the creation of the villains, to the Iron Man suits was exceptionally well done. I particularly liked Tony’s new method of getting suited up, which was very comical as well as being incredibly cool! This third instalment definitely upped the ante with the superhero armour and techy gadgets, although there is less of a dependence on the suit in this film and more of a focus on the man who created it. Stark really has to prove his worth and is often forced to rely on his own genius and ingenuity rather than on the suits alone. But, of course, when the suits are used they are undeniably spectacular – a positive outcome of Stark’s obsessive workaholic behaviour at the start of the film.

     Stark, as always, retains his likeability as the charming and witty genius. Although this instalment shows Stark at his most vulnerable, allowing viewers to see a more caring side to his character, particularly through his relationship with Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow). I liked the development of the romantic storyline between Tony and Pepper and it served as a refreshing inclusion amongst all of the chaos and violence and people blowing up all over the place. I also loved the introduction of 10 year old Harley Keener (Ty Simpkins) who helps Tony get back on his feet and inspires him to put his genius to good use when his suit is temporarily out of use. The duo made a very unusual but very lovable and comical pair.

     Packed with plenty of charm, humour and rip-roaring action, this third instalment is a thrilling superhero delight that you will want to watch again and again. So if you haven’t done so already, do yourself a favour and get watching!

Favourite bit: This was a hard one to pick but I did really enjoy the scene where Stark makes numerous attempts to “call” his suit when he’s held hostage. The threats he splutters while waiting for his armour did make me laugh.

Rating: 9/10 

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

Year of Release: 2013

Director: Thor Freudenthal

Starring: Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Brandon T. Jackson

Well, I finally got myself down to the cinema to see this after months of waiting. I’d previously ignored the Percy Jackson films as friends of mine had put me off with their claims that it was like a poorer version of Harry Potter, but I was intrigued by it and having watched the trailer I figured, well, how bad can it be? I’m glad that I decided to give it a chance because I actually really enjoyed it. So, having loved the first film I’ve been eagerly awaiting the next instalment.

     Whilst the first movie was certainly full of adventure, I found this next instalment to be a little more action-packed, dangerous and exciting. After the magical border protecting their camp is broken, leaving them vulnerable and unprotected, Percy (Logan Lerman), along with his loyal friends Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) and Grover (Brandon T. Jackson), head out on a quest to the Sea of Monsters (aka The Bermuda Triangle) in search of The Golden Fleece in a desperate attempt to save their home.  

Needless to say, their quest is a dangerous and unpredictable one, with new and old faces joining them along the way. Percy acquires a long lost half-brother, Tyson (who turns out to be a Cyclops –mythical giant creature with one eye. Probably not quite the brother he was expecting), who is a lovable, charming character, but has a habit of landing them in hot water due to his clumsiness and inability to tread quietly. Luke returns and is still hell bent on revenge and seems more likely to succeed than ever. And then there is Clarisse, an egotistical and arrogant fellow resident at Camp Half-blood who loves nothing more than to win and beat Percy in everything he does.

     While the new characters do bring more depth to the story, it is still the trio of Percy, Annabeth and Grover that really make the film for me – these three actors are fabulous together and Lerman in particular never fails to impress me. So I was a bit disappointed that Brandon T. Jackson’s character didn’t feature in this one quite as much. There is a huge chunk of the film where his character is missing – granted this is a result of the script and can’t really be helped (I suppose I can’t really argue with the plot, can I?), but I do think it suffered a bit in his absence as I feel he brings the most comedic value to the film. His responses to sticky situations always manage to amuse me. The character of Tyson, who was featured more heavily, wasn’t quite as engaging to watch and he didn’t bring the same wit and charm as Grover.

Still, there were plenty of laughs and from start to finish and the plot remained interesting and entertaining. It wasn’t one of those films that take a good hour to really get going. To really enjoy the Percy Jackson movies though, I do think you need to have a good imagination. The film really does contain a lot of weird – strange, mythical creatures, peculiar legends and prophecies, magical powers and returns from the dead (to name just a few). If you didn’t have a good imagination you would just end up sat there chiming ‘yeah right’ or ‘as if’ the whole way through. But the special effects are brilliantly done so it’s easy to allow yourself to believe what you’re watching.

     It’s a rip-roaring adventure from start to finish, with engaging characters both new and old, and an ending that promises an epic follow up somewhere down the line. With its all-round great entertainment and enjoyment value that had me interested and engrossed the whole way through, I have to say that this follow up didn’t do bad. It didn’t do bad at all.

Favourite bit: It’s a toss-up between the scene where they take a ride in the taxi and Percy (Logan Lerman) almost comes a cropper when it splits in half, or the one where Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) is dressed as a female Cyclops. Both equally amusing.

Rating: 9/10

Get Me To The Movies

I've had quite a busy week so I haven't been watching as many films as I usually would. So, I thought I'd do a little list of brand new releases that I am dying to see! Here are my Top 5 film picks:

1.  The Lone Ranger

I have been excited to see this film since I first heard of its production some 6 months ago. I’m not that familiar with the original series so I’m not really sure what to expect but I have very high expectations. The film is going to be brought to light by Gore Verbinski and Jerry Bruckheimer - the same team that produced Pirates of the Caribbean. I absolutely adore the Pirates film series so I hope they can work their magic again for this movie. And on the subject of Pirates, the film stars Johnny Depp as Tonto, an American Indian Spirit warrior. I think I mentioned this in a previous post but I am a huge fan of Depp so I did squeal a bit when I found out he was going to be starring in this. The film also stars Armie Hammer (as The Lone Ranger) and Helena Bonham Carter, another one of my absolute faves. It looks set to be an action packed, comedic and exhilarating adventure. I can’t wait. 

Watch the trailer here.

2.  Now You See Me

This is another film that I have been looking forward to seeing for quite a while. I remember watching the trailer and being very impressed and intrigued by the short clip that I saw. It seems to be a film that doesn’t have a typical or predictable plot. The idea of robbing banks live during a magic show and then handing the cash over to a bemused audience doesn’t really strike me as another generic film plot! From the short clip that I have seen, it looks visually stunning with a huge array of special effects. It also has a strong cast, including Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine and Woody Harrelson. I hope this one doesn’t disappoint.  

Watch the trailer here.

3. Stuck In Love

I think this could potentially be one of those films that is either really great or really terrible. I’m hoping it won’t be the latter. I came across this film because it stars Logan Lerman. I’ve seen him in quite a few movies, most notably The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and he has always impressed me. Like The Perks of Being a Wallflower, this film looks set to be filled with drama and heartache, but yet it looks to be a genuinely heart-warming story. I love those sorts of films that leave you with a massive smile on your face after watching. I’m hoping this will be one of them.

Watch the trailer here.

4. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

This film isn’t due out for a while yet but I am already excited to see it! I really loved the first movie so I’m hoping this one will be more of the same. Starring Logan Lerman as Percy, this film sees him heading off to the Bermuda triangle with his friends Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario) and Grover (Brandon T. Jackson) in search of the Golden Fleece in a desperate bid to protect his camp and his people. Packed full of adventure and weird and mysterious creatures, this film is perfect for anyone who loves to delve into the world of the magical and let their imagination run wild. If you’re not the imaginative sort, then this one’s probably not for you.

Watch the trailer here.

5. Man of Steel

I was debating whether or not to include this film in this list as I’m not really a fan of the Superman movies. In fact, I’m not sure if I have seen them all but the ones I have watched left me suitably unimpressed. It did surprise me that I failed to enjoy Superman as I am a fan of superhero films. The Spiderman movies, both new and old, are absolute favourites of mine. I adore them. And Batman isn’t half bad either. So I’m hoping Man of Steel will be the one to ignite my love of Superman. I’ve heard amazing things about this film following its premiere two days ago so I figure it’s worth a watch. Hopefully it will surprise me.

Watch the trailer here.

Neverland: The Legend of Peter Pan

Year of Release: 2011
Director: Nick Willing
Starring: Charlie Rowe, Rhys Ifans, Anna Friel, Charles Dance, Q'orianka Kilcher, Bob Hoskins, Keira Knightley

Anybody that knows me well will know how much I adore the story of Peter Pan. It was my absolute favourite movie as a kid and to this day I still love it. I've lost count of the amount of times I've sat and watched the original Disney adaptation (1953) of the story, but I know it was an awful lot. I know a lot of people’s love of the story stems from the fact that Peter Pan never grows up and this idea of holding onto childhood has been a major attraction for most. Me? It was the fact that he could fly. As a kid, nothing seemed more thrilling than the thought of leaping out of my bedroom window and flying off to a magical place filled with adventure and pirates! Ah the thrill of it all! My love of Peter Pan did not fade away with childhood as the story is still very much a favourite of mine to this day. Over the years, I have accumulated a variety of different versions of the film including Hook (1991), Return to Neverland (2002), Peter Pan (2003) and one of my all-time favourite films Finding Neverland (2004). Whilst all these versions were enjoyable enough, it was Finding Neverland that really sparked my love of Peter Pan all over again. Perhaps it was because it told the story of how Peter Pan and the wonderful, magical world of Neverland originated. It might also have had something to do with the amazing cast, including Kate Winslet, Freddie Highmore (as Peter) and Johnny Depp as J. M. Barrie. I will fess up now and admit that I am a huge fan of Johnny and I will happily sit and watch anything just because he happens to be in it. So you can imagine my excitement when Johnny Depp and Peter Pan came together in one film. Amazing. Anyway, watching Finding Neverland rekindled my interest in the story, and resulted in me stumbling across this little gem called Neverland. 

     Neverland, a two part mini-series, relates the story of Peter Pan as it has never been told before, telling the legend of how Peter Pan came to be The Boy Who Never Grew Up. I have to admit I did squeal a bit when I saw this original and exciting new take on the legendary tale (I know, lame). The story is set in London, 1906. Peter (Charlie Rowe) is a young orphan who is taken in by a crook and talented fencer named Jimmy (James Hook played by Rhys Ifans). Peter, along with a gang of other young orphans who are similarly taken in, work the streets of London as a group of juvenile thieves who pick-pocket the townspeople to provide loot for Jimmy. When the boys and Jimmy break into Harbottles Antiques, a store which Jimmy has had his eye on for quite some time, they discover the artefact that he so desperately wants. The artefact in question is a strange, glowing orb, which, when knocked, causes Jimmy and the boys to vanish leaving Peter behind. After his panic subsides, Peter manages to find someone in possession of a similar orb which he then uses to magically transport himself to Neverland. Upon first glance, Neverland wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. It’s an icy, desolate and rather unwelcoming place - a far cry from the exotic island that I had anticipated. But as it was, this was just one of the many parts of Neverland. The beautiful beaches, pristine waters, rocky mountains and wild forests are all later brought to life as Peter explores all aspects of the island.

     After Peter’s gallant rescue of his friends from the clutches of the pirates, they take refuge in the Indian’s camp. Here, we are introduced to Tiger Lilly who helps Peter discover the orb that will enable him to return home. But after a rather violent encounter with the pirates, Peter appears to come to a rather sticky end. Luckily for him, the tree spirits (basically the fairies) come to his aid and he is healed by being immersed in a pool of magical mineral dust which gives him the ability to fly. With his newly acquired power, Peter, along with the help of Tinkerbell (voiced by Keira Knightley), embarks on a mission to stop Jimmy and the pirates from finding the spirit colony and the magical dust. It is during this showdown that we see Jimmy transform into the villainous Captain Hook, intent on exacting his revenge on Peter for cutting off his hand and feeding it to the crocodile. The story then comes to end at the precise point that the original story begins, with Peter losing his shadow and heading off back to London in search of it during which time he meets Wendy.

     This original and adventurous twist on the classic story was thoroughly enjoyable. I think it is a fabulous adaptation that will appeal not only to fans of Peter Pan, but to anyone who loves fantastical, adventurous and magical films. The film is visually stunning and the acting performance is similarly commendable. I thought Charlie Rowe did a fantastic job as Peter, capturing his playfulness, innocence and slightly cocky nature perfectly. Rhys Ifans as Captain Hook also did a great job of portraying the pirate that we all love to hate. Packed full of adventure, magic and humour, Neverland is certainly worth a watch, particularly if you’re a lover of Peter Pan like me! The only criticism I can think to offer is that it came to rather an abrupt end and as Peter discovered his shadow was missing, I couldn't help but desperately want the story to continue.

My rating: 9/10