"The Hunger Games" Movie Review

"The Hunger Games" movie poster.

"In a dystopian future, the totalitarian nation of Panem is divided between 12 districts and the Capitol. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal retribution for a past rebellion, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors while the citizens of Panem are required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss's young sister, Prim (Willow Shields), is selected as District 12's female representative, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives." Written by Suzanne Collins (Link below.)  

So, I have just seen the much raved about "The Hunger Games" movie. I must say that I am not sure it was worth all of the talk.

Things I liked:

-The cast was amazing! I loved Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss! She was beautiful, sexy and very strong! Josh Hutcherson was absolutely adorable though I would've liked him to have been a bit more love sick for Katniss. I love Stanley Tucci no matter what he does - he looks better in blue hair than Katy Perry does. Woody Harrelson was very good in his role, as well as Elizabeth Banks and Lenny Kravitz - he really surprised me. Donald Sutherland is a very sinister President Snow.

Stanley Tucci (L) and Jennifer Lawrence.

-The costumes were amazing! Though sometimes things were a bit garish in the Capitol it was still like watching an avant-garde runway. Loved the clothes!

-The sets were also amazing! I was wondering how they would do the Cornicopia. I would've loved to have seen it in gold, but the giant silver thing was fine.

-I don't remember the soundtrack very much, but the four-note tune that Rue and Katniss sang was very haunting. It reminded me of the song from "Pan's Labyrinth".

-The mockingjay pin was really nice.

-The design work on the posters and promotions was genius!

Jennifer Lawrence (L) and Josh Hutcherson.

Things I disliked:

-They made Gale really annoying from the get-go. He would never have chased away such a great prize as a 100 lb. doe! That would've sold for quite a lot! Not to mention the amount of food!

-I would've liked to have seen Madge in it. I connected with her, though she's not in the books that much.

-I think they jumped the gun with the riots starting before the games were even over. I was under the impression that they started in the second book.

Things I ABSOLUTELY LOATHED:

-The shaky camera thing!!!! I would've liked to have seen this movie rather than going "well, I'm sure that's exciting but I can't tell what the hell is going on!" The director should have his eyes gouged out! Who thought that was a good idea, really?! I could understand it during the hallucinations and when Rue was dying, but the whole damn movie?

-And so many close-ups! I felt like I was in Katniss's skinpores!

It was alright. It was enjoyable. I'm really glad I had read the books first to fill in the holes but also viewing this before reading them might have ruined the scenery in my mind. But the casting was perfect. So I give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I know one thing that would make me happy:

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark.

Can I take him home? Pretty please?! He's so cute!!!

P. S. Those complaining about the "Battle Royale" similarities - they stole their idea from "Thunderdome" so F-off! And they don't have Josh Hutchinson!

Script available here: http://www.the-editing-room.com/the-hunger-games.html.

Favorite Lines:

Peeta Mellark: I just keep wishing I could think of a way to show them that they don't own me. If I'm gonna die, I wanna still be me. Does it make any sense? 

Katniss Everdeen: Yeah. I just can't afford to think like that.

Katniss Everdeen: So you're here to make me look pretty. 

Cinna: I'm here to help you make an impression.

President Snow: And so it was decreed that each year, the various districts of Panem would offer up in tribute, one young man and woman to fight to the death in a pageant of honor, courage and sacrifice.

Stanley Tucci.

Caesar Flickerman: Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire!

Caesar Flickerman: And what did you say to her in the end? 

Katniss Everdeen: I told her that I would try to win. That I would try to win for her. 

Caesar Flickerman: Of course you did. And try you will.

Haymitch Abernathy: This is the time to show them everything. There'll be a bow, make sure you use it. Peeta, you make sure to show your strength.

Caesar Flickerman: So Peeta. Tell me. Is there a special girl back home? 

Peeta Mellark: No. No, not really. 

Caesar Flickerman: No? I don't believe it it for a second, look at that face! Handsome man like you! Peeta. Tell me. 

Peeta Mellark: Well, there, uh. There is this one girl that I've had a crush on forever. But I don't think she actually recognized me until the Reaping. 

Jennifer Lawrence
as Katniss Everdeen.

Caesar Flickerman: Well, I'll tell you what Peeta. You go out there, and you win this thing, and when you get home she'll have to go out with you! 

Peeta Mellark: Thanks, but I, uh. I don't think winning's gonna help me at all. 

Caesar Flickerman: And why not? 

Peeta Mellark: Because... she came here with me.

Peeta Mellark: So what happens when we get back? 

Katniss Everdeen: I don't know. I guess we try to forget. 

Peeta Mellark: I don't wanna forget.

Effie Trinket: May the odds be ever in your favor.

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/.

"Men In Black 3" Movie Review

"Men in Black 3" movie poster.

"An alien criminal named Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement) kills the young Agent K in 1969, altering the timeline, changing the Agency and placing the Earth in danger. Veteran Agent J (Will Smith) must travel back in time to 1969 to before the murder and work with the young Agent K (Josh Brolin) to save him, the Agency, the Earth and humanity itself." Written by Anonymous (Link below.)

I had a tremendous time at the movie theater with this one. Although now I have that new Pitbull song stuck in my head. Oh well. It's entirely possible that the buzz around the internet that this movie may be the best in the trilogy that is the "Men In Black" franchise may actually be true.

Jemaine Clement.

Josh Brolin is every bit as good an impersonator of Tommy Lee Jones as everyone on the web has been stating. He was amazing and very believable as a younger version of Mr. Jones. Speaking of Mr. Jones, he seemed very covered with a veritable mask of makeup in this movie. It was very disconcerting.

Josh Brolin (L) and Will Smith.

I thought that some of the best acting wasn't just from Josh Brolin, but also from Jemaine Clement who played Boris the Animal. I didn't realize until I looked him up that that is the same guy from "The Flight of the Conchords" and, I think, the same guy who narrates the Outback Steakhouse restaurant commercials. 

Emma Thompson and her lovely coif.

Her part was kind of small, but I love Emma Thompson, who plays Agent O, a love interest of Agent K. I don't just love her for her accent either, even if that high class British accent of hers does get me randy. Her hair was amazing in this film! Whoever did her hair should be commended. However, if that is the same person who did Mr. Jones 'makeup mask' it might be one of those things where they are only great every once in a while.

Will Smith astride a largely
disappointing 'space bike'.

There was a lot of stuff missing from the movie that was in the trailers though. I'm not sure if I have a problem with that because a lot of it seemed like excess material. The only thing that I had a real problem with were those space bikes. They looked awesome, but they couldn't beat a regular motorcycle on the freeway. That's the kind of disappointing and pompous computer generated effects that action movies need to stay away from unless the thing actually is astounding. 

Oh, the 3D wasn't necessary at all and there weren't that many scenes where it would've increased the enjoyment of the film.

I enjoyed it, but I kind of hope that that is the end of this series. Hollywood needs to get over its 'sequelitis' that it is making everyone suffer from. 

I give this movie a 4 out of 5. 

Favorite Lines:

(L to R) Josh Brolin as Young Agent K, Michael Sthulbarg
as Griffin, and Will Smith as Agent J.

Agent J: I'm looking for K, have you seen him? Sort of a surly, older gentleman, smiles like this... 

[J makes a poker face] 

O: K's been dead for over forty years.

Agent J: All right, pay attention... 

[neuralyzes a crowd] 

Agent J: Okay. You know how you kids won the goldfish in that little baggy at the school fair, and you didn't want that nasty thing in your house so you flushed it down the toilet? Well, this's what happened... 

[points to an alien fish being towed away] 

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1409024/

P. S. I want to watch the first "Men In Black" movie, but I am afraid that, because technological use in the movies has gotten so good over the years that I won't be able to appreciate this first movie. When I was younger I thought it was so awesome. I don't want to ruin it for myself. Oh, dilemmas.

"The Dark Knight Rises" Movie Review

"The Dark Knight Rises" movie poster.

REVISED: Even after all of the blogs I've read that question every detail of the movie, I'm going to stick to my guns for my rating and my review. I know a lot of people were disappointed in the movie because it got some details from the comic book series wrong or were completely disregarded, but I'm rating it just as a movie. I know that there are some logical mistakes involved with that too, but I think the movie would be an hour longer if Mr. Nolan tried to fix all of them. I know some people want perfection, I just want to be entertained. If I want to learn something or get something that is close to the original, I won't be watching a Batman movie for it. All in all, this series is still one of the best around and beats all of the other Batman movies that have been made.

Read the script here: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/NerdyGeek/news/?a=65006.

"Despite his tarnished reputation after the events of The Dark Knight, in which he took the rap for Harvey Dent's crimes, Batman/Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) feels compelled to intervene to assist the city and its police force which is struggling to cope with Bane's (Tom Hardy) plans to destroy the city." Written by WellardRockard (Link below.)

Christian Bale (L) and
Anne Hathaway.

The last installment of Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight" trilogy is out! Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Cillian Murphy, Gary Oldman, andChristian Bale return for the conclusive movie. There are also new faces for this film finale:Anne Hathaway as Catwoman/Selina Kyle, Tom Hardy as Bane, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Officer John Blake, and Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tate (I had no idea she was in this movie!). Even Liam Neeson makes an appearance.

Tom Hardy as Bane.

Everyone did a fantastic job. The special effects were very good. The costumes were amazing. Contrary to some people's loud, I thought Ms. Hathaway was very sexy and alluring as Catwoman. Sometimes I couldn't understand what Bane was saying, but you get the general gist of what he is trying to say.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as
Officer John Blake.

Favorite Lines:

Ra's al Ghul: If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal... you become something else entirely. A legend, Mr. Wayne, a legend! 

Jim Gordon: [lying in a hospital bed] We were in this together, and then you were gone. Now this evil... rises. The Batman has to come back. 

Bruce Wayne: What if he doesn't exist any more? 

Jim Gordon: He must... he must... 

Christian Bale (L)
and Michael Caine.

CIA Agent: Who paid you to grab Dr. Pavel? 

[No answer, gun is shot away from the prisoner's head] 

CIA Agent: He didn't fly so good! 

[Pulls guy back in to plane] 

CIA Agent: Who wants to try next? 

[with another prisoner] 

CIA Agent: Tell me about Bane! Why does he wear the mask? A lot of loyalty for a hired gun! 

Bane: [still with black hood on] Or perhaps he's wondering why someone would shoot a man before throwing him out of a plane? 

CIA Agent: At least you can talk! Who are you? 

Bane: It doesn't matter who we are... what matters is our plan. No one cared who I was until I put on the mask. 

CIA Agent: [Pulls hood off to reveal Bane] If I pull that off, will you die? 

Bane: It would be extremely painful... 

CIA Agent: You're a big guy. 

Bane: ...for you. 

Anne Hathaway as Catwoman.

Bane: When Gotham is ashes, you have my permission to die. 

Doctor: I've seen worse cartilage in knees. 

Bruce Wayne: It's good. 

Doctor: No, that's because there is no cartilage in your knee. Scar tissue on your kidneys. Concussive damage to your brain tissue. I can not recommend that you go heliskiing. 

Batman: No guns, no killing. 

Catwoman: Where's the fun in that? 

Crowd: [chanting] Deh-Shay, Deh-Shay, Bah Sah Rah. Bah Sah Rah. 

Bruce Wayne: What does that mean? 

Prisoner: "Rise."

In light of the shooting in an Aurora, Colorado movie theater, Warner Brothers Studio has kept promotion on the film at a minimum and has not released the box office numbers for how well the film is or is not doing. I feel this shows tact and politeness on the part of the movie studio, because this horrible situation wasn't their fault. I am not sure what else to say about this situation because it is so far beyond my conception of what can happen at a movie theater that I am speechless. However, I would like to say that I wish all of the survivors well and that my heart goes out to the people who lost friends and family.

Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1345836/plotsummary.