Catching Fire Review

Justin, Jake, and I saw Catching Fire on November 23, 2013!! This is my favorite of the three books, so I was excited to see it. We follow Katniss Everdeen & Peeta Malark played by Jennifer Lawrence & Josh Hutcherson respectively as they embark on a Victor's Tour to the different districts. President Snow, played by Donald Sutherland is worried about rebellion in the districts and wants to destroy Katniss as he feels she is a symbol for hope. This results in the 75th Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) to feature all former champions competing in it. Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays Plutarch, the new Game Maker taking over for Seneca Crane. The characters are much more pronounced than the first book, and appear to be larger than life, especially in Joanna Mason & Finnick Odair. It was so great seeing Jena Malone in a movie again. She's a good actress and really captured the insanity of Joanna's character. The design of the arena, the threats (a new one at every hour), and the approach to beating the system were all amazing to watch. The monkeys, the jabberjays, the poison gas, the blood rain, the clock cornucopia-all much more compelling to me than the first installment (even though I greatly enjoyed that as well). So many people overlook the second book, because its the one in the middle, but it bridges the two books well combining the Hunger Games with the set-up for the rebellion. To me, its the most important of the series, and I feel it made for a better movie. I really liked the intensity throughout the movie, especially the riots in District 11, and the obstacles our victors have to deal with in the arena. Jennifer Lawrence & Josh Hutcherson were better here, because they understood the characters more. Donald Sutherland plays an excellent antagonist as President Snow. The casting for the victors worked very well, and the action/thrills kept coming. I also have to point out how the supporting cast of Woody Harrelson & Eliabeth Banks as Haymitch & Effie Trinkett really steal the show in many of the scenes they are in. Harrelson's Haymitch is guidance for Katniss & Peeta, and he is very important in helping to shape the rebellion. He understands the Capitol & the Hunger Games take on victors. He is trying to change the guard. Harrelson is so perfect in the role. Banks looks awesome in the different outfits & hair styles. Her wardrobe captures so much of the color spectrum. Color in this movie was incredible-the brightness/different shades of reds, blues, pinks, & greens were beautiful. One of the most impressive scenes is when Katniss turns into the Mockingjay on stage. It reminded me of a scene from Black Swan. It was an amazing visual. The cast, more pronounced characters, action/thrills, new arena, set-up for the rebellion, and the pageantry for the Quarter Quell, as well as the dreary presentation of the Victor's Tour really made this a better movie, and I definitely give this 1 5/5. I was very impressed with this, and feel this book deserves more credit. It certainly made for a better movie overall.

About Time Review

I saw About Time on November 12, 2013!! I enjoyed this movie a great deal. It was a very good romantic comedy mixing in a little science fiction with the time travel element. The story follows the life of Tim (played by Domhnall Gleeson) who has an animated family and at time trouble with relationships due to awkward conversations. We've all been in that boat before, so everybody can identify with that no matter who you are. Tim's father (played by Bill Nighy), who is just referred to as Dad throughout the movie, informs Tim that the males in the family can travel in time. What follows is a fun movie with happy moments as well as sad moments. Tim's time traveling is fun to watch as he goes about, not only trying to help his relationship with Mary (played by Rachel McAdams), but also attempting to help the lives of those around him including his family and friends. This is why Tim is such a great character. Many times he is trying to help somebody else other than himself. While Gleeson & McAdams have great chemistry with each other providing some fun scenes and conversations, it's the relationship with two members of his family that really fascinated me. His relationship with his father is great to watch as you see they are close and share personal stories with each other-not all father-son relationships are like this. Tim's father is very important in his life, because he provides advice and always gives him a story to put him in a better place.  However, I personally found his relationship with his sister Kat (nicknamed Kitty Kat) to be the most interesting. I really liked the Kitty Kat character as she realizes the importance of change in one's life. She is a free spirit when we first meet her, and while she always maintains this, she still understands that she has to change some things.  Lydia Wilson did an excellent job in the role. You'll see what makes this happen, and how Tim will play a role in it. They are extremely close with each other-he does alot to try and help her with his time traveling abilities. You will be smiling at alot of what transpires on the screen, but there will also be moments when you'll have a tear in your eye. The good thing is those tears will turn to happiness in the end. While there are grim moments, they mend through time. In the end, one moral is to live each day as best you can. However, if you have the opportunity to change something in it, try it. I also want to point out that the soundtrack for this movie is phenomenal. The cast, the plot, the gamut of emotions, and brilliant directing make this a 4/5. If you want to check out a romantic comedy that has a different twist to it, check it out. Trust me, this movie is not like the Time Traveler's Wife which was terrible in many ways. This is an entertaining movie with great storytelling and fun characters.