The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 Review

We are at an end of an era. The Hunger Games comes to an end with Mockingjay – Part 2. After four years, the most popular young adult novel franchise since Harry Potter concludes its final chapter. Does the ending justify the journey? Let's find out!

At this point, complaining about the final book being split into two parts is pointless. It happened, and now we have Mockingjay – Part 2, the final film that brings the franchise to an end. Personally, Part 1 was not a bad movie. It presented a few interesting ideas and served as a prologue of sorts so that Part 2 could focus on the finale. Unlike many, I have never read the books, so any changes to the source material are irrelevant, and I do not consider myself a fan of the franchise, but rather a casual viewer.

Directed by: Francis Lawrence

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Drama,

Release Date: November 20, 2015

Running Time: 137 minutes

MMPA rating: PG-13

The Good: Majorly intense action sequence, Effective jump scares, Peeta is likable for the first time ever, Mostly strong and poignant conclusion, Jennifer Lawrence is as good as always, Impressive CGI creatures, Finnick is cool, Grand scale and scope,

The Bad: Problematic pacing, One or two dramatic scenes are unintentionally funny, Did we ever care about some of these characters?

Plot: 8.0/10- Being a "Part 2," Mockingjay suffers from obvious pacing issues from the start. The movie opens where we left off, and continues the story towards it ultimate endgame. The problem is that it feels like the plot gets going and then abruptly stops and does that several throughout the film. The pacing is not jarring to the point of ruining the experience, but some viewers might be bored with the slower pacing. Despite being split, "Part 2" does feel like a complete film as the central conflict would be undermined if reduced to the second half of a film.

Otherwise, the plot brings the franchise to a poignant end. How the larger plot points resolve is surprisingly well executed and delivers a few unexpected twists. The film almost exclusively takes place from Katniss' perspective, even more so than previous films, which creates a sense of immersion, almost as if you are floating over her the entire film. 

The ending does drag a bit by being about 5 minutes too long, but too much resolution at the end of a story is always better than not enough. However, there are a few missed opportunities where the characters do not make the obvious and logical choice. 

Characterization: 7.6/10- Katniss Everdeen is a decent character, who is made far more likable thanks to Jennifer Lawrence. Compared to other franchise protagonists like Harry Potter or Frodo, the viewer does not have nearly as strong an emotional connection to her, unless you read the novels. With that said, she is a capable protagonist that you want to succeed and comparing the Hunger Games to those classics is unfair.

For the first time ever, Peeta is actually likable, and we finally see why maybe, just maybe, why Katniss might like him. But seriously, Peeta has character depth for the first time, because he is not just the "Nice Guy." Part 2 manages to wrap up the stories of the various supporting characters in a satisfying way, although it would have been great if Haymitch could have been involved in the finale. However, the only issue is that we, or at least I, never cared for the supporting cast nearly as much as the cast of Harry Potter, for example. When characters died, there is little emotional connection, but otherwise, the characters were solid.

Direction: 8.5/10- The streets of Panem offer the most grand and interesting backdrop of the entire franchise. The towering builds and rubble creates the perfect location for the story, and visually, it looked real. Francis Lawrence does an excellent job at directing the action sequences, or rather the one real action sequence. There is one prolonged sequence that is easily the most intense and entertaining battle of the entire franchise. It is intense, fast paced, well directed, and a little frightening. It even made little kids scream several times in the theater! My only issue with the sequence is that enemies seem somewhat out of place in the world the series setup.

Unfortunately, the other action sequences are too short because as soon as they get going, they come to an abrupt end, which is a real shame since the director seemed to finally grasp how to create an exciting action set piece.

Acting: 7.9/10- Jennifer Lawrence is all around great as expected, except during the crying scenes, which always seem a little more humorous than dramatic. Josh Hutcherson is legitimately excellent for the first time ever, as his performance adds depth to the previous boring character. He certainly wins most surprisingly good performance this year. The rest of the cast is strong as expected, with no noticeable weak points.

Special effects: 8.5/10- Without a doubt, the best looking and most impressive Hunger Games film, Part 2 delivers high quality special effects with some of the best CGI humanoid creatures to date. Even some of the best effects have a sense that the creatures are not actually in physical contact with the actors, but somehow, the CGI guys behind the film do an exceptional job. Also, the streets of Panem are very believable to the point where telling the difference between the physical sets and green screen is not easy.

Soundtrack: 6.5/10- James Newton Howard score is fine, albeit completely forgettable.

Humor: N/A- Aside from a few lines from Haymitch, Part 2 is not a humorous film.

Entertainment Value: 8.5/10- While some might be bored by the pacing issues, the story was involving, and I was invested in how everything would end, and in terms of entertainment, it did not disappoint.

Overall: 8.1/10- The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 brings the franchise to an end in a satisfying way. Due to pacing issues, it might not even touch the level of the classics like Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, but as a whole, The Hunger Games is entertaining series of films with interesting ideas, and thankfully, Part 2 resolves everything well enough for me to feel like the journey was worthwhile. Essentially, if you watched the previous films, watch this one; you have no reason not to finish it.

Closing comments: As far as franchises go, The Hunger Games is in the upper middle portion. None of the films fall into "Classic" territory, but, as a whole, it is an entertaining franchise that will be worth watching again at some point. 

Recommended for: Anyone that watched the previous films,

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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 Official Trailer

The fourth and final film in the Hunger Games quadrilogy is almost there, and now we have the film's first full trailer. Since I did not watch Harry Potter until after it concluded, The Hunger Games is first the YA novel series adaptation that I watched as it was released. For the past four years, I experienced the film series with everyone else, and it has been a fun ride. With that said, Harry Potter is far superior, and while I do like the Hunger Games, I am not necessarily a fan. Sure, they are good movies, but they are definitely not among the best of the best. Regardless, I am excited to see the final installment, and I will be in theater to see it come to an end. Please check back tomorrow for my review of the latest Doctor Who episode, and Thursday for a special post about my Horror Movie Survival Guide!

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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 Teaser Trailer

A new hunger games propaganda video from District 13 is live! The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 continues with the franchise trend to use propaganda like videos to get the viewers hyped. The video shows a company of District 13 soldiers presenting arms with the words "Freedom is Worth Fighting For" and at the end Katniss walks in wearing new red battle attire. The new red armor is a little strange, but it should I like it. Finally, the Hunger Games franchise to coming to a close, and while I have not read the books, from what I have heard, it is going to be an interesting finale. What do you think of the trailer? Please comment below and let me know, and sorry everyone for the short posts. Until I fix my computer, I am limited to a cheap tablet.

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The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 Review

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, the first part of the franchise’s finale that continues the story of Katniss Everdeen in the aftermath of the previous film. 

From the onset, the Mockingjay: Part 1 is strikingly different than the previous entries in the franchise. No longer are the Hunger Games themselves the central focus of the film. Now, the name of the game is propaganda in this war of rebellion with the capitol and rebel forces going back and forth with each attacking one another with ad campaigns trying to sway the opinion of the masses.

Surprisingly, at least for non-book readers, Part 1 is not an action film. Unlike usual, I knew next to nothing about the film going in, and yet the movie managed to make the propaganda aspect so entertaining that the lack of action was barely noticeable. For example, I watched the movie with my brother and a friend, both of whom are action junkies, especially when watching a movie in theaters, yet they both enjoyed the film as much as I did, and even more so than the previous Hunger Games movies.

Directed by: Francis Lawrence

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi,

Release Date: November 21, 2014

Running Time: 123 minutes

MMPA rating: PG-13

The Good: Intriguing propaganda mind games, Satisfying conclusion for a "Part 1," Strong performances across the board, Surprisingly humorous, Great set design, Jennifer Lawrence is as reliable as ever, Shocking plot twists, 

The Bad: Supporting cast is sidelined, Smaller in scale,

Plot: 8.2/10- For a "Part 1" of a two part story, Mockingjay's plot progression was surprisingly fluid and natural. The movie began and ended without a moment feeling out of place. Even though not a lot was necessarily happening, it never became boring or uninteresting, which is even a problem that the previous films suffered from.

Knowing next to nothing of the source material, the several plot twists of the turns are very expected, with one being so shocking that a member of audience “D*NM!” when it happened.

As enjoyable as action movies are, seeing a more intellectual, behind-the-scenes, war going on is not something that you see in movies in the west, or blockbusters in general, and it is a refreshing change of pace. With that said, it is not the most compellingly told or meaningful story of rebellion, but it is well enough executed to be enjoyable. For example, this year's Captain America: The Winter Soldier was able to convey an even more profound political message, yet still be a thrilling action film. 

Being the first half of one story still presents some issues. As entertaining as the events of the film are, at times it felt like an episode of television, because it is still mostly setup for the finale. It is great setup, but it is still like the first two Acts of a larger narrative. Fortunately, the film manages to end in a fashion that is very satisfying, even if it teases the audience every time it cuts to black before the actual endings.

My only other minor issue is that the nature of the story makes the movie feel small in scale. It does not have the feeling of a large scale cinematic epic that Catching Fire had. Of course, this is probably due to this being the first part of a larger story, but it almost felt like high quality television at times.

Characterization: 7.9/10- Whereas previous films focus on a few different characters, Mockingjay: Part 1 is very Katniss centered story. Focusing the story around the main character provides for time to develop the main character. However, after watching a review, someone noted that Katniss lacks progression as a character, and that is kind of true to a point, although Katniss has never been a character that changes all that much, so it was not all that noticeable to me.
Most of the characters from the previous films, plus the new cast of characters, serve their purpose in the narrative, without being actively developed, which is a byproduct of the focus on Katniss. 

Action: 6.5/10- As previously stated, Part 1 is not an action film like the previous entries. This is not a bad thing, but if you were expecting an action blockbuster, this is not going to be it. With that said, there are a few quick action sequences, and Francis Lawrence does an excellent job at making them intense for the five minutes that they last. 

Acting: 8.5/10- Jennifer Lawrence is as reliable as ever as Katniss, even if some of her crying scenes are a bit odd.

Even though the supporting cast is sidelined story wise, the actors certainly make the most of their time with superb performances from almost everyone. All of the returning cast including Woody Harrelson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and even Josh Hutcherson give fine performances. Of the new cast, Natalie Dormer as Cressida makes the best impression, even if her screentime is limited as well. 

Special effects: 7.5/10- With the exception of a few scenes, the film is not all that heavy in terms of special effects. However, the special effects that are present are barely noticeable thanks to the high quality CGI. The design of the sets and use of practical effects opposed to CGI and green screen is impression, which gives the film a better sense of reality. 

Soundtrack: 7.9/10- James Newton Howard's score does exactly what it is made to do, compliment the film and set the mood. It is not the most memorable, but it gets the job. The use of a certain song was also surprisingly effective and well utilized. 

Humor: 7.7/10- The film is not all that heavy on humor, but the humor that is present seems natural and well timed.

Entertainment Value: 8.3/10- From beginning to end, the film entertained me. It does not reach the level of audience involvement that other top films of the year have, but it is the type of film that you watch and do not regret paying the price of admission.

Overall: 8.0/10- Despite suffering from the shortcomings that a "Part 1" film entails, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 excels in most other aspects thanks to the superb performances, solid pacing, and managing to provide a satisfying cliffhanger, without feeling as though it is teasing the audience.

Closing comments: As an action film, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 falls short, because that is not what it is trying to be, even if the trailers may suggest otherwise. However, as a propaganda war drama, it succeeds.

Recommended for: Anyone that liked the previous films,

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Mockingjay – Part 1: First Impression

I finally got to see The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, the first part of the Hunger Games' final chapter. My short impression of the movie is that if you liked the previous Hunger Games movies, you should go see Mockingjay – Part 1, because Part 2 is probably going to be all kinds of awesome. Of course, Part 1 is not perfect, and there are some problems that I will discuss in my full review tomorrow. 

With that said, I watched the movie with my brother and a friend, both of whom hated the first Hunger Games, but did like Catching Fire to a degree, and they both enjoyed Mockingjay – Part 1 quite a bit. 

One funny thing that happened in the theater is that when a certain unexpected moment happen, someone in the audience shouted “D*MN!” which made everyone else in the theater laugh. Although, the same guy did start to sing during the movie for a minute, which was odd, but other than that, everyone was thankfully quiet.

On a side note, if you remember by post from last year, Mockingjay filmed in my hometown, and seeing the location in the film was cool, especially since nothing like that has ever happened where I live. If you watched the movie, I am referring to the scenes in and around the hospital in the early part of the movie. You can click here to see the picture that I took of the set.

Please check back tomorrow for my review of the film.

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New Hunger Games Trailer

Yes, I realize that I am late posting the trailer, but better late than never, right? For some reason, Mockingjay: Part 1 has been the only the movie with worthwhile news to post about over the past few weeks. Anyway, we finally have a full trailer with actual footage after the multiple teasers, and I am liking the new direction the series is taking. The movie looks like it is going to be a lot fun! Please comment below and let me know what you think of the trailer, and check back tomorrow for my review of the latest Doctor Who episode.

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First Katniss Poster for Mockingjay

Finally, a Katniss poster for the Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 1 is here, kind of. Well, we do not get to actually see Jennifer Lawrence's face, but her winged armor looks awesome on this new poster. Please comment below and let me know. Also, this has been a really slow week in movie news, but there will be more movie news tomorrow.

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New Hunger Games: Mockingjay Posters

New posters for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay have been released featuring Gale, as well as several new characters. From what I understand, the posters are of a television propaganda group working for the resistance, but of course they are heavily armed. Since I do not want to know any spoilers, I have avoided further details. Among the new cast members includes Game of Thrones and Elementary actress, Natalie Dormer, who plays Cressida in the film. What do you think of the posters? Please comment below and check out the new trailer for another upcoming film that I posted about today by clicking here.

Some how Google created this gif from my pictures automatically! It is actually kind of cool!

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New Hunger Games: Mockingjay Trailer

After several propaganda teasers, a real Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 1 trailer is here. Sure, this trailer/teaser is certainly short, but it gives us a small bit of the film's rebellion type tone. Considering that rebellion movies are some of my favorites, I hope Mockingjay can pull it off. For some reason, the people climbing trees looks odd (gif below), but other than that, cool teaser. While I am not entirely sure, I think that one of those short clips might be from the scenes filmed in my hometown. I will have to see more before I can say for sure, but it might be. Also, do not forget to check out today's other post about the Legend of Korra by clicking here.

Note: Sorry for not replying to comments lately, my arm is getting worse again.

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Hunger Games: Mockingjay Teaser Trailer 2

The Capital has released another propaganda viral marketing video for The Hunger Games Mockingjay, but that is not all. Beetee interrupts the broadcast with a message from District 13. To the left of President Snow is a nearly unrecognizable Johanna Mason, who is now blonde. Considering that she was my favorite part of Catching Fire, I hope she gets a bigger role (please don't spoil anything from the books). What do you think of the teaser? Please comment below and let me know.

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Hunger Games: Mockingjay Teaser Trailer

The first trailer for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay: Part 1 is here! In line with other viral marketing teases, this is like an announcement by President Snow to the people of Panem, and Peeta is standing beside Snow! Apparently, readers of the book are not surprised by this revelation, but as someone who has avoided reading the book and spoilers in general. Considering that Catching Fire turned out to be one of the best movies of last year, I am most definitely excited for Mockingjay: Part 1, and I am going to see it in theaters, so it is not like the trailer has to sell me on the movie. While not particularly special, this teaser is better than most teasers. What did you think of the teaser? Please comment below and check back tomorrow for My Movie Bucket-List.

On a sidenote, you may remember that I posted about the Hunger Games: Mockingjay filming in my hometown. While I am not sure if the footage will be used in part one or two of Mockingjay, I am certainly excited to see it, and you can check out the original post with my covertly taken set pictures by clicking here.

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Reader Reviews: Catching Fire

Here are the Reader Reviews of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, where your reviews are compiled into one post. The general consensus of the Readers is in line with Rotten Tomatoes' 89% Fresh rating because no one disliked the film, with everyone enjoying the film to varying degrees. For the reviews that have a rating system, I have added those after the link and those that commented with a summary of their review, I have added that. Also please check back tomorrow for my full review of Catching Fire and next week I will have a short spoiler thoughts because there was so much to talk about the film. 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Review by Jordan: WOW! What a step up for an already impressive franchise. Catching Fire elevated the Hunger Games series to a whole new level while delivering one of the year's best blockbusters (and most faithful book adaptations). A fantastic effort by everyone involved. Everyone who saw Catching Fire cannot wait to see Mockingjay Part I now! (RRS: 9/10)

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE by Daniel: B+

Cindy Prascik's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: 7/9

Movie Review - Catching Fire by Stillwater (spoilers)

Catching Fire Film Review by Shena Tokala (spoilers): "Besides the meanings of the overall story, there were many other things in the plot that I enjoyed. The Quarter Quell (which made me think "WHAT! NO!" while reading) was perfectly handled and made so different that we don't feel like we're re-treading known ground. The arena looked magnificent and was an impressive feat in of itself. In fact, this whole section was my favorite part, not only did it help us to learn more about our characters, it helped, even more, to stress who the real villain are. Even though some of the tributes aren't on our heroes side, they aren't villanized and you don't hate them- incredible film making right there."

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire by Sarah: 5/5- "The deeper side is why I adore it, but as even as pure entertainment this movie is just about as thrilling as it can be, and astonishingly well-made."

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Hunger Games: Catching Fire Reader Reviews

If you have reviewed The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, please comment with a link to your review and it will be featured on my upcoming Reader Reviews post. Having now seen Catching Fire, I wanted to bring back the Reader Reviews idea that I did with Thor: The Dark World since spreading the word about great reviews is never a bad thing. Please leave a comment with a link to your review and please do not forget to add a brief summery or quote from your review so that I can add it along with the link. Having now seen Catching Fire for myself, I will post my review of the film on Friday and the Reader Reviews post on Monday.

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New Hunger Games: Catching Fire Trailer!

 

The trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is here! The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the sequel to 2012's popular The Hunger Games, which grossed over 691 million dollars at the Box Office last year. While the first Hunger Games had its moments, the extreme overuse of shaky-cam was also unwatchable and many of the characters were left under-developed. Basically the film appealed to two demographics, 1: Females, 2: Guys who have read the book, and because I try to keep an unbiased view at films, I never read the books, I was in neither category. As much as I wanted to like the first Hunger Games it mostly disappointed. However, from what I know about Catching Fire it could turn out great, I suppose we will just have to wait and see. As for the trailer itself, there is not much to say since it did not show much. What do you think about the new trailer? Please comment below. Please check back tomorrow for the continuation of my Top 100 Movies post series.

 

 

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The Hunger Games Review.

Thank you everyone who voted on yesterday's post and the vertic was, The Hunger Games and Lawrence of Arabia. However, the other movie reviews will be posted at a later time, most likely next week.

Thoughts: One of the most hyped movies of the year, The Hunger Games. It is based on the popular novel of the same, which I have not read. I was skeptical about the movie but I did have somewhat high expectations for the movie.

The Hunger Games started slowly, which I expected before watching it, and took an hour before the movie actually got going. Although it did not seem to explain quite enough to the audience as it should have, for example: the sponsors. The visual style and costumes of "The Capital" was very weird, hard to look at and laughably ridiculous, at times during the movie. Despite probably being in the book, the film maker should have toned it down.

The main character Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, was likable and overall a good heroine.

The Hunger Games is often cited as having strong thematic subtext and social commentary, which it did have, but it was not as strong as was said. Also some criticize the book and movie for being overly violent because basically kids (although many of the actors are older than the characters they play) were killing each other and the "brutality" of the content. Since this is entirely fictional, I do not see the problem unless the sight of blood bothers you. The movie does have some surprising amount of blood for a PG-13 movie, which is good. However, due to the extreme use of shaky cam during the action scene, it cuts always before much real violence is actually shown but it also makes the action scenes hard to follow and poorly executed.

Also there were parts of the movie that were very good and I was thinking "if the character did (insert idea) this could become great." but never continued getting better. At times the characters made very dumb choices, which can become very annoying and some of the movie is overly dramatic. I know that the characters are teenagers, but they are not dumb characters. The romance in the movie was not done well, mostly because Josh Hutcherson as Peeta did not give a very good performance to match Jennifer Lawrence's great performance.

The question that is often asked is The Hunger Games the next Harry Potter? In some ways it is, in that the first movie made a ton of money because of the popularity of the book and the hype not necessarily the quality of the movie. However, I doubt that the series will reach the heights of Harry Potter, since the characters are not as interesting and I saw more potential in Harry Potter, which it did live up to in the later movies.


Directed by: Gray Ross
Genre:Sci-Fi, Action Thriller,
Release Date:  March 23, 2012
Running Time: 142 minutes
MMPA rating: PG-13


The Good: Good concept, Great performance by Jennifer Lawrence,

The Bad: Slow first half, Extreme over use of shaky cam, Anticlimactic ending,




Plot: The following plot summary is copied from Wikipedia.com.
The nation of Panem, formed from a post-apocalyptic North America, consists of a wealthy Capitol and twelve poorer surrounding districts. As a punishment for a previous rebellion against the Capitol by the districts, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by an annual lottery (known as the "Reaping") to participate in the Hunger Games. The participants (or "tributes") of the Hunger Games must fight to the death in an arena controlled by the Capitol until only one remains alive; the victor is rewarded with fame and wealth. Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old girl from District 12, volunteers for the 74th Annual Hunger Games, to take the place of her younger sister Primrose, who was selected by the lottery. Peeta Mellark, a baker's son who once gave Katniss bread when her family was starving, was also selected.
Katniss and Peeta are taken to the Capitol, where their drunken mentor, former Games victor Haymitch Abernathy, instructs them to watch and learn the talents of the other tributes, especially the "Careers", who have been trained from birth to compete in the Games. During a pre-Games interview with TV personality Caesar Flickerman, Peeta unexpectedly reveals his love for Katniss. She is initially outraged, believing it to be a ploy to gain audience support, as "sponsors" may provide in-Games gifts of food, medicine, and tools.
Watch the movie to see what happens next.



Plot: 7.5/10- The concept of battling to the end similar to the Roman Gladiators in history, like one of my favorite movies Gladiator. However, the pacing was very slow in the first half and the parts in the "Capital" really dragged. The second have was much better but it still could have been. Also the aspects I noted in the "Thoughts" section of the review.

Action: 7.5/10- Although, there is some action the movie, it could have been executed so much better. There is a surprising amount of violence for a PG-13, however I wish could have showed a little more of the deaths on-screen and just tone down the violence slightly if they wanted to keep the PG-13 rating.

Acting: 7.7/10- Jennifer Lawrence performance in the lead role was great. I already liked her in X-Men: First Class and she did not disappoint in The Hunger Games. By far the weakest actor in the movie was Josh Hutcherson, while he was not bad; his did standout as being the weakest of the cast. Woody Harrelson was good and the other cast members were average at best.

Special effects: 7.6/10- Some of the effects looked very good, and fire is one of the hardest CGI effects but some of the fire effects still looked unrealistic. Also the CGI creature was obviously fake, yet it was could have been a little better.

Soundtrack: 7.7/10- During some scenes there were no music, which made an unnecessary tone to the movie. However, there are a few very good tracks that remind me of The Lord of the Rings music.

Comedy: 6.0/10- There were occasional humor, mostly from Woody Harrelson's character Haymitch.

Would I Watch This Again: Maybe sometime before watching the next installments of the franchise.

Overall: 7.3/10- Overall The Hunger Games is a good mostly well made movie, that had the potential to be great but never came close to meeting the hype.

Closing comments: Fans of the book would probably enjoy the movie much more, however if you have not read the book the movie is sometimes lacking.

Recommended for: Sci-Fi fans, Thriller fans,

The Hunger Games had a lot of potential but never live up to it.

Note: You have previously read my friend's guest review of the movie from a fan's prospective, which you can click here to read.


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Hunger Games (2012) Review: Guest Post by Rebecca.

Note: Due to an over load of spam comments on this post, I have disabled comments on this post but please comment on any of my other posts.
If everything goes as planed I will be watching The Avengers today and posting the review for it tomorrow.

Here is the review for The Hunger Games by my real life best friend Rebecca at Just me....

Hi there JandJproductions fans! This is Rebecca from Just me..., and I'm back once again to give you an 'In Theater Review'! But before I begin I would like to thank James and Jacob for letting me do this review! You guys are awesome! And I hope that you guys like this review from yours truly.

Directed by: Gary Ross
Genre: Action Adventure, Science Fiction, Young Adult
Release Date: March 23d 2012
Running Time: 142 minutes
MMPA Rating: PG-13

The Good: Very original plot that moves quickly and doesn't end poorly. Also the film is very close to the book which Hunger Games fan's will appreciate.

The Bad: The only bad I can think of would be the overdone shaky cam in a few scenes and the fact that the audience didn't feel the attachment to Rue (a character in the film) that they should have felt.

Thoughts:  The movie is amazing. Very close to the book. Though they added a little bit here and there, over all it's very VERY close.

Plot: In the post apocalyptic America a government known as The Capitol has gained control and the country is now known as Panem. The nation of Panem is made up of a central capitol outlined by thirteen districts. However, after a rebellion District Thirteen is destroyed and as punishment for the uprising the remaining districts are forced to take part in the annual Hunger Games. In the Hunger Games one boy and one girl are selected at random from each of the districts to be tributes in the Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death that the Capitol treats as a fun television event. The only way to win the Hunger Games is to survive and kill as many other tributes as possible. The winner or the Victor of the Hunger Games will be showered with fame and glory, however the districts hate the hunger games and fear them.

Katniss Everdeen is a girl from District 12--the district that has only had one Victor and the poorest of all the twelve districts. But when Katniss's 12 year old sister Prim is chosen to take part in the annual Hunger Games Katniss volunteers in her place. Her fellow tribute is a boy named Peeta Mellark, a shy self deprecating baker's son. They meet their mentor, District 12's only Victor--Haymich Albernathy--a drunkard who Katniss deems useless to them. However Haymich proves his worth when he explains that part of winning the Hunger Games is to play on the Capitol citizen's enjoyment of the games. The Capitol citizens can pick favorites that they will sponsor (aka send supplies to). Haymitch explains that the key is to get the people's support--something Katniss is ill prepared for.

Katniss and Peeta are whisked off to the Captiol where they are presented to the public as District 12's Tributes. In the Captiol Peeta and Katniss, as well as the other tributes, appear on the Cesar Flickerman show where they are briefly interviewed with and eye towards gaining sponsors. Everything goes smoothly for Katniss--until during Peeta's interview he proclaims his life long love of her. After the interview is over, an enraged Katniss confronts Peeta about his remarks. Haymitch then explains that he and Peeta planed out the "Star crossed lovers" bit in order to wow the audience and help get sponsors. Angry and hesitant, Katniss agrees to the plan and she and Peeta begin to try and sell their fake romance.

Also while they are in the Capitol Katniss meets a fellow tribute named Rue, a twelve year old from District 11 who reminds Katniss of Prim.

Katniss and Peeta train for several days until finally they are placed in the Hunger Games arena (a large unmapped area that can contain anything from frigid mountains to desolate deserts) with the other districts tributes. Katniss manages to escape to the woods while Peeta disappears elsewhere. Later, Katniss is cornered by the Careers--the stronger group of Tributes from the better fed Districts 1-4. She manages to climb a tree and get out of their reach--but the Careers decide to starve her out. However, while the Careers are asleep Rue suddenly appears in a nearby tree and points out a Tracker Jacker (genetically enhanced wasps who's venom causes severe hallucinations and even death) nest to Katniss. Katniss then drops the Tracker Jacker nest on the Careers--but in the process is stung herself. After the Careers have fled Katniss falls from the tree as she starts to suffer from the hallucinations. However, the careers are returning for their abandoned supplies and Katniss is on the brink of unconsciousness.

Watch the movie to find out what happens next!


 Plot: 10/10-I've never given a move a 10/10 plot before--but I'd have to say that the Hunger Games deserved it. The plot is very original and fast paced. It hooks the viewer instantly and doesn't disappoint.

Action: 8.0/10- This is a violent movie, but it's overall action could have been a little better.

Acting: 9.8/10-Excellent, but a bit dry on the emotionally scarring scenes.


Special effects: 8.6/10-Great special effects. Not up to Peter Jackson standards but still extremely well done.

Soundtrack: 9.7/10- The soundtrack is excellent. Very moving and perfectly sueted for the movie.








Haymitch.

Would I Watch this again? That would be a resounding yes! This movie is really amazing and should be watched again and again!

Overall: 9.8/10- Overall the Hunger Games is an absolutely stunning story that never ceases to amaze!

Closing comments: The Hunger Games is a very gripping story that instantly hooks the viewer. I would recommend seeing it, even if you've never read the books. The movie is made so that even if you haven't read the books you can still understand and enjoy the story.

Recommended for: Science fiction fans, Teens,


And before I go I have a special surprise. This is a special clip from the Hunger Games. I just thought you might want to get a feel for what the movie looks like.

Thanks so much to James and Jacob for letting me do this review! I really appreciate it! :D

2012 Movie Preview: Part 1 June-December.

June

G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation

We liked the original G.I. Joe TV series  but the first G.I. Joe movie was really really bad but from the trailer and the actors in the movie this one looks like it is going to good.

Succeeds if: If it is not cheesy like the first and the costumes and action are good.

Fails if: If it makes the same mistakes as the first one.

July

The Amazing Spider-Man

We loved the original Spider-Man movies and they are movies that everyone should see. This Spider-Man movie is a reboot of the franchise. After The Hobbit and The Avenger we are most excited about The Amazing Spider-Man.

Succeeds if: If it is even better than the original Spider-Man movies and is truely "Amazing".

Fails if: If it is not near as good as the original Spider-Man movies.

The Dark Knight Rises

This trailer makes it look like The Dark Knight Rises is actually going to have some decent action unlike The Dark Knight and the way to dark and clunky Batman Begins. We are not expecting munch from The Dark Knight Rises so if the plot is better than the others and the action is actually decent. Hopefully Chris Nolan was learned how to make a good action scenes from making Inception.

Succeeds if: The action is decent and Batman's voice does not sound like garbage disposal mixed with guttural sounds.

Fails if: There are three way the The Dark Knight Rises can fail:

1:The action scenes are dark and clunky like the other Batman movies,

2: The movie is so over hyped that people hate it because it is not as good as The Dark Knight,

3: The it is so over hyped that people love it even if it suck really bad.

August

 The Bourne Legacy

We have recently become fans of The Bourne movies this year. We really liked them all but The Bourne Ultimatum. We hope the Bourne Legacy can be as good as the other Bourne movie since Matt Damon is the star of the movie.

Succeeds if: If the movie is just as good or better than the other Bourne movies.

Fails if: If it completely rehash of the other Bounre movies and is not original.

The Expendables 2

The first Expendables movie didn't have munch plot but it did have the some of the best action in any movie. The first was a dream movie for anyone who was a fan of 80s action movies like us. Now The Expendables 2 has just about every great action movie actors from the 80s and then some.

Succeeds if: If it delivers on the awesome action we expect.

Fails if: There isn't munch action and there is so munch profanity that it makes it un-watch able.

November

James Bond Skyfall

Skyfall is the next installment of the James Bond franchise. We are James Bond fans and we have seen all of the movies. We were disappointed with the last two James Bond movies because there were not any gadgets used in the movies like the original James Bond movies. But is some good news Ben Whisaw is going to play the role of "Q" is the up coming movie. If you have seen any old James Bond movie you would know that "Q" makes gadgets for Bond since he is going to be in the movie we hope that Bond will use gadget.

Succeeds if: There is more use of gadgets and the action is good.

Fails if: It if just like the other Daniel Craig Bond movies.

December

The Hobbit

The Hobbit! The Hobbit is going to be the best movie of the year in 2012. We doubt that there is going to a better movie next unless The Hobbit is a complete failure, which is very unlikely.

Succeeds if: It is just as or almost as good as The Lord of the Rings.

Fails if: The chance of The Hobbit failing is slim to non,

Which of these movies are you most excited about next? Are there any movies that you can't wait to see that we didn't have on the list? That is it for the 2012 movie preview.

2012 Movie Preview: Part 1 January-May.

This post is about the movies that coming out in 2012 that seem interesting. We are going to give our thoughts about the movies and what we think the movie needs to do to succeed. We are not going to talk about every movie that is coming out next year but the ones that we think we are going to watch. The movie are going to in the order that they are coming out in theaters,

January

There are not any movies that look interesting in January.

February
Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance 
Feb 17

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance is the sequel to the first Ghost Rider movie. The first Ghost Rider movie was not a very good comic book movie. With the exception of Nick Cage the acting wasn't very good and overall disappointment but when the first movie was made there weren't that many good comic book movie except Spider-Man and X-Men. Since Marvel wasn't had a really bad comic book movie recently we are expecting it to be above average comic book movie but not a masterpiece like Captain America, Thor, or X-Men: First Class.

Succeeds if: The movie is darker and has a lot of action.

Fails if: The dialogue cheesy like the first movie.

March

The Hunger Games
March 23

The Hunger Games is based on a book that we know very little about. But thanks to Hannah at My Life: It Is What It Is and Rebecca at Just me...  who have read the books and told me about what the The Hunger Games is about. I think it will be a good movie. I really liked Jennifer Lawrence in her role in X-Men: First Class so I think she will do well in the role of Katniss Evenrdeen.

Succeeds if: The movie is accessible to newcomers to the series, pleases fans, and

Fails if: It is not true to the source material and the fans hate it, and if the futuristic stylized look discourages the general public.

April
There isn't anything that looks interesting.


May

The Avengers
May 4

The Avengers is easily the most anticipation movie of the summer. If you have been following the our blog you that we super excited to see The Avengers. We have already made a "Avengers Guide" about what you need to know before the movie comes out. If you haven't read it here are the links to check them out.
The Avengers Guide Part 1: The Movies.
The Avengers Guide Part 2: The Heroes.
The Avengers Guide Part 3: The Villains
The Avengers Guide Part 4: The Comic Book
The Avengers Guide Part 5: The Origins.
The Avengers Guide Part 6: Secrets and After The Credits.
The Avengers Guide Part 7: Information and Pictures.
The Avengers Guide Part 8: The Cast.
The Avengers Guide Part 9: 5 Avengers We Want in the Sequel.
The Avengers Guide Part 10: 5 Villains We Want in the Sequel.
The Avengers Guide Part 11: After The Avengers.

Succeeds if: It is everything that we think it is going and that it is the best comic book of all time.

Fails if: The screen time is not  divided equally among the main characters.



Men in Black III

We watch the Men in Black movies for the first time this year and liked them. They weren't our favorite but they were still funny. We hope that new Men in Black movies are going to good.

Succeeds if: It can be a hilarious and has action.

Fails if: The plot is dumb and it is not that funny.



Which of these movies are you most excited about next? Are there any movies that you can't wait to see that we didn't have on the list? Don't forget to check back here tomorrow for Part 2.