Posts tagged movie

MAY THE 4th BE WITH YOU…

This Friday we’re celebrating StarWars Day by watching some movies, playing some games, dressing up, giving away some prizes…having a good ol’ geeky time! 

via: bunkerministry

THE HUNGER GAMES [movie] Review

Guess what…SPOILER ALERT

First things first; it is NOT Twilight, and it’s not a kids movie. If you’re a fan of the books I think you’ll enjoy it…

Now, anyone that’s gone to the theater with me to see an epic movie knows how I am right now. After something like this I get calm, quiet, and need time to reflect on what I just watched. It’s not a movie, it’s a message. And for me tHG is a message of how blessed we are, right now, to live in a free world. Yes it has the typical love triangle that makes money, and yes it’s an action packed feast for the eyes. But all of that is overshadowed by the hauntingly real feeling that from start to finish you’re watching something that is wrong. Something that, if we allowed ourselves, could become real for us. It starts off quiet and depressing, and continues on with almost a hollow feeling to it, even at it’s happiest moments. 

This is one of those rare occasions where I can compare it to the book which I read about a year ago. And readers will be happy to know they didn’t Hollywood-ize it by adding a bunch of garbage filler. Sadly though, some things were cut out to save time (it already runs at 2.5hrs). But they’re all realistic things; Peeta doesn’t receive a robotic leg post-game, Snow does’t drip blood from his lips, Katniss receives the pin from a shopkeeper instead of a friend, and other things like that…

I keep going back to how it felt, not how it looked. I didn’t notice until halfway through that there is virtually no soundtrack. Most of the time you’re left listening to complete silence, watching the dreadful scenes play out with nothing but characters expressions and actions to show you their inner dialogue. Again, if you’ve read the book you’re probably wondering how something that was heavy with inner-monologue from Katniss could be translated on screen. I thought they did a great job of portraying her thoughts through camera play, facial expressions, emotion played out through other things than just sound and words. 

My favorite part was the moment Katniss held up the salute to the districts and immediately they started rebelling against the Peacekeepers. I got a lil choked up…
What I didn’t like was the Mutts; the CG took away from the experience.

My final thought was that the whole thing felt like a 3hr trailer to setup the next two movies! Which isn’t a bad thing! Most people think this is just a teen romance with a brutal twist, it’s NOT! It’s a political activist movement circled around the story of a girl who lives in a brutal future and is forced to make unreal choices. 

A HEADS UP: There were a lot of kids at the theater, who I heard making scared remarks during some scenes…THIS IS A MOVIE ABOUT TEENS BEING FORCED TO BRUTALLY MURDER EACH OTHER…you probably should look into it before taking your children. (and to the rather large man who sat beside me, kept nudging me with his elbow, talked at crucial parts, and breathed like a vacuum cleaner…do humanity a favor and stop going to theaters). 

First Official “RIDDICK” Preview

Vinny posted this on his Fbook. Shortest name, but third in the series, okay. 

UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING [movie] Review

The 4th instalment in the vampire vs werewolf series adds a new twist; humans. 
If you were a fan of the 1st, enjoyed the 2nd, and tolerated the 3rd, you’ll find this one to be a breath of fresh air. It feels more organic to see humans battling against monsters (but don’t worry, the Lycans find a way to be real jerks). And *SPOILER ALERT* the switching of Michael for his dish-daughter with Celine as the role of “sidekick” is so needed. I don’t know about you guys but the whole ‘I love Michael and will fight everyone’ gag was getting old. HOWEVER, that being said, the ending of the movie totally sets it up for another family-filled sequel ;)

This is definitely one of my favorite vampire series. Mostly for the vamp/lycan war storyline. And…possibly…because Kate Beckinsale is a total babe. And while I do think this new film was a step in the right direction, I feel like their going the way of so many action flicks: gimmicky special effects *cough*3D*cough* + forgettable characters + filler storyline that always leaves it open for a sequel. As long as they keep adding the epic plot twists that Underworld is known for, I’ll keep seeing them (and so should you) 

TIN TIN [movie] Review

For those of you who do not know who TinTin is OR have not delved into the legendary books/cartoon by Herge…do NOT see this movie!!!

It is extremely fast paced, starts off very slow, immediately becomes action packed, and explains nothing. For those that find themselves saying “it was nothing like the book” I doubt you’ll find yourself saying that with this movie.
Keep in mind, this is based off of  “The Secret of the Unicorn”, not the first book in the series, so keep your eyes open for many tips of the hat to previous adventures. I can see why they would want to start with this one; it introduces Captain Haddock and sets itself up for the next book “Red Rackham’s Treasure”.

The antics are over the top, unbelievable, and spectacular to watch. The characters are lovably played by some amazing actors, who thankfully bring them to life in a way that made me feel like a kid again. And the plot, while thin for a mature viewer, is beautifully brought to life by the awesome team-up of Spielberg and Jackson.

This is a movie for the fans, so if you were, then go see it :)