by Jack Garcia
I am on a roll! Three more movie
reviews are up just one day after my last post.
I bet you are excited. Brian’s
already written a full-length review of The
Hunger Games from his perspective, but here’s mine. I also saw Mirror Mirror and the re-release of Titanic in 3D.
The Hunger Games AWESOME!
I had heard about the books probably a year ago or so, but never got
around to reading them until I started seeing trailers for the movie version of
Suzanne Collins’ trilogy. Just weeks
before its opening, I read all three books and I enjoyed them. I was now ready to walk into that midnight
showing like a true fan! And as far as
page-to-screen adaptations go, I really think the filmmakers hit the nail right
on the head. The movie is great!
Jennifer Lawrence (go rent Winter’s
Bone now!) embodies our heroine, Katniss, with quiet strength and
emotion. She is absolutely perfect for
the role. As the plot goes, Katniss is a
young girl living in a post-apocalyptic America called Panem where folks in the
Capitol laugh and cheer as teenagers from each of the 12 outlying districts battle
to the death in a televised “Gladiator-esque” competition called The Hunger
Games. It’s reality TV gone bad. Taking her younger sister’s place, she and a
boy named Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) are chosen to represent their district and
try to survive while refusing to be pawns in the Capitol’s sick game.
Other delightful characters include Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) their
drunk advisor, Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) their hilariously vain and
clueless handler, Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) who designs the costumes, Caesar
Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) the television host and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) the
boy who
Katniss leaves behind. Directed
by Garry Ross, the story is told through stark and gritty cinematography that
gives the film immediacy and while the special effects are lack-luster, the
human emotions—especially those of Katniss—make the film compelling.
Mirror Mirror AVERAGE
Director Tarsem Singh made a fantastic movie in 2006 called The Fall that I absolutely adore. Unfortunately, he has gone on to make last
year’s Immortals which I did not like
and now this one, Mirror Mirror, a
comedy as glossy yet unfilling as the witch’s apple itself. Vaguely reminiscent of the story of fairy
tale it’s based on, here the wicked Queen is a vain, silly thing played by none
other than Julia Roberts (with an English accent at times). She hates Snow White (Lily Collins) because
she’s afraid she might usurp her power.
Or is it because she’s jealous that she’s stealing her man? I don’t know. And since the queen’s henchman
(Nathan Lane) fails to kill the girl, Snow White bands together with a group of
dwarves and the dim-witted yet handsome prince (Armie Hammer) to restore order
to the kingdom… but not before a montage where she learns how to fight! At moments the movie is delightfully funny
and whimsical—and I must add that the costumes are amazing—but in the end it’s
pretty much devoid of any soul.
Titanic 3D ADMIRABLE
James Cameron’s 1997 hit Titanic
is back in theaters, folks! This time it’s
in 3D, of course, because Hollywood insists that everybody likes 3D. We don’t, just so you know. But the 3D is barely noticeable and it was
just a joy to watch Titanic on the
big screen again! Kate Winslet and
Leonardo DiCaprio star as the two lovers—a well-bred snob and a starving artist
respectively—who meet on the doomed ship.
The story is basic enough, but the performances by the actors are
top-notch and you can’t help but fall in love too. And while the first half is all romance and
soap-opera plotting, the last half is an exciting adventure as the ship begins
to sink and we ask ourselves the question:
“Would I be a coward? Or would I
be brave?”
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