The Hunger Games: Review

This week we take a look at another film adapted from a book series, The Hunger Games. Firstly, this not a film for little kids. There are some scenes that simply put are not appropriate for young children. However that shouldn't stop anyone of age from enjoying this film.


Breakdown:


Director:
Gary Ross


Stars:
Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen)
Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark)
Woody Harrelson (Haymitch Abernathy)
Lenny Kravitz (Cinna)
Donald Sutherland (President Snow)
Wes Bentley (Seneca Crane)
Amandla Stenberg (Rue)


About the film:
Genre: Action/Sci-Fi/Drama
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 142 Minutes
Released: 3/23/12


Plot:


Based on the book written by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games is set in a post-apocalyptic future. What was once North America is now the nation of Panem. Many years before the events of the film, a war broke out in which the 12 districts that make up Panem rebelled against the corrupt capital. Once the capital proved victorious, they devised an annual competition called The Hunger Games to let the rebels show their forgiveness for their treachery. Each year all of the districts must choose one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to represent them in the games. The 24 contestants (called Tribunes) battle it out live on TV until there is only 1 left.


The film follows Katniss Everdeen, a teenage girl from district 12 who volunteers for the games when her sisters name is picked at the reaping. Paired with fellow resident Peeta Mellark, the two of them are taken to the capital to join the other contestants. Along the way they begin to realize that The Hunger Games is about more than just survival.


Part Gladiator, part Survivor, the story is one of betrayal, respect and survival. The film takes awhile to get to the actual games and that's not a bad thing. The events leading up to The Hunger Games are intriguing and will keep the audience engaged. After the events kick off the film reaches its peak presenting good action scenes and well acted drama.


Visuals & Sound:

The Hunger Games features two distinct visual styles. District 12 is a poverty stricken mining region, while the capitol is a very rich, trendy and futuristic place. This really helps establish the old idea of the haves and have nots. Clever video editing was used in the film's action sequences to establish that this is a very brutal and dangerous event without going over the top. This is probably most evident when the tribunes first enter the arena. Equally as ingenious was the use of sound to set the mood. There is a scene between Rue and Katniss where the brilliant use of sound really helps emotionally engage the audience.


Performance:

Jennifer Lawrence does a good job as Katniss Everdeen. It's established very early on that she is a skilled and tough individual. She has a bit of an attitude, but also has a softer side that is shown throughout the movie. Jennifer Lawrence played all sides well and did a good job of carrying this film. It is her interaction with the other characters that make this film memorable. Her interaction with Rue makes for some of the best scenes in the movie.



Peeta Mellark was played by Josh Hutcherson. Peeta is selected at the reaping to represent District 12. While not the focal point, his friendship with Katniss is the core relationship of the film. He may not be as skilled as his counterpart, but he is a smart guy. His performance matches Jennifer's. Cunning and enigmatic at times, Hutcherson displays more than enough range to deliver a convincing performance.


My favorite performance of the film is Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy. He is a former Hunger Games winner from District 12 and is Peeta's and Katniss's reluctant mentor. Seemingly always drunk, Harrelson does a good job in this film. His performance and one-liners kept me entertained even during the movies lulls.


Wes Bentley is Seneca Crane, the head of The 74th annual Hunger Games. Although he was the public face of the games, he comes off as little more that a puppet. While Bentley's performance is solid, it wasn't good enough to make me care about the character.


Donald Sutherland is the sinister President Snow. He is the true power behind Seneca Crane. Don't let his title fool you, he the absolute ruler of the districts. His only care to continue the dominance of the capitol. Snow has no regard for the lives of others and Sutherland play this role eloquently. I would've like to have seen move of Snow in the movie. 


The performances in the film were good overall. There are very few performances that I would label as forgettable. 


Rating:


I can't say that The Hunger Games is great, but it is really good. The story manages to feel both classic and futuristic at the same time. The relationships between characters is what pulls you in and takes you on an emotional journey. The action scenes are exciting without being gratuitous. That being said, this a not a movie for little kids. But don't let that or Lenny Kravitz's gold eyeliner stop you from seeing this one. I give The Hunger Games 4 out of 5 stars.

John Carter: Review

Disney's John Carter opened in theaters nationwide this past weekend. Marketed as the first blockbuster of the year, I had high hopes for this movie. However despite its budget, this film doesn't do quite enough to earn that title.

Breakdown:

Director:
Andrew Stanton

Stars:
Taylor Kitsch (John Carter)
Lynn Collins (Dejah Thoris)
Mark Strong (Matai Shang)
Samantha Morton (Sola)
Willem Dafoe (Tars Tarkas)
Dominic West (Sab Than)
Ciaran Hinds (Tardos Mors)

About the film:
Genre: Action/Adventure/Fantasy
Rated: PG 13
Run-time: 132 Mins
Released: 3/9/12




Plot:

This movie is based on an 11 volume novel series written by Edgar Rice Burroughs beginning in 1912 . The film tells the tale of John Carter, a accomplished Civil War captain. While on the run from Union soldiers he ends up getting transported to Mars. Not long after his arrival, John is captured by the Thark, a 12 foot tall race of green aliens led by Tar Tarkas. John also learns that Mars is at war and soon takes up arms to try to save the planet from Sab Than.

The film suffers from some pacing issues. It seemed like it took him an eternity to get to Mars. Once there the story moved much faster, but there were still long lulls in between action scenes. Much like the start of the film, the final scenes move at a lethargic pace. This resulted in the plot to becoming difficult to follow and the movie to feel fragmented.

Visual & Sound:


John Carter looks good but isn't stunning. Some of the scenery has a unique visual style that's nice, but some things just look out of place. For instance Sab Than's ultimate weapon almost looks like a blue fishnet glove. Also most of Mars is barren, so there isn't a whole lot to look at. Furthermore, there is no reason to see this film in 3D. There were only a few scenes that made effective use of it. Save your money if you plan on seeing this movie. The sound much like the visuals is good, but not great. The movies action scenes are filmed with classic adventure style music that helps the fights seem much more epic. Other than that nothing really stands out.

Performances:

Taylor Kitsch does an ok job as John Carter. He performed well enough in the movies action sequences, however when he wasn't punching or hitting something, his performance suffers. I felt no real connection between him and Dejah, John Carter's love interest.

For the most part William Dafoe does a good job as Tar Tarkas, the leader of the Thark. Tarkas seemed to have a soft spot for Carter, but doesn't hesitate to try to use him to accomplish his own goals. Dafoe's performance gets a few laughs in spots throughout the movie, but its nothing that left a lasting impression on me.

Lynn Collins as Dejah Thris, yay eye-candy!!!

Lynn Collins plays the lovely & dangerous Dejah Thoris. She is a princess of Mars that will do whatever it takes to save her people. I found her to very beliveable in this role, but much like Kitch her performance is not as good away from the action. When engaging with the other characters, she serves as little more that eye-candy for guys like me.

Dominic West is the evil and power hungry Sab Than. His goal is to rule over all of Mars. I never really bought him as a cunning and fearful leader, he just doesn't come off as intimidating.

One of the better performances of the film was that of Mark Strong. His admirable performance as Matai Shang the cold and calculating king of Therns made some of the scenes more tolerable. Strong line delivery was spot-on, especially when interacting with John Carter and Sab Than.

Overall the performances in this movie are ok, but no one is going to win an award here. I think the performances would have been better if the movie had better pacing. Some of the scenes felt rushed and this impacted character development.

Rating:


Overall John Carter feels like a mix of Avatar and Prince of Persia, except it's not as good as either. John Carter is no Jake Sully and the Thark aren't the Navi. Not enough was done with the Thark to make me care about them. Due to the way the story is presented some people will leave this movie confused. Furthermore, some of the lackluster performances will leave you feeling like something is missing. Some will enjoy the action sequences as they are well done. The movie isn't terrible, but is not epic like Disney wants it to be. I give John Carter 2.5 stars out of 5.

Which is the best Mass Effect game?

Mass Effect 3: Review

I have been waiting for this moment ever since I completed my playthrough of Mass Effect 2.
The invasion of the Reapers is at hand and let me start by saying Mass Effect 3 is everything I expected and more.

Breakdown:

The Reapers are here!

Developer: Bioware
Distributor: Electronic Arts
Engine: Unreal Engine 3
Platforms: Windows PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
Modes: Single and Multi-player
Genre: Action Role-Playing
Rating: M for Mature
Release Date: March 6th, 2012 (US)


Story:

For years, Commander Shepard has been telling anyone who will listen that a war is coming. The Reapers are finally here and they mean business. They seek to stamp out all organic life in the galaxy, and planet earth is one of the places that gets hit the hardest. Once again its up to Shepard to save the galaxy and hand out a heaping helping of "I told you so". It's not so much about building your team as it is about gathering forces to stop the Reapers.

To get the full benefit of the story, you have to play Mass Effect 1 & 2. The decisions that you have made in those 2 games carry over and effect the storyline here. For instance, if you killed Wrex in 1, he wont be in part 3. It really does encourage multiple play-through to see just how the story line is effected. No matter what path you choose in this game the story is an enjoyable emotional tale filled with twists, turns and hard choices.

Presentation:

Liara

Mass Effect 3 is a gorgeous game, defiantly the best looking of the series. The character models are the best looking of the series, biotic powers look cooler and environments are much more dynamic than in the previous games. There are a couple stages that cleverly use lighting to set an ominous mood. Visuals on the menus have been revamped and are better for it. As good as all this is however, there is still an issue with texture pop-in that has been evident throughout the series. There were even a couple of instances where characters were invisible during conversations. Additionally load times seemed a little longer than previous games.

Gameplay:

Just like its predecessors Mass Effect 3 is an action RPG, but there are some additions that breathe new life into the franchise. For instance, the way in which the Normandy navigates the galaxy map has changed. Scan too much in a Reaper controlled area and they will come after you. This adds a little strategy when traveling as you will have to flee and come back when the Reapers aren't aware of you presence.

There have been a number of tweaks to the combat system that make fighting more enjoyable than in the previous games. I think Commander Shepard has been hanging out with Marcus Fenix, because he moves a lot like him on the battle field. That's right, you can finally dodge. Additionally the cover system has been adjusted as well. You can now move between short gaps and stay in cover. These changes make it much easier to evade oncoming fire.

Voice commands have been added for all you Kinect owners out there. To get Commander Shepard to use "Warp", just say "Warp". Want to use your squad mates powers? Here's an example of how to do so. Just say "Ashley", "Concussive Shot". The voice commands are simple to do and they make combat in Mass Effect 3 a much freer experience. Players no longer have to stop the game-play to switch weapons or use biotics. You can even use them in conversations in lieu of the controller. To make full use of Kinect, take a minute to adjust your settings. It's no fun getting shot while you're yelling "Shockwave" at the top of you lungs.

Multi-player

The biggest change to Mass Effect is the addition of multi-player. At first I was skeptical just how this mode would fit in the game. However after a few rounds my doubts vanished. Not only is multi-player good, but its down right addictive. Much like the horde mode in Gears of War, players are expected to survive waves of different enemy types. Its not just about survival however.
Some waves you will be asked to complete tasks like taking out a specific target or hack a computer. This helps keep the action from getting stale. You can choose from any one of the 6 classes, but in the beginning, only the human race is available. Completing waves earn you credits, which can be used to unlock weapons, and the other races. While I do like the bulk of multi-player, I don't like the looting system. To earn new items you are forced to buy packs which give you a totally random group of items. This means getting really good gear and unlockables are left completely up to luck. This aside, its still great to use your biotic powers and gun down Geth with a group of friends. Your results in multi-player contribute to your galactic readiness which effects the ending you receive in the main story.

Rating:

Liara & Shepard

Mass Effect 3 truly closes out the series in style. The story is top-notch, the graphics are amazing and the game-play is the best in the series.
Multi-player is well done and adds another element to an already amazing game.
All these things included give this game a high amount a replay value. There are some minor technical issues here and there, but this shouldn't stop anyone from picking this up.
I haven't been able to put my controller down since I bought it. This is one title you shouldn't miss. I give Mass Effect 3 a 9 out of 10.

Asus Transformer Prime