Monday, December 30, 2013

The Hobbit Part II


Would it seem like I'm avoiding writing a review about "The Hobbit Part II" if all I were to say is;
It's worth the cost of admission to see Smaug on the big screen. ?

Catching Fire


Maybe I've said this before about another movie, but it bears repeating:  A good story can be like a good piece of classical music; there are certain inevitabilities, a natural progression, yet it's still an enjoyable experience.  "Catching Fire" picks up where "The Hunger Games" left off, finding Katniss struggling to deal with the consequences of her decisions.  We know that she's not going to run away and live in the woods, we know she can't die (not yet at least), and we are positive that she'll never turn to the dark side.  Where the first film introduced us to a heroine, who was defined by her actions, this second chapter is about her realizing the weight of responsibility which has been placed upon her.  I think the filmmakers could easily have ruined these movies by focusing too heavily on the Hunger Games sequences which exist in each film.  Fortunately they understood that the Games are simply meant to highlight strengths and weaknesses of certain characters.  The film is enjoyable to watch because everyone does what they're supposed to do, right when they should.