Hunger Games: Catching Fire

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

    

by Frederick William Springer III

 

Hunger Games:  Catching Fire

Release Date:  22 November 2013                                                      Runtime:  146 Minutes              

Review Date:  6 December 2013                                                         Rating:  5 (of 6)

      When I reviewed the original less than a year ago, I mentioned that I was compelled to now read the books.  I'm happy to say that I did, in fact, do so, finishing the trilogy before seeing the newest installment. Both as an adaptation and as a standalone film, Catching Fire holds up.

     There have been some changes, for sure, but they were mostly minor and to help the movie flow more easily on screen.  At nearly a whopping 2 ½ hours, I was surprised when the credits starting to roll as I didn't feel I was in the theater for even 90 minutes, which is to speak highly of the pacing and editing.

     There were a few things omitted from the movie that would have helped set up the ending and the next installment (regarding one of the Districts and the Head Game-Maker), but I don't think the movie suffers without them.  Though, perhaps I feel that way because I went in with the knowledge of what was going on from the books, if I hadn't I may have been confused.  Who's to say?

     I'm looking forward to the next film, though anxious about waiting another full year for it.  And annoyed that they're pulling the typical Hollywood bullshit of taking the last book and splitting it in two (a la Harry Potter and Twilight, not to mention The Hobbit with 3 parts) to milk every last dollar they can out of the franchise and skeptical of the results--I don't know how they're going to stretch it out into 2 movies when 1 would have sufficed.

     But, for this one, we have an eclectic mix--Austrian Director Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend and Constantine) and writers Simon Beaufoy from Britain (Slumdog Millionaire and The Full Monty) and Michael Arndt from the US (Oblivion and Toy Story 3) --that made it work, so I'm optimistic about the future, even though the team is switched up again for Mockingjay.

 

Escape Plan

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

    

by Frederick William Springer III

 

Escape Plan

Release Date:  18 October 2013                                                           Runtime:  115 Minutes              

Review Date:  3 December 2013                                                          Rating:  4 (of 6)

 

     I went to Escape Plan with very low expectations.  I'm happy to report that my expectations were exceeded.  While this certainly isn't a masterpiece, the Stallone/Schwarzenegger mash-up actually kept me entertained.  And isn't that what you go to the movies for?

     (Though, I guess I wasn't the only one that was skeptical--over a month after its release, it still hasn't made half as much as it cost.  Yikes!)

 

Elysium

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

    

by Frederick William Springer III

 

Elysium

Release Date:  9 August 2013                                                              Runtime:  109 Minutes              

Review Date:  1 December 2013                                                          Rating:  3 (of 6)

     I thought the story of a destitute Earth with hero Matt Damon among the tired, poor and huddled masses trying to escape to Elysium, the orbiting paradise haven of the rich and healthy, would be something to see.

     It turned out to be something to skip, Elysium failing to get me involved or to care about anyone's plight.  Jodie Foster delivered a good performance, though.

 

Gravity in 3D

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

    

by Frederick William Springer III

 

Gravity in 3D

Release Date:  4 October 2013                                                               Runtime:  91 Minutes              

Review Date:  30 November 2013                                                          Rating:  4 (of 6)

      It was interesting to finally see space depicted as it is--vacuous and silent--which, to my recollection, hasn't been done before.  And here it emphasizes the isolation, heightens the circumstantial tension our main character, Dr. Ryan Stone played by Sandra Bullock, experiences (and George Clooney's cool-headed Matt Kowalski to a lesser extent).

     However, other than the "gravity" of the situation, I don't know how much the title really comes into play in outer space other than it keeping the catastrophic space debris in orbit around our planet.

     George Clooney was trying to hype Gravity up as the quintessential 3D movie--"It's an actual argument for 3D.  It's crazy how good it is"--not seeing the point in other motion pictures filmed this way.  I'd have to say that this aspect doesn't live up to his hype, having seen many 3D movies on par or surpassing this flick.

     This film is definitely a step up from the last two of his movies I saw (The American and Ides of March).  In the past, I had been a fan but they had been enough to make me skeptical about seeing anything of his anymore.  In that regard, he's almost like Cary Grant to me--someone I enjoy seeing and hearing onscreen but whose movies I don't always necessarily like.

     Rest assure, though, this is more of a Sandra Bullock movie, she carries the picture and she does it well.

 

Prisoners

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

    

by Frederick William Springer III

 

Prisoners

Release Date:  20 September 2013                                              Runtime:  153 Minutes              

Review Date:  24 November 2013                                               Rating:  4 (of 6)

      Prisoners was a good film with compelling performances by Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello, Terrance Howard and Viola Davis.  Even though it ran rather long, it didn't feel it.

     The director (Denis Villeneuve) chose some interesting shots that didn't particular move the plot, for example, a lingering close up of a tree in the foreground with a house in the background as we hear the occupants enjoying their Thanksgiving inside.  There was no significance to the tree in the movie and I don't think trees are particularly ominous.

     While there are layers of mystery to unravel, most of my initial suspicions proved true.

     The ending was open-ended with a slam to black, which was somewhat annoying, after investing 2 and a half hours of my time.  An educated guess about what happened, at least to some degree, can probably be made due to our knowledge of the characters and what transpires just beforehand but it would have been nice if it were a little more conclusive.

 

Don Jon

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

    

by Frederick William Springer III

Don Jon

Release Date:  27 September 2013                                                Runtime:  90 Minutes              

Review Date:  21 November 2013                                                 Rating:  3 (of 6)

 

      I'm a fan of Joseph Levitt-Gordon.  While this role showcases his range as an actor, his writing/directing debut is one which you need not see.

     In fact, the only highlight of Don Jon--the most exciting part--was when Jon takes a date to the movie theater and I realized that they were standing in the lobby of the very theater which I was viewing the movie!  But that's an experience that is unique to me and a handful of other audience members that attended the film's limited run at Valley Plaza 6.

     Off-putting, was the accent that continually is purported in film and television as being from NJ.  This is not any more a Jersey accent than the cast of Jersey Shore are authentic inhabitants of the state.  The majority of them were from Staten Island and elsewhere in New York, which is probably where that accent incorrectly identified as belonging to New Jersey is imported from.

     As someone from NJ, and many like me, no one knows where I'm from and are very surprised to learn my first 26 years were spent in that state.  Because we don't have accents!

The Family

TAKE 1: One Man’s Opinion

…because film is largely subjective

    

by Frederick William Springer III

 

 

The Family

Release Date:  13 September 2013                                                  Runtime:  111 Minutes              

Review Date:  12 November 2013                                                   Rating:  3 (of 6)

     I never heard of The Family but when it became available at my bargain theater, I decided to look it up.  Written and Directed by Luc Besson (who's Leon is one of my favorites) and starring Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones and Michelle Pfeiffer, I decided to check it out.

     Let my checking it out be so you don't have to.  Boring and unentertaining.  In fact, I kept nodding off during the first 50 minutes, and the audience may have been more entertained watching me fighting to stay awake if their eyes were on me rather than the screen.  I get to nap at home for free, thanks.