The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Review

The final book in the wildly popular Hunger Games trilogy received very mixed reactions upon its release. The ending in particular divided fans down the middle. Some were indifferent to it, some enjoyed it (I did), but many hated how the story wrapped up. Basically after Catching Fire, which is considered by most to be the best book in the trilogy, Mockingjay just could not live up to the expectations. And it seems that it may be the same case for the film series as well, especially since they are dragging out the final installment into two films. The first Hunger Games film was a good adaptation and entertaining film, but last year's Catching Fire blew it out of the water on all fronts, and I would probably rank it among some of the best sequels ever made. Consequently, the expectations for the first part of Mockingjay were very high. Does the adaptation live up to the hype? Or does the film follow the same trend of the book series?

The film opens with Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) confined to life in District 13, which serves as the headquarters for the rebellion against the Capitol and the cruelty of President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Her home, District 12, has been destroyed by the Capitol, her friend/lover Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) has been taken prisoner, and the head of District 13, President Coin (Julianne Moore) wants Katniss to be the symbol of the rebellion that the other districts can unite under. All of this, in addition to her fragile mental state caused by taking part in two Hunger Games, has Katniss in a really difficult place at the start of the film, and she will have to rely on her friends and mentors to help her see the right path to choose.

And that's about it, there isn't really much going on plot wise in part 1 of Mockingjay. In fact, roughly 75% of the film takes place inside the underground war bunker of District 13, and that scenery gets old fast. Even in the two scenes where Katniss ventures outside to other districts, both set pieces look almost identical and it makes you wonder if they just used to same props and put them in different spaces. The lack of colorful environments is really noticeable when compared to the past two films in the franchise. In Catching Fire, we followed Katniss from the desolate District 12, to the various (and different) districts, to the colorful and vibrant Capitol, and then into the tropical arena. Again, having to spend most of this film underground makes it drag, and makes it difficult to stay interested.

And the flawed plot-structure doesn't help the pacing of the film either. What's odd about the start of the film is that is really feels like we are coming into the middle of the film. It's almost as if we are picking up after a commercial break, and it feels awkward. And of course, since this is a two-part film, the ending is really still the middle as well. So instead of the basic, three-act structure, there is just a two hour "middle." What's really upsetting is the film really starts to gain momentum in the last fifteen minutes. Exciting things happen, new threats are introduced, Josh Hutcherson starts to showcase a haunting performance....but then it ends. And all that excitement fueled by those elements it unfortunately cut short.

And this leads to the main problem plaguing Mockingjay Part 1...that it is called PART ONE. It is obvious from watching this film this was not meant to be a two-part film. It makes sense that the final Harry Potter was two parts since the book is huge and has a lot of stuff happening. It makes sense that Avengers 3 will be two parts because it will feature every Marvel super hero known to man. I can even give the final Twilight film a pass for having a two part film adaption because the book has a large multi-narrative structure. The same isn't the case for Mockingjay, as there just isn't enough happening to justify two, two hour films. Unlike the previous two installments, this film feature only one brief action scene. Unlike the previous two installments, this film doesn't move it's characters storylines forward in any meaningful way (there were hints of this at the very end, but...it was the very end). And unlike the previous two installments, there was just a lack of excitement.

I have no doubt that Part 2 of Mockingjay will be a great conclusion to the series. The second half of the book is full of intense action, shocking character revelations, death, romance, and all the stuff you want to see in the finale of a blockbuster franchise. The filmmakers didn't have a lot to work with in the first half the Mockingjay, and they do little to try to add in any excitement. Aside: It's a shame that the three best scenes in the movie don't even feature Katniss. End of Aside. My advice, skip Part 1 and just wait for Part 2, you won't be missing out on much of anything, and any Hunger Games fan could easily fill you in on the very few important details while the trailers are showing before the film.

Big Hero 6 Review

Who are two of the most bankable Hollywood studios right now? Walt Disney Animation and Marvel Studios (who, don't ya know it, is owned by Disney). Both studios release films each year that are always critically and financially successful. So what would happen if the two brands came together? What would it look like if a film had the gorgeous animation and lighthearted feel of Frozen or Wreck-It Ralph combined with the large scale action of The Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy? That is what the latest animated hit, Big Hero 6, aims to show us. But is it successful in its task?

Based on the lesser-known and obscure Marvel comic, Big Hero 6 takes place in the futuristic, fictional city of San Fransokyo where we meet Hiro Hamada, a young teen with a big brain. Hiro loves to invent things, but he doesn't want to be a responsible "nerd" like his older brother, Tadashi. But that changes when Tadashi drags his younger brother along to visit his college, where Hiro becomes amazed at all the opportunities he could have if he went there (given his superior knowledge, he has already graduated high school at age 13).

Then, in typically Disney fashion, tragedy strikes and Tadashi is killed in an explosion at the college, sending Hiro into a state of anger and depression...until he meets Baymax. This loveable medical robot is the only part of his older brother that Hiro has left, and when the two discover a masked villain using one of Hiro's inventions to wreak havoc on the city, they must work together to find out who this mysterious person is, and how he can be stopped. But first...they need a team.

As I briefly hinted at above, the big problem with Big Hero 6  is that it is bound by typically plot devices that are very common in both Disney and Marvel films. Going into much detail would mean spoilers, but it is the same three-act structure that exists in pretty much every Marvel film, combined with the same messages and character models that make up Disney films. This means that the film is highly predictable, and so nothing should surprise the viewer. I remember predicting the identity of the bad guy near the very beginning of the film, and when I saw that I was right, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed.

However, the argument can be made, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Both the Disney and Marvel formulas have proven to be very successful in storytelling, and that success does carry over to Big Hero 6. Yes, it is a plot line we have seen before, but it is still very entertaining and fun to watch. And as usual for Disney, the greatest strength that bails this film out of being truly mediocre is the amount of heart that is packed into it. While the film may be much more action heavy than most other animated films in the past, it still never sacrifices character development and the story for explosions and fighting.

The heart of the film is Baymax, who has to be one of the most loveable animated characters I've ever seen. From the way he is drawn, to his sweet, reassuring words, chances are you will probably want to give the balloonish robot a big hug by the time the movie is over. And through his words the film finds its conscience. Throughout the film he is a mentor to a troubled Hiro, explaining to him the consequences and drawbacks to wanting revenge, and telling him why violence isn't the right response. He also is constantly reminding him of the importance of  with family and friends, especially in times of struggle and sadness. These kind of messages aren't really front and center in a Marvel superhero film (the one notable exception being this year's Guardians of the Galaxy, which  bears several other similarities to this film), and it is nice to see an action film take time to tackle these themes.

After watching this movie, I couldn't help but think of Pixar's The Incredibles, the only other animated super hero film that I can recall. Big Hero 6 might not come close to matching the greatness of that film, but then again, that's a really high bar to match. While the film may fall prey to some predictable story elements, it is still filled to the brim with heart, humor, and light-hearted adventure, and it is likely the best animated film that will be released this holiday season.

 

Interstellar Review

What would the world be like if mankind lost it's desire for discovery? What if we no longer wanted to be pioneers? What if we gave up hope on the world? This is the not-to-distant future that ex-NASA engineer Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) lives in; a hopeless world ravaged by dust storms that has wiped out all major crops except corn. Earth is no longer fit to sustain life, but there is a greater problem...no one cares enough to find a solution. As Cooper says in the beginning of the film, "We used to look up at the sky and wonder at our place in the stars, now we just look down and worry about our place in the dirt."

But there is still hope for mankind, and Cooper finds it when he and his daughter Murph (played by Mackenzie Fox and then Jessica Chastain as older Murph) stumble across an underground NASA facility led by Professor Brand (played by Christopher Nolan favorite Michael Caine). It is here that Cooper learns that NASA has secretly been searching for another planet that can support life by traveling through a wormhole to another galaxy. If Cooper and a small team of pilots, including Brand's daughter Amelia (Anne Hathaway), can travel to the few planets where they have received positive Intel and find a suitable replacement for Earth, then mankind will be able to survive. There is just one big catch: if Cooper embarks on this mission, then he may never see his son and daughter again, and even if he does, they could be older than he is. But in a gripping scene when Cooper is saying goodbye to his daughter, he assures her that they will see each other again. And it is this bond between father and daughter that holds Interstellar together. The idea that love is the only thing that "transcends time and space" is repeated several times throughout the movie.

People often complain nowadays that Hollywood is running out of new ideas, and it would be really difficult to disagree. Out of the thirty highest grossing films of 2014, only THREE of them are not considered a sequel, remake, or adapted screenplay. The filmmaking industry is running low on true visionary directors, but Christopher Nolan remains to be one of the best. And not just one of the best at crafting original stories, but at taking those stories and turning them into big budget epics that don't fall victim to blockbuster clichés. The sad truth is, Hollywood producers will never give a director a $165 budget for an original film with barely any action sequences and explosions. It just doesn't happen....unless your name is Christopher Nolan. And because studios will give him a budget to do anything, we can sit back and enjoy a kind of film that we don't see enough of anymore.

It's a film about space, but it doesn't have giant battles with hundreds of spaceships. It's a film about discovering other galaxies and planets, but it doesn't have CGI heavy aliens and environments. With a box office dominated by super heroes and giant robots, more and more studios are settling for CGI, action, and explosions over character development, original narratives, and most of all, heart! Interstellar is a film that is doing more than telling a story. It has a lesson it is teaching, and it has many greats points for discussion. Discussion about humanity, about love, about science, and about faith, and how they can all connect with one another.

And the film is led by a star studded cast that all give Oscar-worthy performances. Coming off an incredible 2013, Matthew McConaughey delivers yet another compelling performance that will likely score him his second Oscar nomination in a row. At his side is fellow award winner Anne Hathaway whose performance is made compelling by her gentle and calm persona that is trying to cover up a deep sense of emotion. Jessica Chastain and Michael Caine round out the lead cast and both are, as usual, wonderful in their roles. But what really gives life to these characters is that the actors and actresses portray them so naturally making them very relatable characters. Credit should also be given to Bill Irwin, who voices TARS, a unique robot programed to speak with 90% truth and 75% humor.

The film contains several other trademarks of a Christopher Nolan film. One is gorgeous cinematography. Whether we are watching characters race through vast cornfields or travel through a galactic wormhole, the camera work is expansive and beautiful, which can be attributed for Nolan's love for shooting his films with IMAX cameras. Another is unrelenting suspense. There is a great sequence near the end of the film that had my entire row reacting in some way. One person was grabbing their hair, another was rubbing their hands together, I had to lean forward on the edge of my seat; I'm not sure I have ever seen so much reaction to what's happening on screen before, which is a testament to Nolan's directing. Also back for another Nolan film, composer Hans Zimmer, who has become known for developing new and unique scores for Nolan's films in the past, Interstellar is no exception.

As I think about Interstellar, and all that can be taken away from it, I am reminded of Romans 8:38-39,

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

 

Cooper is faced with numerous obstacles when he ventures out into space. He encounters worm holes, black holes, hostile environments, and many other dangers. Yet his love for his children is more powerful than any of these obstacles, and that love he has is what motivates him to conquer whatever challenge he faces. Though he his countless miles away and many years apart, Cooper and Murph are still connected, because, as Amelia says, "Love is the only thing that transcends time and space." Interstellar is a near three hour epic of though-provoking and emotionally rich film, complete with great performances, a powerful score, and deep questions about mankind. Yet as complex as the story is, at its heart is a simple message: love conquers all.