The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

So, your favorite movie critic is back again, with another review of the movie block busters for this holiday season. I went with some friends on this cold November night, to see the second installment of the Hunger Games series. Did it hold up to the first movie, or did it crap out like may sequels have in the past?....well here we go!



The Hunger Games: Catching Fire- The movie does a great job with following the golden rules of a successful sequel, by having all the original actors returning to play their roles. The story follows up right where the first movie left off, with Katniss, played by Jennifer Lawrence, and Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson, living their lives after their experiences in the hunger games. You watch them attempt to put things back together and live normally. While, Katniss is hunting, she fires an arrow from her bow, to have a flash back of killing a young man from the previous hunger games. She completely freaks out, as she has what appears to be a panic attack.

Right off the bat, the movie does a great job capturing the human element here, for these characters, and it shows the after effects someone would have enduring the tribulations Katniss and Peeta did. I mean, I think when we watch the first movie, do we really think about what the main characters really went through, mentally? I mean, think about it, you are fighting for your lives... these aren't psychopaths who enjoy killing. There are young people ranging from the ages of 9 to 18, forced into an unimaginable situation, and the only way to come out is to kill. Regardless the movie, does a great job capturing that aspect.

The acting was really well done, such emotion in many scenes, and it makes sense since these poor people are basically, slaves. Katniss now becoming a beacon of hope for the mass of people in the districts... i was always confused why Peeta wasn't also considered one as well, but nonetheless people begin rioting more and more. Donald Sutherland plays the president, and I tell you these Sutherlands can play evil sons of bitches when they want too. If you want to see Donald's son, Kiefer Sutherland, play an evil fucker watch the movie, "Eye for an Eye", and see what I'm talking about... this father and son really know how to make an audience hate a character.

There wasn't as much violence as there was in the original movie, but regardless the fight scenes were still done very well. Hell, the environment was scarier the people fighting in the hunger games, which ranged from poisonous fog, freak lightning, tsunamis, and large flesh eating baboons!

I really enjoyed the film, and yes it was definitely worth the 10 dollars it costs to get into the movie theaters nowadays. It made you cry, laugh, and actually feel sorry for the poor people.... then hate the capital!


Final Verdict 8.5/10- The characters seemed real, with emotion and depth to them, and overall it kept you on the seat of your pants waiting to see how the characters will survive. Plus, each character when on the scene, really seemed to bring something to the table.

Thats it for now, catch me next time when i review the next big one, the second installment of the Hobbit. Until then, this is Phil Goes to the Movies, so you don't have too!

Thor 2: The Dark World

Well, its time for the holiday season, most importantly is great new movies come out around this time. Now, its been awhile since i was able to do a movie review, and that is due to school this semester. I was able to go to the movies, and i made time for my favorite movie genre, super hero films. I saw, "Thor 2: The Dark World", now did it live up to the first movie, or was it better than the original? Welcome back to another edition of Phil Goes to the Movies, and lets dive right into this godly sequel.


Thor 2: The Dark World- This movie like many of the Marvel franchise has taken place right after the attack on New York City, in the "The Avengers" movie. I personally, enjoy this because it really makes everything more connected, and it creates this living breathing, unified world. It has the same cast from the first Thor movie, and from "The Avengers" something i always believed is extremely important in any sequel.

So, Thor returns to Asgard, with his brother, Loki, so he can receive his sentence and punishment from Odin, himself. Anthony Hopkins, an amazing actor, this guy could literally turn shit into gold, no matter the role. He returns to play the part, the king of Asgard, Odin, and he banishes Loki to the dungeons for crimes against Midgard. Theres that subplot, then of course enter the main villains, the Dark Elves, whom desire what every other comic villain desires, complete domination over everything and everyone. I have to say these guys looked kinda creepy, and were pretty well received for the heartless villains. Unfortunately, they were pretty one dimensional, and they really didn't have any wow factor to them. The main villain, and leader, Malakith was a typical head mastermind- cold, ruthless, and ready to kill anything that stood in his way. Been there and done that! He really didn't have anything else to him, that would make me say, "Oh, man that guy was a bad ass villain."

Now, he had to obtain this ancient and mystical power called the Aether, which he could harness it to bring darkness to the nine realms of the Marvel universe, and our hero needs to stop him before its too late. The main plot takes a place on the back burner so we can focus on the character Jane Foster, played by Natalie Portman. Honestly, did we really need this freaking character? She, of course, finds the Aether, and it bonds itself to her, which is the power of plot ladies and gentlemen, and no one can defeat the power of plot.

Ok, after this ironic, misfortune, things happen blah blah blah, and of course the Aether is killing Jane, because her body and life force cannot cope under the strain of this incredible power. Thor has to stop the Dark Elves at the same time save the woman he loves.

Now, the things i loved about the movie, hands down the fight scenes were awesome, and very well done with the special effects. The gernades the Dark Elves used, were pretty insane, because when they exploded they cause a temporary black hole effect, and the person or whatever would be crushed. I really loved the relationship between Loki and Thor, the two actors had great chemistry, and they really seemed to have that bond between two brothers busting each others' balls.

Things i didn't like, were how they built up this Aether has being this ultimate destructive force, and it was easily defeated by human technology. Because, Jane and her crew of cronies were there and had the perfect answer ironically.... power of plot, sigh!

Honestly, the movie was better than the original, in my opinion, but it still was a decent super hero movie. Would i go see it again? No, but if it was on cable or net flix i would watch it.

Final Verdict- 7/10, it had some great comical moments, some great actors, action sequences were fantastic, but the villain was boring and the Jane character ruined it for me.... is she really needed for god sakes?


See, you guys next time when i review the newer movie coming out this holiday season, this is Phil Goes to the Movies, so you don't have too!