Movie Review #9: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

***Movies are something that I find great entertainment in. They are art on the screen and come in so many types. This is my reason for doing my blog on movies and my reviews of them!

The ninth movie I will be doing is on a movie very recent that has received a lot of attention and praise in the last few weeks. It is the next chapter of a growing movie franchise based on the best selling series. This movie is........ "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"!





So "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" (2013) is the sequel to 2012's hit movie "The Hunger Games" and is the next movie of the franchise based on Suzanne Collins bestselling Hunger Games series. The movie revisits Katniss Everdeen after the events of "The Hunger Games" and there is revolution beginning in the 12 Districts of her world that the government is not happy about. On top of that is the 75th Hunger Games which in short involves Katniss and her friend Peta to compete in the Hunger Games again but this time even harder. Now Katniss and her friends must survive and succeed in their tasks to save themselves and the ones they love.

Overall, I thought this movie was fantastic! It really exceeded expectations and brought a great new chapter into the franchise! The story was very interesting and entertaining, especially for one like me who has not read the books! There were many great moments, a lot being ones that kept you on your feet and got you involved! All the actors, especially Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, were great and really grew as not only actors but characters through well portrayed character development! The action and scenery of the movie was amazing which made it quite a masterpiece! Every scene had something new to offer which advanced the plot and made it exciting! The best part is the unexpected moments which make you extremely surprised and want to see more! I assume even for fans who have read the books they are greatly anticipating the next movie as are all the fans! My only problem was some confusing parts that weren't answered if you did not read the books. However, these questions were answered by friends of mine who read the books and the problem didn't change my overall thoughts on the movie. It truly is a great movie that you can appreciate, enjoy, and be excited for more!

Rating: 8/10 Stars

In the end, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is an amazing movie with a great story and character development that advances The Hunger Games franchise well! In my opinion it is a great sequel that many including myself feel is better than the first movie! It is really entertaining and gets you really excited and anticipated for the next movie! If you have or even haven't read the books, I recommend you watch this movie if you're looking for a great movie!

Movie Review #8: Now You See Me

***Movies are something that I find great entertainment in. They are art on the screen and come in so many types. This is my reason for doing my blog on movies and my reviews of them!

My eighth movie review is on a movie I just watched dealing with bank robbery and magic. It is a recent movie with a lot of great actors who create a bank heist movie with magicians. This movie is....... "Now You See Me"!

 

 

So "Now You See Me" (2013) is a crime thriller heist movie about 4 magicians, played by Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, and Dave Franco, called The 4 Horsemen who come together and perform numerous bank robberies as magic tricks for their shows. The FBI and many others, major actors being Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, and Michael Caine, get involved and now must find and end the magicians tricks.

 

Overall, this was a good movie! I thought it was very entertaining and got me very interested in the story. All the aspects dealing with magic, which is a good amount of the movie, are really cool and exciting to watch! It's crazy seeing these crazy magic tricks and seeing how they are done! The 4 magicians were awesome! Their chemistry was great and it was fun to watch them! The other main actors did their job and contributed well to the story. Furthermore, the plot was one that was interesting to watch and had a lot of unexpected moments which made it even better! I had a couple problems with the movie like some unanswered questions, few unlikeable characters, and an end that makes you want more is a little disappointing way. However, I felt these were minor issues which are covered up by the stunning magic and entertaining moments of the movie!

 

Rating: 7/10 Stars

 

In the end, "Now You See Me" is an entertaining movie with a lot of cool magic and an interesting story! It has a few minor problems but overall is a movie with a lot of great characters and substance! Sometimes you definitely feel like your in Las Vegas watching a magic show! It's a fun movie where you can definitely have a good time with! 



Movie Review #7: Gandhi

***Movies are something that I find great entertainment in. They are art on the screen and come in so many types. This is my reason for doing my blog on movies and my reviews of them!

One of my goals in life is one dealing with movies. It is watch every Oscar Best Picture Winners up to date! So I wanted to review some of the ones I have seen so far. My seventh movie review will actually be is the 1st Oscar Best Picture I saw. It is a much older movie that received great reception by focusing on one of the most influential and greatest humans of our time. This movie is none other than............ "Gandhi"!

 

 

So "Gandhi" (1982) is a biographical movie on the life of Mohandas K. Gandhi. He began as a simple lawyer but as his country India was continuing to be controlled by British rule, he gradually becomes the famed non-violent leader of a country of millions and millions fighting for their independence. There are many challenges he and his fellow people face but through determination and the ideas of philosophy and non-violence that Gandhi preaches and uses, they strive for the greater good.

Overall, this movie is a masterpiece! It is amazing to see the life of such an amazing man being shown through film in such a magnificent way! The story of Gandhi is so interesting. The history behind the film really gets the viewers interested and rooting for not only Gandhi but the country of India as well! You can't ask for a better script that is so well directed! Ben Kingsley who plays Gandhi is phenomenal! He made the character so great like Gandhi was and truly was the one who deserved the Oscar Best Actor award which he received! Everyone in the movie was fantastic and really contributed to the story! Every scene was relevant, many being very deep or just beautiful! The movie is a little on the long side but it shows how much can and should be shown of the great leader Gandhi! The best part about this movie is the awareness brought to the viewer and the inspiration! Gandhi literally went through everything to bring peace and never gave up. This movie really highlights what it means to be a great leader and a great human-being.

Rating: 9/10 Stars

In the end, "Gandhi" is a fantastic movie that shows the greatness of one of the greatest and most influential people of our time! The story, acting, and content really communicate the history and message of Mohandas Gandhi well and make the movie true art! It informs the audience and inspires them to do something great like Gandhi did. Definitely a movie that deserves an Oscar Best Picture Award and a movie that you have to see in your lifetime!

Movie Review #6: Pacific Rim

***Movies are something that I find great entertainment in. They are art on the screen and come in so many types. This is my reason for doing my blog on movies and my reviews of them!

The sixth review I chose to do is on a movie I watched a few days ago. I heard a lot about it and how action-packed the movie was. This movie was..............."Pacific Rim"!

 

So "Pacific Rim" (2013) is an action sci-fi movie dealing with a war between monsters and machines. Gigantic deadly monsters, called Kaiju, start coming from the deep Pacific Ocean and destroying human civilization. The humans then create machines large and strong enough to fight these monsters. But it is the human's job to kill all the Kaiju and find a way to end them from coming to destroy our homes and lives.

Overall, this movie was breath-taking! I heard a lot of great things about the movie and it literally blew me away! It was extremely entertaining! The best thing about it was the action scenes and visuals! It was amazing seeing these huge monsters and robots fight each other on such a huge scale! It really makes you feel like you're there and just makes you think..."wow"! The actors all did fairly well and overall helped get the job done of communicating the story! There were a lot of deep intense moments which were great and really made the story interesting! It seems like a very typical story but it must be watched to really get the sense of how great this movie is! It's very unique and is a movie where you are entertained throughout and have a good time with! It definitely is an extremely fun movie!

Rating: 8/10 Stars

In the end, "Pacific Rim" is a fantastic action-packed movie with amazing visuals and awing scenes! It brings you in right away and is so entertaining to watch! It had awesome action-scenes with an overall great story and good actors! I would definitely say it's a movie that is fun to watch and a must see!  

Movie Review #5: The Purge

***Movies are something that I find great entertainment in. They are art on the screen and come in so many types. This is my reason for doing my blog on movies and my reviews of them!

The fifth review I decided to do is a movie I watched a couple months ago. Many people like myself were interested in the story of this movie because of it's unique concept. That movie was..............."The Purge"!



So "The Purge" (2013) is a horror thriller movie that deals with the concept where there is no crime or acts of hatred for the whole year but there is one night where all crime is legal, known as the Purge. The movie follows the events of a family on the night of the Purge and their struggle to survive it.

After watching the movie and thinking about it, I think you can say this movie is not bad but not good. The main problem with it is its wasted potential. The idea of our country having no crime at all and then one night everyone unleashes crime and rampage and it's legal is an awesome idea but after watching it you can see how the movie didn't do the concept justice. The movie turned into a typical slasher/murder film which was disappointing. However, there were some moments where the movie was intense and entertaining. Most of the actors, including Ethan Hawke who was the main character, did fairly well which helped it out a little. Overall I'd say this movie was entertaining at parts but mostly forgettable.

Rating: 5/10 Stars

In the end, "The Purge" is an ok movie but one with a lot of wasted potential. It had an amazing concept which didn't show on screen which leaves the audience disappointed. There were still some intense moments which makes you involved while watching it but after the movie is forgettable and fairly pointless. If you're bored and have absolutely nothing to do, watch "The Purge". Otherwise, don't.

Movie Review #4: Gravity

***Movies are something that I find great entertainment in. They are art on the screen and come in so many types. This is my reason for doing my blog on movies and my reviews of them!

The fourth movie review I decided to do was on a movie I watched a few weeks ago in theaters. From the trailers no one really knew what this movie was going to be about. They just knew it happened in space, had potential and could be really good. This statement is wrong because it wasn't just really good. It was amazing! This movie was............ "Gravity"!

 

 

So "Gravity" (2013) is a space epic involving a group of astronauts which include Ryan Stone played by Sandra Bullock and Matt Kowalski played by George Clooney. They are up in space working on the Hubble Telescope but a major accident occurs and the two must work together to survive.

Overall, this movie was brilliant! The main thing that got me was the intensity! Sandra Bullock who is the main character in this movie literally goes through the impossible! You don't know if she's going to make it or not and throughout the movie you continue to cheer for her! George Clooney was also fantastic and the two really worked well together on screen! The visual and sound affects were out of this world...literally! You really felt like you were up in space trying to survive with this woman! It truly is a visual masterpiece! It was also very unique! Having absolutely no sound (which is the case in space) and going through unbelievable life-or-death situations in space that no one would even think about is so creative and is what makes this movie special! My only problem was that some parts were slow but that wasn't enough to forget the intense story and amazing visual appearance "Gravity" created!

Rating: 8/10 Stars

"Gravity" was an amazing movie that was so intense and unique! The story keeps you curious, the actors make you engaged, and the affects and feeling of being in space make you very entertained! This movie really pushed the boundaries of not only space films but movies in general! Definitely look for it winning many awards next year and make sure to definitely watch and experience "Gravity"!

 

Movie Review #3: Grown Ups 2

***Movies are something that I find great entertainment in. They are art on the screen and come in so many types. This is my reason for doing my blog on movies and my reviews of them!

The third movie review I decided to do is a movie (another sequel) I watched this past summer and had some laughs with but many problems with. That summer comedy is none other than ............ "Grown Ups 2"!

So "Grown Ups 2" (2013) is the sequel to "Grown Ups" (2010). It brings back comedy stars Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, and David Spade. In this movie, the 4 main characters must deal with various problems with their family, friends, and others all together in this comical attempt.

Honestly, this movie was not good. The plot was all over the place and half the time you didn't know why the characters were doing what they were doing. The 4 main stars did fine but sometimes it felt like they didn't even try. It felt as though they had the same role as the movie: being a money grabber. Many scenes were pointless and a lot of the minor characters got lost in the story. I must admit there were some funny moments, but most of the time the jokes weren't that funny and seemed forced. Having a movie with these 4 comedy legends has great potential but overall it leaves you fairly dissapointed. Just like the 4 stars this movie is 4/10 stars.

Rating: 4/10 Stars

Overall, "Grown Ups 2" is a comedy money grabber with no point. Its inability to have a plot really dissapoints the viewer. It had some comical moments but overall it wasn't that funny. If you're looking for a movie with very little enterntainment which you will forget most likely the next day, this is that movie. I don't reccomend this movie because I assure you that you will be dissapointed and it will be a waste of your time.

Movie Review #2: Thor: The Dark World

***Movies are something that I find great entertainment in. They are art on the screen and come in so many types. This is my reason for doing my blog on movies and my reviews of them!

The second movie review I decided to do was a movie that I watched this past Saturday and had a great time watching. What better movie to watch this past weekend than the continuation of Marvel's Avengers superhero franchise............ "Thor: The Dark World"!

So "Thor: The Dark World" (2013) is the sequel to the 2011 movie "Thor" and the next movie of the Avengers franchise. It goes back to the character of Thor after the events of "The Avengers" (2012). Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, now has to restore peace in the 9 worlds and his home world of Asgard while dealing with problems with his father (Odin) played by Anthony Hopkins, brother (Loki from "Thor" and "The Avengers") played by Tom Hiddleston, and his reunited love interest (Jane Foster) played by Natalie Portman. The main problem, however, is the Dark Elves and their attempt to end Asgard and bring down Thor. Now Thor must fight back to save the ones he loves and save the universe.

Sounds like a typical nerdy superhero movie but what matters is how they present it. And they nailed it down! "Thor: The Dark World" was a great sequel that was entertaining and action-packed. The plot really brought me in and the twists and deep moments really made it a fun movie to watch. Everyone did very well, especially Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Tom Hiddleston as Loki. Hemsworth as Thor really advanced the character and created a hero you really wanted to cheer for! He was willing to give up his life to save his loved ones and that's what was really great about his character. Hiddleston as Loki was unbelievable! He is such a sneaky trickster who can be very evil and funny! You can and can't trust him which makes the story even more entertaining to watch! Also, the action and effects were awesome! It was very visually appealing and sometimes made you feel like you were actually there. My only problem was some unimportant characters and some untimed comedic moments. However, this was not enough to make me not love this movie!

Rating: 8/10 Stars

Overall, "Thor: The Dark World" was an amazing superhero movie! Its story and characters created a movie that was very entertaining and fun! The action and comedy created a well-rounded movie which was greatly enjoyed! It not only advanced the Thor plot but The Avengers plot as well, which gets me really excited for the upcoming Marvel movies!  This movie definitely deserves a salute as being one of the best of 2013 and one that you have to watch!

Movie Review #1: Star Trek Into Darkness

***Movies are something that I find great entertainment in. They are art on the screen and come in so many types. This is my reason for doing my blog on movies and my reviews of them!

The first movie review I wanted to do was a movie that I watched recently (2013) and enjoyed the most. I thought a lot about it and the movie I chose to review.......... "Star Trek Into Darkness"!



So "Star Trek Into Darkness" is the sequel to the 2009 hit rebut "Star Trek". Both were directed by J.J. Abrams, who not only is the director for the rebut of Star Trek but the director of the rebut of Star Wars! So what he does with Star Trek means a lot to not only Star Trek fans but Star Wars fans as well!

Overall, I thought this movie was amazing! It literally had everything you wanted in a movie! Action, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Drama, Romance, and Comedy! The two main stars, Chris Pine who plays Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto who plays Spock, were fantastic! They're relationship and chemistry was phenomenal and I really loved seeing them on screen! However, the one who stole the show was none other than the villain, played by Benedict Cumberbatch! He was unbelievable! You could really see his strong emotions and stife which must be applauded! As far as J.J. Abrams goes in directing...well done! The visuals were fantastic and you literally felt like you were there! The acting by everyone was great and the plot was one that had great moments and twists that got the audience interested and entertained throughout!

Rating: 9/10 Stars

In the end, "Star Trek Into Darkness" was awesome! It had great characters, moments, and a story you felt you were a part of! For not really being a old Star Trek fan but a fan of movies this was great! Everything you want in a movie is in this movie! I truly feel that Star Wars is in good hands! This movie in my opinion is one of the best ones of the year! And I definetly recommend seeing "Star Trek Into Darkness"!