It's no surprise that Jennifer Lawrence, *ahem* Academy Award winner for Best Actress *ahem* is the film's saving grace. She's beautiful and captivating and makes the best with such a sorry script. Also, with the weight of the franchise on her shoulders and the promise of residuals so vast they could fund the zaniest pet projects imaginable, Lawrence truly gives her all in Catching Fire. But then I remember that I've seen her kick ass in good movies also and that quickly becomes a moot point. The same is true for the rest of the cast. Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, fucking Philip Seymour Hoffman! Such a talented cast...squandered.
In short, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, is the bleak dystopian future set action-drama we've all seen before, but dumbed down for post-Twilight America. Maybe if the film didn't take itself so seriously? The outlandish costumes look just as stupid as say, Demolition Man, but Stallone's mid 90's cult classic had no delusions of grandeur. I guess The Hunger Games is like Star Wars, but without the camp or moxy that made the original trilogy so endearing. Instead we get self serious drivel with bad CGI and set designs. Dear lord, it's like the Prequels all over again! The Hunger Games: Attack of the Clones.
I saw the first Hunger Games movie recently and it didn't exactly blow me away, which is a shame given how much I quite liked the books. The violence was pretty terrible, the acting wasn't bad at all, but the worst part of it was the story telling. It was going to be tough given how the books are from Katniss's personal perspective but it wouldn't be that difficult to add maybe a disembodied monologue every now and again, or an explanation that seems unnecessary, but is actually necessary to the narration.
ReplyDeleteI really liked Catching Fire, the only real complaint I had is that it's not terribly climatic near the end. Though I did know a bit of the plot, so I wasn't blown away by the shock.
ReplyDeleteOh and the PG-13 violence, I could sorta see why they'd want to do so with the first movie but it's popular enough to go R.
I haven't seen any of the films in this series. I'm kinda proud of it.
ReplyDeleteI have heard everybody raving and praising and proclaiming just how wonderful it is so it feels good to read a review that puts it down a peg or two. If you'd even praised it I'd have actually considered it being possibly something I should sigh and watch with a heavy heart but I'm kind of relieved I've been talked around now, think I'll save my money buddy, great review.
ReplyDeleteI entirely agree with you here. Very lukewarm repetition of the first film. Glad to hear someone with the same opinion.
ReplyDelete'Self-serious drivel.' That perfectly describes the first hour of the film. This movie is super dull! I found myself sitting there admiring the costumes, just waiting for the action (which turned out to be not all that great).
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