Movie Review: Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2

So there has been a lot of hype for this movie, and now that the wait is over, I had the opportunity to go and watch it. Of course, in order to properly enjoy sequels like this you have to watch the previous movie/movies. So unless you have seen the other three movies, read the books or are fine with major spoilers, I recommend not reading my review yet. Thanks!

The movie starts right where part one of the two movies left off, where Katniss Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence) is in a neck brace because Peeta (played by Josh Hutcherson) tried to strangle her to death. A nurse from District 13 takes off the neck brace and starts preforming vocal therapy with Katniss. After she is able to talk again, she goes to a viewing room so she can see Peeta in his holding cell while Primrose (played by Willow Shields) goes in and talks to him. Eventually, Peeta tells Prim to kill Katniss and that she is the problem with the world.

Later, Katniss requests to go to District 2 to perform a speech to the refugees. On the way there, she and Gale (played by Liam Hemsworth) begin talking, and then kiss each other. She then witnesses Gale and Beetee (played by Jeffery Right) talk about new weapons they are creating, including one that detonates, then waits for a little bit, then detonates again, killing the first respondents too. They arrive in District 2 where Commander Paylor (played by Patina Miller) mentions that they are having a hard time getting the people out of "The Nut". Gale suggests blowing up the mountains beside it to block the entrances, but Katniss says that the survivors would need a way out.

The acting in this movie I feel was better than the acting in the other three movies, even though this movie and Mockingjay Part 1 were filmed at the same time. It could be the fact that this movie has a lot more emotional scenes than in the other movies, or it could be that this movie was suspenseful with the action scenes, making them a bit more worth watching. But I think it was that the characters they were playing didn't have to hide how they felt about the situation anymore, it was more realistic and therefore easier for the actors to work with.

The story plot was, in my eyes, a mix of Catching Fire and Mockingjay Part 1. However, even with this, it was a very good story plot. It was smart of them to use Katniss with her struggles and need for peace as a symbol of what the country was going through. It was good to walk through it in her eyes. The end was definitely my favourite part because by showing what happened with her, it showed how the rest of the country may have been feeling as well. I would tell more but unless you have read the books (which I have not) it would give too much away. 

I really liked what they did with the CGI graphics as well. I could tell what was CGI and what wasn't, but it was almost lifelike in terms on how they looked.

Overall, the movie definitely exceeded my expectations, in the acting, the story plot and the CGI. It's a great movie altogether, but will not make much sense unless you have read the books or seen the other movies. So for these reasons I would rate this movie 9.2/10.

Movie Review: Woodlawn

The movie this week is actually one that was originally released in October, but my theater only just now received it. It is a sports and religion movie based on the true story of what happened in Woodlawn High School back in 1973.

The movie starts with a not so brief history of the Birmingham, Alabama bombings and the racial "problems" there. The violence leads into the first time, through government mandate, that black students attend Woodlawn High School. We briefly meet Hank (played by Sean Astin) as he prepares to head to this school on the first of many historic days.

We then find us following Tony Nathan (played by Caleb Castelle) running along the road to school, while being followed by his father in a truck. He walks through the school and soon we find him sitting in the gym with a few other fellow black students and a lot of white ones who are on the football team. Coach Tandy Gerelds (played by Nic Bishop) comes in and says to everyone that he knows how angry everyone is about the situation, including him, but to use that to win.

This was a very interesting movie to watch. As I am not a huge sports fan, it is not my first choice to watch a movie about sports. It also makes me a little hesitant to watch a sports movie that is also filled with a strong religion base to it because those are really a hit and miss type of genre. Most times you find misses, but to my viewing pleasure for the most part, this was a hit.

The story plot with the very real struggle of segregation and how the characters used skill and faith to overcome all of this is inspiring. It had a good balance between the sports aspect and religious base until the end. This is where I felt it was preachy and should have left some of it out because it took away from the real feel of the movie. I think the message would have been stronger if the end didn't make the movie feel like a 2 hour convergent advertisement.

I was impressed with the acting in the movie for the most part as well. Caleb Castille and Nic Bishop really gave their characters depth and understanding for the struggles they were going through. I did have a problem with Sean Astin at some points though. I just really had a tough time believing him to be a preacher. I think he came more alive when his character interacted in other ways, like cheering on the football team.

Overall I think the movie is worth seeing, especially if you love true stories and watching the way we humans overcome problems like racism. I would rate this movie 7.6/10 only because of the over preaching at the end and my disappointment in Sean Astin's acting.

Movie Review: The Peanuts Movie

This week I had the choice of going to the new James Bond movie or watching The Peanuts Movie. I decided to go to this movie because I used to watch one of the Christmas specials almost every year, and thought that this would be a great movie to watch from just watching the commercials. So, I hope you enjoy my review of The Peanuts Movie.

The movie starts by going through each of the houses of the kids from the comics, ending with Charlie Brown's House. Sally Brown (voiced by Mariel Sheets) answers the ringing phone and finds out that, due to the snow, there was no school that day. All the other kids are gathered up in front of Charlie Brown's house where they call him to come out and play, but meanwhile, Charlie Brown (voiced by Noah Schnapp) is just getting his winter stuff on. After getting outside and noticing that everyone else has left already, he grabs his kite and decides to try and fly it since the kite-eating tree is in hibernation. Down at the frozen lake, everyone else is playing hockey or figure skating when Charlie Brown starts to fly his kite, then the string gets caught around his feet. He stops in front of Linus (voiced by Alex Garfin), but quickly gets pulled away by his kite, running over Lucy (voiced by Hadley Belle Miller) and getting the kite stuck in the kite-eating tree.

After they all get back up, they notice a moving truck pulling up to the house across the street from Charlie Brown. Everyone starts thinking about what the new kid would be like, but Charlie Brown just hopes that they have never heard of him. Then, the snowball that he was standing on rolled out from under his feet, causing Charlie Brown to knock over the entire fence.

The movie actually surprised me by staying true to the original story created by Charles M. Shultz, and the characters we have come to know and love. I really liked how they brought in hints of our holiday favorites, without actually bringing them in, making this movie its own story. I think the best part of the movie were the words that were said about why Charlie Brown is a really beloved character around the world.

I wasn't sure how the CGI animation would work with our favorite characters, but again I was surprised. It was nice to have a third dimensional aspect to them, and it actually helped bring them to life on the big screen. I also like the occasional touch of original artwork in the movie.

The voice acting was great, and the people who voiced the characters made them feel almost real. It almost made me feel like the characters had real emotions, more than just what they had in the movie.

Overall, I think that, honestly, this is the best family film of the year, even with all the other ones I have reviewed. It's great for those who know the original comic strip, and for those who might have just been introduced to the Peanuts franchise. It's also a great movie to watch if you have only watched the This really is a great movie for everyone to enjoy, and for these reasons I would rate this movie 9.6/10.