Movie Review #80: Yellow Submarine (1968)

Fifty years ago, the greatest band of all time crossed the pond to perform live on The Ed Sullivan Show to millions of adoring fans. And the rest is music history.

If you couldn't tell from that short intro, The Beatles are my all time favorite music group. They were the first band I listened to when I discovered rock and roll in the sixth grade. And only because of them have I expanded my music taste not just to other bands, but to other genres. But I shall forever regard them as the all time greats.

So in sixth grade, I did my research and discovered that they were apparently so popular that they starred in four films about them as a band. This was unheard of to me! I had heard of concert films or band documentaries being theatrically released, but never an original idea based around the band as a major wide release motion picture. Aside from The Who's Tommy, I can't think of any other band who's music was so successful that it spawned several profitable, critically acclaimed movies!

For some reason, this film had been out of print for years. Decades even. Which I don't understand why it was. I mean it was a hit for when it came out and is regarded very highly by film critics like Roger Ebert who has awarded it with the prestigious title of a "Great Movie". But only recently has it been rereleased on Blu-ray, and I must say that it is one of the best digital restorations I've seen.

So what's the story? Once upon a time, or maybe twice, there was a place called Pepperland. It was a beautiful world filled with vibrant colors and terrific music. That is until the Blue Meanies arrived and took all of the music and color out of Pepperland. And it's up to Old Fred and his Yellow Submarine to bring The Beatles to Pepperland to restore it to its former glory.

If I had to make a list of my top ten favorite movies of all time, Yellow Submarine would definitely be on there. I love this movie. Not just because I love The Beatles, but because I can watch this movie 1,000 times more and I would be able to notice something new each time.

This is not your average kids movie by any means. Kind of like with Rango, most of the jokes will go over their heads but they can still enjoy it for the silly characters, the pretty colors and animation. That doesn't mean it is a bad movie by any means! It's just that it might not be for everyone.

What I love about it is how completely bizarre it is! If you thought Blue Meanies were strange a weird name for an antagonist, then their accomplices The Apple Bonkers, Snapping Turtle Turks and The Flying Glove will make you wonder if you dropped acid before pressing the play button. The character designs are really funny and so are the jokes. Yellow Submarine is one of those movies that isn't constantly funny, but they manage to get quite a few jokes in there thanks to some great puns and a clever script. Unless you are watching with the subtitles on, you might miss quite a few jokes because some of them are so quick that they are quite literally "blink and you'll miss it."

Chief Meanie: Ah, the hills are alive...

Max: [sings] ... with the sound of music!

Chief Meanie: [Punches Max] Who did it? Who is responsible for this?

Max: Rimsky-Korsakov?

[Chief Meanie shoots him, Blue Menial #3 stomps him into ground]

Max: [Poking his head up from ground] Guy Lombardo?

Hilarious little gems like that kill me.

Animation wise, It still looks great after all of these years. What is really interesting is that for when a new song comes on, the animation changes its style. In the Eleanor Rigby sequence, it looks very gloomy, realistic and rather like something on Monty Python's Flying Circus ( Terry Gilliam must like this movie too! ). When you cut to the Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds sequence, it reminded me of Andy Warhol's painting of Marilyn Monroe. And in the Nowhere Man break, to me it almost looked three-dimensional!

And the music? Oh the music! One of the best soundtracks ever. I think that The Beatles albums are divided from Please Please Me to Revolver then Sgt. Pepper all the way to Abbey Road. The people I know only like either the first half of their of the career or the latter half. For me, I love it all! But my favorite time in their music ranges from Rubber Soul to Magical Mystery Tour and the songs on those albums are the ones that are on this soundtrack! What's not to like?

Final Report: With gorgeous hand-drawn animation, clever humor and some of the most timeless songs by one of the greatest bands of all time, it's no surprise why Yellow Submarine is one of my favorite movies of all time.

Movie Review #79: Captain Phillips (2013)

I figured Captain Phillips would be the only other Best Picture nominee aside from Gravity I would be able to review before the Oscars. I might review Nebraska and Philomena when they are available to rent. Until then, let's talk about arguably the most sophisticated thriller of the year.

Captain Phillips is based on the real events that happened to cargo ship captain Richard Phillips when his vessel is overtaken by Somali pirates. And the events that follow are so unbelievable that it's hard to wrap your mind around the fact that this actually happened. And rather recently too!

Tom Hanks stars as Richard Phillips and I'm just going to say it, this is the best performance I have ever seen Tom Hanks give. No contest. As I said in my Polar Express review, when Tom Hanks is in a movie, it's impossible for me to see anyone but Tom Hanks. What I mean is that no matter how good his performance is, I always see Tom Hanks and never the character he plays. That is quite the opposite here. When the pirates had a gun pointed to his head I didn't see Tom Hanks, I saw Richard Phillips.

Since we're on the topic of powerhouse performances, how about those pirates?! Where the heck did they find these guys? Well it doesn't matter because they were terrific. It was really cool to see unknown actors in large supporting roles. They could have very well chosen some big name actors, but they went the indie route and it most definitely paid off.

Of all the filmmaking gimmicks, shaky cam is arguably the most abused one. The biggest drawback it has is that it makes the action incoherent and annoying. Director Paul Greengrass uses it for his advantage by not only raising the intensity, but by actually making it visible! Yeah, someone who can competently film action. What a concept!

Speaking of intensity, this might be on par with Gravity for the most white-knuckle movie experience of the year. I could not believe how often I found myself biting my nails and holding my breath! The third act was so stressful that it was like the end of Zero Dark Thirty. Come to think of it, Captain Phillips and Zero Dark Thirty are actually rather similar! Both are incredibly intense, showcase terrific lead performances and were realistically crafted by some of Hollywood's most talented filmmakers!

And much like Zero Dark Thirty, the only Oscar it will most likely win will be for Sound Mixing. Stupid Academy. Also, how the heck were both Hanks and Greengrass snubbed this year? On a side note, no love for Monsters U but a nod towards The Croods? And on an even more unrelated note, no Pacific Rim or Man of Steel but the Lone Ranger? I'm getting off track.

As far as flaws go, I didn't really find any other than a few nitpick details. It did feel like it went on for a bit too long even though the runtime was only 2 hours and 14 minutes. I guess that the intensity made the film seem more drawn out that it actually isn't. And in the third act, the intensity became so much that it really wore me out. I'm not sure if that is a pro or a con actually. Regardless, this film is no picnic. But it is a rewarding experience.

Final Report: While anything but pleasant, Captain Phillips is intelligently written, well directed and marvelously acted. With a breakout performance from Barkhad Abdi and a return to form for Tom Hanks.

Super Bowl Trailer Highlights!

With the Super Bowl being the single most watched sporting event on television, there are of course a ton of new commercials. All of which are trailers to upcoming summer blockbusters! Here are some of the trailer highlights!

First up is Darren Aronofsky's biblical epic Noah. I've heard a lot of mixed reviews when the film was screened in advance. I'm taking all of that with a grain of salt because yes, the film could go either way. All I want is for it to be biblically accurate. Because when you're adapting a Bible story to the big screen, this is one book adaptation you do not want to screw up.

Besides that, this looks like a really epic movie. Aronofsky is a talented director and the film visually looks stunning. So it could possibly be The Ten Commandments for a new generation! Maybe that is a bit unrealistic but anything is possible.

What would a summer at the movies without a Marvel movie or two? The first Marvel movie of the year is Captain America: The Winter Soldier. This looks awesome! I've been hearing really interesting things about this. I heard that it isn't relying highly on CGI and that it minimizes the use of visuals as much as possible. I find that very interesting. We will also be introduced to The Falcon played by Anthony Mackie. Plus, Robert Redford?!?!? What!?! Sign me up!

Sounds like a really sweet flick to me and I can't wait!

This might be surprising to some, but I am looking forward to The Amazing Spiderman 2. I hated the first Amazing Spiderman film because of how absolutely nothing new was brought to the table. But with the introduction of villains Electro and Rhino and some super neato effects, I am hopeful! And with any luck, Dane Dehan as Harry Osborne will hopefully tone down the annoyance of Garfield as Spiderman.

It might not get me in the theaters, but it has my interest for sure. It's a definite maybe for me.

Will it be stupid? Yes.
Will it be cheesy? You bet.
Will it take itself way too seriously? Probably.
Will it have terrible Michael Bay dialogue and cringe worthy humor? For sure.
Will it have Shia Labeef? For once, NO!

Out with Laboots and in with Marky-Mark! Plus, Optimus Prime riding a dinobot. The fifth grader inside of me nearly had a heart attack.

I still might not see this because I don't want to support a franchise I really can't stand, but I would be missing out on robot dinosaurs fighting other robots. If I get the chance to see it, sure I'll see it.

News: Lex Luthor and Alfred Cast for Man of Steel 2/ Batman and Superman/ Justice League-ish Film!

Hey kids! If the news of Ben Affleck cast as Batman completely dumbfounded you, then prepare to be baffled beyond belief!

Zack Snyder has just announced that Academy award winner Jeremy Irons will play Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred in the follow-up film to Man of Steel. Awesome! A terrific, classy actor to portray not only the most famous butler of all time but also a classic comic book character! Fantastic!

But there's more. As most of us expected, the main villain was going to be Lex Luthor. Even before it was announced, that just seemed like the next logical move. The kicker is that this iconic villain will be played by Oscar Nominee Jesse Eisenberg! Wait, Jesse Eisenberg is playing Lex Luthor? Huh?

Reading the news for the first time felt like someone had pulled a prank on me. A really elaborate and convincing prank. But life could not be so kind and I awoke from my dream. I'm going to question this casting decision but defend it at the same time because I'm kind of split.

On the pro side, if you look at all three of the actors that played the villains in Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, they aren't exactly very intimidating.

Heath Ledger, Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy might not have seemed like villain material, but with serious commitment to the role and physical training, they have cemented themselves as some of the all time greats.

And when you get down to it, Lex Luthor is a sadistic genius. In many of Eisenberg's roles, he has played intelligent jerks pretty well! Does he look the part? With that hair, no. But a shaved head can make all the difference in persuading ones opinion.

On the con side, why not Bryan Cranston or Joaquin Phoenix? Not only are they far more accomplished actors, but they have proven to us that they can play villains!

Do you think that DC Comics is placing all of their eggs into one basket and making this film beyond overblown? Personally, I think so. DC is scrambling to catch up with Marvel and their unbelievably successful string of films. Is this Batman and Superman, Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman or just a full on Justice League film? There are just so many characters being added to the film that I almost forgot that it is Superman's sequel! How sad is that?

Just hold off on Aqua Man and Flash casting news. Give them either their own films or let The Justice League introduce us to them.

I'm nervous yet optimistic. Always hope for the best! Even in the worst of times. What say you? Thoughts? Comments? Concerns? Sound off in the comments and I'll respond to you!

Movie Review #78: Monsters University (2013) 100th Blog Post!!!

78 movie reviews
13 television reviews
5 news posts
3 best and worst lists
1 hate filled angry rant

I might not be the best at math, but those numbers add out to an even 100! A hundred blog posts within less than a year. I'm not sure if I will be able to beat that record. I kind of set the bar pretty high for myself! Regardless, thanks a bunch to everyone who willingly read my reviews to hear my simple thoughts on films. It means a lot to me and I am really grateful for the fact that I actually have an audience! Even if I didn't I would still do this because it is fun, but still, every one of your views gives me the motivation to come back to talk about movies. And what better way to celebrate than with a review of a Pixar movie?

When I first heard that Pixar would be returning to the world of Monsters Inc, I was beyond stoked. Then I heard that it wouldn't be a sequel but rather a prequel about how Mike and Sully became friends. I became less excited after knowing that. I mostly became nervous about the story. What kind of a story would they be able to give us being that we already know the outcome to it? But leave it to the geniuses at Pixar to never stop surprising me.

The past two Pixar films, Cars 2 and Brave, have proved to us that just because it is Pixar doesn't guarantee that it will be good. I thought that they had lost their touch and this made me even more nervous. Luckily I believe that Monsters University is a step in the right direction for Pixar.

I had a lot of fun with this movie. Perhaps the only improvement in Monsters U over Monsters Inc. is the comedy. I found myself laughing rather frequently. And they weren't just occasional chuckles, they were solid laughs! I guess since I am in high school right now I found the jokes twice as funny because I could relate to some of the jokes. The jokes that made me laugh the most were oddly enough the jokes in the background. It kind of reminded me of the Men In Black films!

It was also neat to see how different Mike and Sullivan's personalities were. It oddly enough reminded me of the lead performances in Amadeus. Mike is much like Salieri. He's very studious, intelligent and well put together. Always by the books and nothing but facts. Sullivan is more like Mozart. He's carefree and wild and constantly does better than Mike without even trying. And much like with Amadeus, the lead performances work off of each other very well with a very believable rivalry that is not only entertaining to watch but to see it end and the journey their friendship takes to form.

In Monsters Inc, the only real side-character was Boo, but there are a ton of supporting characters that work for the films benefit. The other members of their fraternity were really funny! They reminded me of my friend group at school because we are the exact opposite of "popular" or "cool" but manage to have fun doing whatever it is we do. I was able to relate to them and it made me happy.

As for the animation, let's face it, it's Pixar. Even their worst films still have stellar animation. The character designs were pretty creative, particularly the design of Helen Mirren's character Dean Hardscrabble. One thing that did take me out of the film for a moment were some of the voice performances. They weren't really awful, I was just instantly able to tell that that was John Krasinski's voice or Nathan Fillion's voice. Unlike with Crystal and Goodman who I knew were committed and dedicated to their characters.

Another aspect of the film I enjoyed was the message that was conveyed. The message was that even if you're different from the rest of the crowd, you can use your strengths to balance out whatever weaknesses you might have and it will serve you well later in life. That's a really good message for kids to hear that isn't always told to them.

Final Report: Monsters University is a strong prequel with clever humor, likable characters and a great message for kids. It's welcome return to the characters we loved from the predecessor even if it might not hold a candle to it.

Movie Review #77: Now You See Me (2013)

When I saw the trailer to Now You See Me I thought it looked like Oceans 11 with magicians. That combination alone kept me away from paying $10 to see this in theaters. But paying $1.50 rental fee to see this flick is perfectly fine by me!

Now You See Me is directed by Louis Leterrier who has directed The Incredible Hulk and the Clash of the Titans remake. So this film could go either way just by that fact alone.

It revolves around a group of four magicians played by Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson and Dave Franco. They were all called by an unknown source to pull off these seemingly impossible heists like robbing a French bank from halfway across the world using their illusions. The group becomes known as The Four Horsemen. They grab the attention of the authorities and they plan to stop them from committing any more crimes.

The biggest issue the film suffers from is the plot. It not only is confusing and convoluted but also completely preposterous! I am usually overly kind when it comes to movies like this that have no believability whatsoever. I blame that on my love of action movies like Con Air, but in Now You See Me, I kept saying to myself, 

"I know it's a movie about magic but seriously...... what!?!?"

There are plenty of moments like that throughout the film. And by the time the film ends and things are finally explained, I was too confused and I just didn't care at that point. The ending is also completely unsatisfying with very little payoff. It just kind of cuts off leaving the audience just hanging there.

Those are some pretty big issues. Surely the film isn't a complete train wreck? And luckily it isn't.

The film does have a great cast full of very talented actors that I enjoy. I though that Mark Ruffalo gave a standout performance as an FBI agent who kind of goes insane trying to stop the Four Horseman. I also enjoyed the magicians. Jesse Eisenberg and Isla Fisher were fun to watch and Woody Harrelson as usual steals every scene he's in. The only actor I felt kind of bad for was Dave Franco, mostly because he had absolutely nothing to do. He had a pretty cool fight scene with Mark Ruffalo near the end but his character just really felt like filler. Which is a shame because I didn't mind Dave Franco! His performance wasn't terrible or even really that bad, it's just that he felt like Black Widow in The Avengers: If you cut that one character out, the film wouldn't have been any different.

As I previously mentioned before, there is an entertaining fight sequence that later evolves into a decent car chase. The visuals as a whole are pretty decent, but what I ended up enjoying the most was, oddly enough, the magic! It kind of made me feel like a kid again by reigniting my fascination with magic and how cool it is to see someone suspend what you think to be real right before your eyes. Come to think of it, magic is kind of a precursor to films because when you really get down to it both activities serve the same purpose: To entertain audiences by suspending their disbelief even if some members of the crowd can see the smoke and mirrors.

Final Report: Now You See Me isn't really good, but it isn't really that bad either. It's the type of movie that you would watch as an in-flight movie on a plane. It's forgettable yet entertaining.

My Top 5 Worst Movies of 2013!

And seeing as that I have already ranked my 10 favorite films of 2013, it's time to get down to the real stinkers of the year. The films that irritated me, repulsed me or the ones that just flat out sucked.

Unlike with my best list, this will only consist of five because don't willingly go to the theaters to see a movie I know is going to suck. So films like:

A Good Day To Die Hard
The Host
White House Down
R. I. P. D.
Scary Movie 5
Getaway

Will not be on this countdown because I would rather burn my money than rather have seen any of those films in the theater.

And unlike with many other critics and reviewers, I didn't mind The Lone Ranger so that will not make an appearance on here!

That being said, here are my least favorite movies of 2013!

5. Elysium.

Are you surprised? It is understandable if you are. Elysium is a very strange movie for me because when I saw it in theaters, I thought it was super cool. But the more I thought about it and the more I started to think about the political message, it just started to annoy me. Over the next few weeks I went over the film and its flaws and issues. I drank the Kool Aid of Elysium big time. Looking back now, it's just okay.

4. The Great Gatsby

The biggest disappointment of the year goes to Baz Lurhmann for The Great Gatsby. I have never been a fan of his work. His adaptation of Romeo and Juliet is actually one of my least favorite films. I despise that piece of trash. And while this nowhere near as bad as that, it isn't good either. I liked all the actors they chose to play the characters and their performances were fine. I was just let down by the script. It never fully had the emotional weight of Fitzgerald's novel. For me it's the same as Elysium. A lot of people like it but I'm in a minority. It's just meh.

3. Sharknado

There is no need for me to review Sharknado. We all know it stinks. What else can I say that everyone else hasn't already? "It's dumb but we all give it a pass because it's supposed to be dumb". No! You condemn those films for being a disgrace to both cinema and human intelligence.

Maybe I will like like the sequel more if it stars Gary Busey.

2. G. I. Joe: Retaliation

I saw this movie along with Jack the Giant Slayer in March. One month before I began this blog so I never got a chance to review either of those. I enjoyed Jack the Giant Slayer but this on the other hand..... Oh boy. Rise of Cobra was really lame and this sequel could have been a chance to at least be half decent whit the bar being set so low. Looks like the bar hasn't been raised any. Do you want to know the first sign to a bad movie? If on your drive home from the theater you completely forget that you saw that movie. And G. I. Joe: Retaliation was completely forgettable. It was I'm just glad I only paid $3 to see it.

1. After Earth

It is hard to think that there was a time when M. Night Shyamalan was said to be "The Next Spielberg". How the mighty have fallen. After Earth was dull, lame, generic, forgettable, poorly written and badly acted. But worst of all: Boring! Talk about poor pacing. This film moved slower than a snail covered in molasses waiting in line at the DMV! I usually have a soft spot for Sci-Fi Action movies! But not here.
To be blunt, After Earth is one of the worst movies I have ever seen. I would put this alongside Wild Wild West and Romeo & Juliet. It is awful.

Movie Review #76: Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

Have I reviewed a drama before? A real drama I mean. If not then I really need to add some culture and variety to the archives.

Saving Mr. Banks is a new Disney movie about a Disney movie. I swear, the most obvious product placement since Man of Steel.

In all seriousness, the film is "based" on the true events of how Mary Poppins was made and what it took Disney to acquire the rights to the popular children's book.

There is a subcategory of dramas that are movies about movies. Being the cinephile that I am, I adore these types of films. I just find them to be so fascinating even if they aren't great of if some of the information is more fiction than fact. Luckily, Saving Mr. Banks is a great movie.

Emma Thompson plays P. L. Travers, the author of Mary Poppins. You know how they say that first impressions can tell you everything about someone. That has never been more evident than with P. L. Travers. She is one uptight, crotchety old bird and Thompson carries her brilliantly. But what is interesting is how the author of one of the most famous children's book became like this? We luckily see this transformation because half of the film is flashbacks to her childhood. These give us a look at her relationship with her father Travers Goff, played by Colin Farrell. I'm not the biggest Colin Farrell fan, but he was so good in this movie. The struggle his character faced and the emotions he felt were evident on screen. And I'm actually kind of surprised he isn't getting more award recognition for this role.

Tom Hanks plays Walt Disney and he is great as well. Not only does he look the part of Mr. Disney to a tee, but he also sounded less like Tom Hanks. What I really mean is that like in The Polar Express, I could clearly tell it was Tom Hanks playing each role because his voice is so recognizable. In this film he tones down his regular Tom Hanks-y vocals and sounded more like Disney. One scene that I must mention is a discussion he has with Emma Thompson's character that just about brought me to tears. The words he said to her not only hit home to P. L. Travers but also to us the viewers. We were able to empathize with her because after learning her backstory we learned why she was the way she was. It was a very touching scene that I enjoyed very much so.

The supporting cast is just as strong as the three leads. B. J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman have some really great scenes together as songwriting brothers Robert and Richard Sherman. I really like the scenes when they were presenting their songs to P. L. Travers and then hearing all of the various issues she had with it. Not only were those scenes very comical, but also insightful into the mind of P. L. Travers.

The film also has a very nice and clean look to it. That's a bit of a strange compliment but nonetheless true. The cinematography looks great and Thomas Newman's gentle score compliments the film very nicely. The film just had a pleasant feel to it.

My only issue with this movie is that it switches from present day to her childhood very often and most of the time they seemed rather unrelated until that event comes into play later on. The transitions occur more randomly than in Man of Steel.

Wow, two Man of Steel comparisons in one review. I'll have to beat that record.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for going to see a family movie during the winter. Probably because I remember going to see movies like this in the theater around this time of year when I was a kid. It just brought out emotions in me that few theater experiences can now.

Final Report: Saving Mr. Banks is a tender emotional tale that delves into the making of one of our favorite childhood films. No other movie this year made me so close to showing physical signs of emotion in public. It's a nostalgic treat sure to make you feel like a kid again.

My Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2013!

It is official, 2013 has come to a close and 2014 is here!

And like most movie reviewers, I take the liberty upon myself to make a top 10 list of the "best" movies of the year. But I don't like using the term "best" movies of the year because many of the movies on this list wouldn't be considered "the best" because they aren't Oscar caliber. And that is because even though I would like to see those in the theater, I end up saving my money to see films I want to see like Iron Man 3 or The Hobbit. So without further ado. Here are my favorite movies of 2013!

10. Man of Steel

As far as blockbusters this year, Man of Steel was either your favorite or least favorite movie of the year. For me, I recognize and understand and agree with all of the many issues fans and critics had with it. That being said, I had a blast with Man of Steel! I really regret not seeing this on the big screen because it was one of the most visually astounding movies I've ever seen. I ended up getting it on Blu-Ray for Christmas and it is definitely worth the extra cash. I am both nervous yet excited for what Zach Snyder and Christopher Nolan have in store for what they can do with both the Man of Steel and The Dark Knight on the big screen.

9. Iron Man 3

While Man of Steel was divided by critics and fans, Iron Man 3 was well received by critics but panned by die-hard comic book fanboys. There were times when I too was disappointed but others when I was really having a good time! I ended up putting this above Man of Steel because to me, Iron Man 3 had more of a re-watchability factor to it. Think of it this way, I would rather watch Tony Stark crack sarcastic one-liners than see General Zod scream at Kal in Christopher Nolan's overly depressing universe. Both movies were great but this one has the upper hand for me.



8. World War Z

A movie that was destined to fail from the start ended up earning good reviews and become one of the years top 10 highest grossing films. If only that luck happened to The Lone Ranger or 47 Ronin. This was just a real fun summer movie! I love Brad Pitt and I love zombies. Why wouldn't I like this movie? Sure, the only thing it has in common with the book is the title but oh well! It was fun and I am interested in the sequel.





7. Pacific Rim


Giant robots fought giant aliens. I've made my point.









6. Thor: The Dark World

This was a great superhero sequel. Unlike how Iron Man 2 went bigger but not better, this was bigger but just as good. Thor 2 was a ton of fun. I'm not the biggest fan of the term "escapism" but I think that this was a good example of it. Even if you hated the first Thor but you wanted to go to the movies anyway, you would probably walk out of this knowing that it was a well spent two hours.

5. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

I don't know about you, but I didn't expect this to be on here at all. The biggest surprise of the year without a doubt. Great performances, intensity and a wonderful lack of shaky camera made for a terrific sequel. I can say that Catching Fire is The Empire Strikes Back of Hunger Games movies simply because everyone hates the final book Mockingjay for being the most unsatisfying franchise conclusion since The End from A Series of Unfortunate Events.

4. The Wolverine

Of all the comic book/superhero movies that came out this year, The Wolverine was the only one that surpassed my expectations. I loved how different it was from not just the other X-Men films but comic book movies in general. This was also one of the most mature Marvel movies not just due to the story but because Wolverine actually gets blood on his hands. It's taken us five movies to see that. I plan on getting this on Blu-Ray to add to my X-Men collection.





3. Star Trek Into Darkness

At the beginning of the year, Star Trek Into Darkness was my most anticipated movie of the year and it did not disappoint at all. J.J. Abrams 2009 Star Trek was a tough act to follow, but I think that this was just as good if not better! With spectacular visuals, terrific thrills and Benedict Cumberbatch giving his second best villain performance, it's movies like this that sustains my love for the theater.

2. Gravity

What can I say about Gravity that everyone else hasn't said about it already? It's an unbelievable movie with perhaps the greatest special effects ever put to screen. Not just a technological achievement but also a landmark in acting and storytelling that you don't need a huge plot to make a movie great. It was an incredible visceral experience that is unparalleled. Like no other.

1. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Yes, I called Gravity a masterpiece so shouldn't that be number one? Well tough this is my list and I can do things that might not make sense to most people because I want to. The Hobbit was the summer blockbuster that blew me away and the movie experience that gave me everything I wanted. Cool action, great characters, and a villain that I would put up there with some of the all time greats. I loved every second of it.

Movie Review #75: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

Happy 2014! I would have gotten to see this sooner but when I first tried the theater was completely sold out. I felt so betrayed by the theater that I put off seeing it until all the hype died down. And I must say, it was worth the wait.

Catching Fire picks up where the Hunger Games left off. Katniss and Peeta won the game and they are going on their celebratory victory tour to all the districts. But President Snow is not pleased with this at all. He sees Katniss as a beacon of hope for the districts and believes she could be the spark for a revolution. So he and the new game maker played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman conspire to throw her back into the arena in the next Hunger Games.

I was curious at what they could with the second film because I thought the first film was alright, but it didn't leave me wanting more. That is the exact opposite with this film.

This took me completely by surprise. I never thought I would become so enthralled in the sequel to a film that I thought was pretty overrated. All of the issues I had with the first film were removed and replaced with greatness.

For starters, with Gary Ross out of the directors chair, the shaky cinematography was nowhere to be found! Even if you loved the first film you have to admit that the camerawork was appallingly bad. Luckily with Francis Lawrence at the helm the film looked crystal clear. From the camera work alone it makes sense why they signed him on for Mockingjay.

The first half of the film, like the first one, is all build-up to the games. While the first half of the first film is pre-game events like training and interviews, this time we get insight into The Capital and their politics. That to me, was the most interesting part of the movie. I really liked the addition of Phillip Seymour Hoffman as the new game maker.

Another issue I had with the first film was Peeta. His performance to me felt the weakest and most wooden and I didn't buy his relationship with Katniss. Luckily here their relationship wasn't just believable but I feel as if they actually did like each other even though their relationship is just an act. A new character named Finnick is introduced and with him a love triangle between Katniss, Peeta and Finnick is formed. Actually make it a love quadrangle when you throw Gale into the mix. Ugh, romance gets so confusing.

With this being the second film in the franchise the characters become more developed which allows
the audience to get invested in them. And that is precisely what happened to me. Their acting improved and you could really see the struggles they were facing in their performances. Especially in Haymitch and Effie.

The tributes in this film were past winners and the ones that Katniss, Peeta and Finnick teamed up with were really cool. They had cool personalities and they grew on me after a while. I liked Jeffery Wright as Beetie. But when I saw him on screen I saw Tobias from Arrested Development. The resemblance really was uncanny!

As for the action, aside from the lack of shaky camera, the visual effects are improved upon and the finale just about blew me away. I had only read the first book so I didn't know what was going to happen and it was unbelievable.

Final Report: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire might be targeted to teenagers as an action thriller
romance, when in reality it is a top notch political thriller that is carried by strong performances and an even stronger script.