Who you might not have noticed in The Lord of the Rings

Every year around New Years, my family sits down and watches the entire Lord of the Rings Trilogy straight through. Each time, I see something different and this year it was the extras that stood out to me.

Peter Jackson

Peter Jackson, the director of this franchise, is in every one of these films. He is always in the center of the shot and very noticeable to the audience, much like Hitchcock was in any of his cameos. In The Fellowship of the Ring, Jackson was a man in the town of Bree. He is un-credited, but his character's name was Albert Dreary. In The Two Towers, Jackson plays a Rohirrim warrior who throws a spear at the Uruk-hai that charge Helm's deep. Finally in the third installment, Return of the King, Peter Jackson is a mercenary on the black ships who is killed by Legolas's arrow. Look for him in the Hobbit films.

 

Alan Lee and John Howe

Alan Lee and John Howe are the two main concept artists for all of the Tolkien films. Their artwork inspires all the sets that are built for the films. More the artist type, I was surprised to see them taking cameo roles as well. Both play men of the chosen nine to bare rings in Fellowship and Alan Lee also plays a solider for Rohan in the battle of Helm's deep.

 

Royd Tolkien

Royd Tolkien is the great grandson of author J. R.R. Tolkien. That's right, the author of this little series. Royd was given the opportunity to play a solider of Gondor in Return of the King.

Billy and Katie Jackson

Billy and Katie are Peter Jackson's two children. You can find them in all kinds of scenes throughout the trilogy, and I personally find it awesome that they got to participate in this franchise.



 

Hannah Wood

Hannah Wood is Elijah Wood's little sister. She also gets to be an extra in the Helm's deep scene. Yay for family projects!

 

You never know what you may find when you rewatch a film you've seen a hundred times before. Keep your eyes open and remember to Watch Learn and Love.








 

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug

I preface this with a statement of my unworthiness to be an unbiased judge of this film. I love Lord of the Rings. Probably more than I should. I also did not like the first Hobbit tale (An Unexpected Journey). On top of that I have never read a word of Tolkien. Yet. My opinion is very much swayed by these facts.

That being said...

I was not a big fan of this film. From the first frame, I had trouble staying invested in the storyline. We started in the middle of an action sequence which rushed us quickly into the home of Bayonne. In interviews, Richard Armitage often claims this is his favorite set of the film. Unfortunately, the audience does not spend time in the carefully crafted home of the skin changer. From there on there is an endless supply of action. This tends to make the film drag.

Let's talk cast. I think that Martin Freeman does a wonderful job as Bilbo Baggins, even though his role is much smaller in this film. I also think Oakenshield was an interesting character throughout this film. Richard Armitage brings a depth to Thorin throughout this film which shows that greed is possible in the corruption of Oakenshield, but his will is strong enough to hold it back. The dwarfs were all a bit subdued this time around, though. And yes, I think that the absence of the excessive comedy from the first film is refreshing, I thought that it lost a bit of charm in that sense. The dwarfs should be fun at times as well, but they were all warriors in this film. Gandalf was almost nonexistent in this movie. I rather like the wise, all knowing character played by Sir Ian McKellen and I was sorry that he wasn't more involved in the plot. The reappearance of Legolas was something I was very excited for when I heard of it. Like every young girl (ever) who has seen Lord of the Rings, I had a bit of a crush on the blond haired elf. It didn't take long, however, for me to quickly quit this habit once he showed up on screen. His character is angry with hate in his eyes, not wise or sharp like the Legolas I know and love, but I'm hoping that there is a reason for his anger. Eventually, I suppose he will encounter something that will change him into our favorite again. The brightest spot in this film, for me at least, was Tauriel played by Evangeline Lilly. She was amazing. Her reckless behavior was well tempered by her heart and even though I know it won't pan out, I thought her flirting with Kili was sweet.

From a visual standpoint, I was unimpressed, but not disappointed. Smaug was excellent in appearance and his presence was amazing on screen. There aren't the wide sweeping landscape shots which we normally associate with this franchise. Often our characters are inside and this limits that kind of beauty in the filming. It is also very dark with deep colors. Some parts were difficult to see, especially in 3D. There were also several edited sequences which seemed out of character for the style of the film. For instance, when introducing Thranduil, Legolas's father, there are shots of his feet, hands, and crown all edited together with fades in between. This didn't fit the style of the film. There was also a scene where Gandalf hears Galadriel in his mind where there is a quick jump to her face. It only lasts a few seconds and it is almost jarring to the audience to be transported back and forth so quickly.

Despite my criticism, this film is very well done, as they all are concerning this franchise. I will go back and watch it again and see the next one because I am invested in Middle Earth. The amount of time and energy that goes into these films is absolutely tremendous and that in itself should be reason enough to see it.

Stream of the Week- The Avengers

I once again was drawn into the world of Marvel and came out the other side thoroughly entertained. I always seem to enjoy the Marvel franchise films; regardless of how cheesy they can be or how often they seem to just be made in the course of the big picture, they always keep the audience in the story that they create.

In this film, some of the top superheroes of the modern world are called together on a mission that tests their work as a team as well as their strengths as individuals. The tesseract, a energy source from Asgard, has fallen into the wrong hands after being recovered from Hydra in Captain America (oops, I spoiled that film for you, sorry!) Loki, Thor's "adopted" brother, has come to Earth to take the tesseract and trade it to an evil universe for the rule over the planet. The Avengers team is brought together by Nick Fury, who is acting on behalf of a government organization called S.H.I.E.L.D. This team consists of Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, Hawkeye, Captain America, and Black Widow. Together, they attempt to take down the evil alien race which sends its army to Earth.

I love that all of these characters can exist in the same universe, and I find their interaction with each other very realistic. They banter with each other and pick fights, which shows how difficult it can be to work with others who have different ideas of the same goal. Captain America is seen by the rest of the team as the original superhero and therefore respected for it. Bruce Banner, or Hulk, is constantly seen as a threat, but also as vitally important in the mission. Thor is always referred to as a "God". Iron Man is the class clown, but his knowledge and genius is what helps the team accomplish their goals. And Hawkeye and Black Widow appear to be the sidekick characters who help as much as a normal, specially trained human can. This creates different groupings and behaviors between the characters. For example, Iron Man and Captain always seem to have a tiff with each other. I guess it's the whole old school vs the new kind of vibe. Hulk and Thor are the muscle characters in this film so their conflicts with each other are always more physically driven and often end with them beating each other senseless. This causes the strangest of friendships to occur by the end.

My favorite scene is the interaction between Loki and Hulk at the top of Stark tower. It takes what a normal bad guy monologue would be like and turns it on its ear in order to show the character traits of Hulk. This occurred often in this film. We would expect Loki to tell us his plan like a rambling evil character on the brink of success, only to have it interrupted before it could be a full fledged speech. This helped the audience see Loki as not the main bad guy, but rather a middle man who works for the bad guy.

From a visual standpoint, this film isn't a complete masterpiece. The effects, though well done, are a little lack-luster, and I'm not a big fan of the costumes of any of the characters. However, for the most part these types of details do not detract from the overall value of the film.

The storyline, though a little typical, was well presented. The action sequences were broken up by a lot of dialogue, which is very important to me. I find that in many action films they have these great 20 minute battle scenes, but they never break them up with anything so the audience feels like they've been sitting there for hours. This is not the case with this film. What I really loved about this film is that the humor added to it was not over the top. They add a line here or there to help lighten the mood, but they do not have jokes around every corner like some of the Avenger Franchise films do. Though I enjoyed the second Thor film, I thought that was its major downfall. The constant stream of humor mixed in a dramatic sequence can be the death of a film that is trying to keep audiences interested in the characters.

For some extra fun check out the face on this alien monster. The teeth and the metal mask around the teeth are somewhat similar to another creature from a fantasy film. The one I see in this monster is the mouth of Sauron who is killed by Aragorn. (there is also a reference made by stark regarding a certain archer from the Lord of the Rings series)

You're sick today and you have Netflix.......

On sick days I love nothing more than watching my favorite movies and sipping on soup. Here is my list of must sees when you have the sniffles-

1. Breakfast at Tiffany's- Audrey Hepburn is amazing and if you haven't seen this yet then you are not fully alive.

Fun Fact- Capote (who wrote the novel) didn't like that Audrey Hepburn was cast to play Holly. He wanted Marilyn Monroe. Thank goodness it wasn't.

2. Downton Abbey- There is nothing better than watching a British drama. The language, the costumes, and the endless supply of tea can make any day better.

Popular line- "What is a weekend?" Dowager Countess

3. Hachi: A Dog's Tale- This film makes me cry every time I see it. I'm not suggesting that you breakdown and bawl while battling a fever, but a heartwarming film may be just what the doctor ordered.

Fun Fact- There were three Akitas who played Hachi. Their names are Chico, Layla, and Forrest.

4. Freaks and Geeks- I didn't even know that this series existed until I ran across it on Netflix instant. I will never be the same after watching it. Never. You will love it.

Fun Fact- The first episode was filmed in a real school, but then the show got popular and a set was built to match.

5. 13 Going on 30- I believe this film is greatly under-loved. It is a sappy, cutesy little film that will make you restore your faith in humanity. Plus it goes really well with hot chocolate, which is what your diet should consist entirely of when sick.

Fun Quote- "If you're gonna start lying about your age, I'd go with 27."

 

6. The Ramen Girl- There is nothing like watching a movie about food that makes one feel better. I also think that Brittany Murphy does an amazing job in this film. Rest in Peace.

Fun Quote- "I know the problem. Your forehead is too small. A small forehead means a small brain. Like a monkey. You should be swinging from a tree screaming 'kya, kya, kya'."

7. Doctor Dolittle (the original)- When you're sick, nostalgia is something that can help in the healing process. This film is a great movie to bring back childhood memories while simultaneously helping you fall asleep so that you can wake up feeling 1000 times better.

Fun Fact- A goat broke free of its handler during a scene and proceeded to eat the director's script.

 

8. Pirates of the Caribbean- Let's face it- if you can't move from your couch, you might as well let your mind go somewhere exotic.

 

Fun Fact- Jim Carrey was considered for the role of Jack Sparrow.

 

9. Clue- if you have never seen this movie, then now is your chance. It is hilarious and worth every second. It will keep your mind sharp as you attempt to find out who the killer is over your chicken soup.

Fun Quote- "Why has the car stopped?"

"it's frightened"

10. North and South (BBC)- If you have to spend all day alone on your sofa, you should just sit down and watch an entire miniseries. What else can you do anyway? So to you I humbly suggest this amazing series. I love it. So much. Warning- British.

 

Fun Fact- The same extra passes the couple 11 times in the last scene.

Stream of the Week- Mansfield Park

As you may have surmised from my continuous ravings for romantic novel film adaptations, I have found another Jane Austen story to love. This one being the 1999 version of Mansfield Park starring Frances O'Connor as the leading lady- Fanny Price.

I think that I love most of these films for the story rather than the actual visual representation of it, but all the same this film was very well done. The cast included actors and actress from all across the romantic literature adaptation circuit including Lord Grantham of Downton Abbey, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, and Mrs. Selfridge from the amazing BBC show Selfridges.

Fanny Price is a young woman who has been sent to live with her aunt at Mansfield Park at a young age. As she grows there, Fanny is regarded as a lesser and treated as a servant by all except for her cousin Edmund. Her imagination allows her to create fantastic stories which she uses to escape how desperate her life has become. Upon the arrival of the Crawfords (a brother and sister) at a home near by, Fanny's life is turned completely around. Her family begins to see her beauty and Mr. Crawford pays Fanny much attention. His affections for her are unreturned, however, by Fanny and she is forced to return to her home of Portsmouth by her very angered uncle. For a while Fanny is forced to prepare herself to let go of her love for Edmund because he is hopelessly in love with Miss Crawford. Mr. Crawford comes to find Fanny again and just as it may seem she might actually find love with him, she is thrust into the feelings of confusion by her return to Mansfield Park. I won't spoil the ending for you. I'm not that mean.

Anywho, let's talk about characters. Fanny Price is a quiet girl who seems to have been told her place and acknowledges her limits in such a role. She was never brought up as an equal to the likes of her cousins, but in demeanor and intelligence she is their superior. She constantly is at the ready to assist her family in anyway possible, but does not always agree with her treatment. She is a tortured soul, as these heroines often are, and a hopeless romantic (as all the readers of said novels appear to be). Fanny's cousin, Edmund, is a different kind of bird all together. He is very well mannered and extremely kind. His affections for Miss Crawford, however, seem to show that he can be distracted by the looks and charms of others. He is portrayed as the kind of person who does not know what they have until they have lost it. This also appears to be a trait of many male characters in such stories. It's nice to have some consistency in stories.

If you watch enough Jane Austen film adaptations, you begin to realize that the stories are always revolving around the same notion- That love is to be found between to highly differently minded individuals (Darcy and Elizabeth, Knightly and Emma). Perhaps that is why these stories always appear so believable, at least in a way which makes the main characters extremely relatable to the viewer and/or reader.

 

"There are as many types of love as there are moments in time."

How does a production company work?

The whole business behind filmmaking can be very confusing if you don't know what every does. At the beginning of a film there are always these intros that say "a So and So production". We get that it's associated with the film, but I bet not many of us know what those companies actually do.

A production company is responsible for gathering the funding for a project as well as hiring the staff (cast and crew). These companies are also responsible for marketing and distributing the film, depending on the type of production company used. Often, big production companies will break down their companies into smaller divisions so that the work is specialized and so they can cover more ground.

For example- New Line Cinema (Elf, Secondhand Lions, and The Mask) has several different departments. The have a division for theater distribution, one for marketing the films, and one for home video. The New Line Cinema name is all under the Godfather company of films- Time Warner.

 Ok, so here's how it works.
A person gets an idea for a film and writes a script. Sometimes these scripts are prompted by producers coming to screenwriters and saying "here's my idea, so write it". Either way a script is written. Then a producer for that script finds a company to support it and finance the project. These companies are production companies or studios. At this same time, producers are also trying to get a director to take on their scripts. Once both of these are secured, a process called pre-production starts. This is where actors are hired and locations found for filming. The crew is assembled and props are brought in. From here a date is set for "principal photography", or the start of filming.

The next few months (or years depending on the complexity of the project) are spent gathering the footage of the film and editing it. The music is added and the colors are adjusted. It's at this time that the marketing part of the production companies come into play. They put out the posters and build up the excitement for the film. Once the film is done, it is distributed to theaters across the nation (world, galaxy, and so on). From there eventually magic steps in and everything instantly becomes a blu-ray.

Here are some famous production companies (made so by building up reputation over time through better and bigger projects) and some of their biggest films-

Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Skyfall, and the Hobbit films

Twister, E.T., Jurassic Park, and The Mummy films

Gosford Park, The Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, Pride and Prejudice, and the upcoming 50 Shades of Grey

Ghost, Forrest Gump, Braveheart, and believe it or not Justin Bieber's Never say Never documentary

 

 

 

 

Stream of the Week- Captain America

I decided to sit down and try an action/adventure film so that you readers aren't stuck with a ton of British film suggestions. I must say I have been pleasantly surprised by Captain America, then again I always have loved a good hero. (Plus Richard Armitage makes a guest appearance so therefore it must be awesome).

Our loveable hero is Steve Rogers played by Chris Evans. He starts out as a scrawny little Brooklyn fellow, always ready for a fight. As the film progresses Rogers is admitted into the army for a scientific research project being led by Dr. Erskine (Stanley Tucci), and he is then enhanced into the likes of a super soldier who is drafted to help the promotion of war bonds throughout the states. It isn't long before Rogers, with the stage name of Captain America, finds himself behind enemy lines saving soldiers and protecting his friends. Steve Rogers is a hero that a viewer wants to cheer on. He is kind and a victim-to-protector kind of success story. I love this character. I love his naiveté and how his sheer will power is what keeps him going. He's adorable in a "give this kid a puppy" kind of way and I think those are the kind of qualities that are really great in a lead hero movie character.

There are no bad guys as great as German, Nazi, Hitler's buddy bad guys. They are easy to hate and always super stereotypical making them even greater to watch. Hugo Weaving (as in Mr. Smith, yes the Mr. Smith) plays an amazing Red Skull, leader of the Nazi deep science division known as Hydra. What was really great about this film, though, is that Red Skull's story line was actually partially followed throughout the film. Often in these newer Marvel films, the bad guys get overlooked. They show up and kill a couple people on tv and such and then we don't see them until our hero takes care of them. Captain America is a film that makes it a point to build up the hatred for the antagonist. We get to seem him experiment and work with his handy little German scientist side-kick. The character of Skull is arrogant and very self righteous which allows him to have a fault for our hero to use to his advantage.

There are some really great supporting actors and actresses in this film that I believe really make this film a success. I thought Colonel Phillips was hilarious and a great note added to a very great cast. I also was completely blown away by Peggy Carter played by Hayley Atwell. She was strong and she was not driven by her emotions, but rather guided by them and then led by her instincts. Peggy is probably my favorite hero's gal out of all the Marvel films. I wasn't a big fan of Stark or Bucky in this film. I didn't really see them as valuable to the overall feel or flow of the film, but they didn't take away from the action.

There are many who are very critical of the Marvel Avengers franchise. They don't seem to think that the various Thors, Iron Mans, Hulks and so on are well done. I, however, happen to think that these films are great additions to the genre. You know that the whole adventure and fantasy category is not really my cup of tea, but I do enjoy a good hero film. I like the way these franchise movies are all connected. Here we had the tesseract from Thor and Tony Stark's father connecting the films. But what I like most about them is the after credit scenes that nod to the next installment in the franchise. There seems to be a grand plan when you watch these movies. SHIELD is present in many of them as well as several Nick Fury appearances throughout showing the connections in preparation for the Avengers movie.

I do enjoy the fact that this film is cheesy. The German accents are kind of funny to listen to and the whole bad guy vs good guy story line is very old school "cheesed up" kind of story. It's not the kind of film that is to be appreciated for a spectacular story line because it's not really that great of a story, but it's the kind of film that can be loved for the sincerity of if. Go classic cheesy films!

And now for the technical people out there let's talk visual effects. Chris Evans is not tiny so for the "skinny steve" sequences in the beginning of the film, there were two different techniques used to create the character. First they would film a scene with Chris, then they brought in a body double who was smaller and filmed the scene with him. They used these two shots together by shrinking the Chris scenes so that his head would match the body. For many of the scenes, Chris was just shrunken down in the editing process. For the scenes where there was less movement, like lying on the operating table, the body double was used with just Chris's head added in. For the cab scene Chris's seat was built several inches deeper into the car so he would appear shorter. That's why when the angle is switched, Peggy and Steve seem closer in size.

Some things you should know before you go chase Smaug

 

 

Smaug is a dragon that has destroyed the dwarf fortress of Erebor which is located in the Lonely Mountain. During this time, Thror was King of the Dwarves. Thror was obsessed with treasure, and it was his obsession that drew the dragon to Erebor. Dragons, you see, are in constant want of treasure. As the kingdom failed and Thror was killed as well as his son Thrain, the Dwarf people were forced to vacate the mountain.

Enter Thorin Oakenshield. Thorin is the grandson of the failed king Thror (you know, the treasure obsessed one). Thorin is now the King of the Dwarf people. Roughly 150 years after the scattering of his people by the dragon incident, Thorin decides to go on a quest to regain his peoples' rightful land and treasure.
     

 

Thorin decides to call up 12 of his buddy Dwarves to go with him on this journey. These valiant Dwarves are-  Dori, Nori, Ori, Bombur, Bofur, Bifur, Kili, Fili, Gloin, Oin, Balin, Dwalin. Balin has been with Thorin since the very beginning. Balin is also Dwalin's older brother. Gloin is the father of a Dwarf you may know- Gimli (if you don't know who that is, then please don't see the hobbit until you do). And if you haven't already guessed it, Kili and Fili are also brothers.

 

 

So this little rag-tag group is called together to meet at a place marked by Gandalf the Gray. Gandalf is someone Thorin trusts, and he is one of the 5 Wizards. Gandalf decides to have the group meet at the house of an unsuspecting Hobbit. This Hobbit is Bilbo Baggins.

 Bilbo Baggins is a very calm Hobbit, who likes to spend long days in his hole under the hill studying his books and reading about adventure, rather than living it. Gandalf knows Bilbo, but he puts Bilbo in a very difficult position by bringing all these Dwarves to his home. Bilbo is upset by their appearance, but eventually he is talked into joining their group as their burglar. And then off they go!

The group goes out into the wilderness, and comes across a few adventures along the way like encounters with Goblins, and Trolls, and the most terrible of all- the Pale Orc.

 

The Pale Orc is also known as Azog the Defiler. Azog is a pretty nasty guy. He killed Thorin's granddaddy Thror (you know the treasure one). Now here is where the film takes some creative license on the story. Azog was killed eventually by a Dwarf during a war waged by Thrain (Thror's son and Thorin's dad). In the film Azog was not killed in this battle, but rather injured by Thorin. In The Unexpected Journey Azog plays the main antagonist and constantly chases Thorin on their quest.

 

*Spoiler*

Azog is still alive at the end of the Unexpected Journey. So, I fully expect him to come back in The Desolation of Smaug.

 

Okay, so that was basically a rundown of what happened in the Hobbit The Unexpected Journey, just in case you missed it. This kind of info is really important to know before going into a cult following kind of film like The Desolation of Smaug. Do me a favor though. If you haven't watched Lord of the Rings first, then you need to go and watch it first. You will learn the characters, you will have a love for the world, and that is what you need to do before you go in and try to act like one of the fanatics. Watch this. Learn from it. Love it. Because this is the kind of film that will be remembered forever and will never be remade because you can't recreate perfection.

 

Bonus!

Check out this wiki page. This is where you can get all the LOTR info you could ever want.

http://lotr.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

 

Want more? Ok- check out this youtube channel. Here you can find a ton of extras and personal commentaries by the director of this series Peter Jackson. http://www.youtube.com/user/pjacksonwingnutfilms



 



Stream of the Week- The Importance of Being Earnest

A few years ago, our school did the stage version of this play, and I found it completely hilarious. The quick-witted humor and rhythm of the lines make The Importance of Being Earnest perfect for film production. That is why when I saw this version starring Colin Firth and Rupert Everett I had to try it.

The basic plot of The Importance of Being Earnest is rather a silly one. A man named John Worthing has created for himself a brother by the name of Earnest so that he may go into town whenever he pleases and be Earnest. While in town he falls in love with a woman named Gwendolen. Gwen's cousin is John's good friend Algy. John wishes to marry Gwen, but her mother will not allow him to be engaged to her unless he can produce one of his parents (because due to a series of rather strange events, he has no idea who they are) he cannot have Gwen.

Meanwhile in the country, where John is John and not Earnest, John has a ward by the name of Cecily. Algy hears of Cecily and decides that he must meet her at once. Posing as Earnest, Algy goes to the country home of John and falls in love with Cecily. Of course his aunt will have none of this.

I absolutely adore both Colin Firth and Rupert Everett,  (I mean seriously one is Darcy and the other has the same last name as I do, what's not to love?) and their performances in this movie were completely hilarious and spot on. The thing about the humor in this kind of movie or play or whatever format you enjoy it in is that it is mainly in the form of wordplay. Jokes pass by so quickly to an audience because if they paused or slowed down after a comical line, the movie would appear cheesy.

With all movies there are several parts which appear rather corny and almost detract from the overall sincerity of the film, but for the most part The Importance of Being Earnest is a film which will keep an audience entertained while constantly having them ponder the question "Who is Earnest?"

If you want something visual to dig into then allow me to present you with Aunt Augusta- the woman in purple. She constantly in the frame with purple, whether that be in her dress or in the surrounding set.

 

In this scene it is the dress itself.

And here it is the flower on her shoulder.

 

Stylistic choice or not?

The Hunger Games- Catching Fire

Are there even words to describe the pure amazement that I have right now? The answer is no. There are not. Catching Fire was freaking brilliant. I never read the Hunger Games series, and I'll be honest I was not a big fan of the first movie, but I walked away from the theater today a believer in the power of this series.

First off let's talk about the cast. Everyone was so perfect in their roles. Katniss Everdeen is played by Jennifer Lawrence (just in case you live under a rock). The emotion put into this role by Lawrence is amazing. Everything feels so real and raw even though you can clearly tell from the interviews that Lawrence has done that she is not the "fall in love with Peeta, run through Hawaii trying to live off the land, driven by my love for a Hemsworth and my adorable sister" kind of person. She stayed true to her character and remained a morally driven character throughout the entire film. I think that this film made Katniss an approachable character, as opposed to the one she presented in the first film. In the first Hunger Games, Katniss was this girl who an audience could feel intimidated by. She was willing to be completely selfless to save her sister and was so strong that she didn't seem real. In this film, Katniss was an emotional person who was dependent upon others to survive. And even though she was still a person willing to give up everything to save other people, she was more believable in the fact that at each lost she was completely torn apart. Amazing. Best performance in this entire film.

Peeta Mellark (played by Josh Hutcherson) is another character that has come a long way since The Hunger Games. At first, we believe him to be weak and always in need of someone strong to protect him, but this film shows how strong of a person he can be. Now he is the kind of character we expect a lead male to be. His need to protect Katniss and his acknowledgement of Gale as an interest for Katniss show how much of a hero he can be. Plus all the sudden he's gained a bit of a sense of humor. That also totally wins him some points.

Another character I completely adored (besides the ever sarcastic Haymitch) was Johanna Mason, another tribute in the games. Johanna is played by Jena Malone, and she is absolutely fantastic. Her character is angry and a complete rebel. She is not easily put down or driven by the expectations of President Snow or the game itself. She is funny, but also a realistic character who I believe was extremely well cast.

As for the cinematography of this film, I was completely awed by the framing of each and every shot. One thing that really stood out to me was how they kept their Katniss shots off to one side so that Lawrence was never in the center of the film. This gives a character a place to go/ look and it gives an amazing view of the scene around the character. It draws the viewers eye away from the center of the screen, which is something I think is really awesome. There are a lot of color choices as well that are quite striking. The film contains many versions of the color gray. All the district scenes are very unsaturated and have very gray backgrounds to match the color of the sky. It has a very interesting effect on the over all look of the film.

Overall, I loved it. Catching Fire, in my opinion (which you don't have to agree with, by the way) is so much better than the first film in this series. I cannot wait for the next installment!

 

 

Fun Fact- Ed Sheeran sent three songs in for the soundtrack of this film, and all three were rejected, which sucks because I love Ed Sheeran. Oh well. Life goes on.