The Hunger Games: Mockingjay -- Part 1

"Fire burns brighter in the darkness"

Now, I know that it's a little late, seeing that the movie released over a week ago here in Singapore, but, you know, I'm a busy man! Anyways, back to work. The book Mockingjay is the final book in Suzanne Collins's incredible series. The movie was divided into two parts for financial gain, and let me tell you guys, I absolutely cannot wait for the second instalment.

All Districts are now in full-scale rebellion against the Capitol. Katniss, who was liberated from the devastating Quarter Quell, wakes up underneath the supposedly destroyed District 13. She is introduced to President Alma Coin, who requests her to be the 'Mockingjay' of the rebellion, the embodiment of hope and symbol of survival against all odds. But Katniss flatly refuses, bitterly pointing out that they left Peeta Mellark, Katniss's district partner, behind in the Quarter Quell arena. Katniss also learns that her home, District 12, has been levelled on the Capitol's orders and all that is left is rubble and corpses. Meanwhile, Peeta has been brainwashed and is now a prisoner of the snaky President Snow. When Katniss sees Peeta at the end, Peeta's 'abruptness' surprises and shocks Katniss.

I've read the Hunger Games series at least 3 times, and I'm happy to say that Mockingjay, like its predecessors, was accurate, and any changes that were actually made to the plot were good changes. For example, we learn more about Effie Trinket and about President Snow. Some of the scenes in the movie, like the blowing up of the dam in District 5 and the land mines in District 7, were't actually in the book; they were only mentioned, but they made wonderful additions in showing what was happening outside of District 13. You also might have noticed that the pacing of the characters was slow. Personally, I think that this was quite important, because the book is split into two movies. On top of that, it shows each and every change in the characters. Now, to the actors. Once again, (no surprises here) Jennifer Lawrence did a marvellous job in executing the role of Katniss. I never knew that she was such a great singer! She has gone so deep into her character, we only see her as Katniss Everdeen, not as Jennifer Lawrence, like her reaction at seeing the charred remains of District 12. Josh Hutcherson, I think, has done a fascinating job in capturing his character of Peeta. You could actually see him deteriorating as the movie went on. The special effects that were used to show the Capitol buildings and the destroyed District 12 was also of top quality. Mockingjay -- Part 1 has so far been the most electrifying movie so far in the Hunger Games Trilogy. The perfect teaser for the upcoming Part 2!

• Genre- Sci-fi, action and adventure
• Director- Francis Lawrence
• Producers- Nina Jacobson and Jon Kilik
• Starring- Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Julianne Moore, Donald Sutherland and Philip Seymour Hoffman 

My rating

4.5/5

Interstellar

"Mankind's next step will be our greatest."

Interstellar. The name tells you everything. The word actually means occurring in between the stars. And that's exactly what happens in this mind-blowing movie. It's a sci-fi, so it starts in the usual way, with Earth being shown as almost-dead.

Our time on Earth is coming to a close. The human population has been reduced to a farming society and dust storms ravage the fields. Cooper is a pilot-turned-farmer. When it is revealed to him that NASA still exists and that a wormhole has been discovered and that it could take them to a new life-sustaining planet, he agrees to fly a team of scientists through the wormhole. After going through the wormhole, they come across three prospective planets. Cooper must decide between on reaching the new planets or going back to Earth while the other scientists must find out whether humanity can live amongst the stars after Earth dies out forever.

What I didn't know when I walked into the cinema for Interstellar was that Christopher Nolan hired cosmologist Kip Thorne to make sure that all the small details in the movie related to physics were correct, like the black hole and the wormhole. I must say, this movie was aesthetically pleasing in terms of the rendering of the stars, planets, the black hole and the galaxies. Even the sound effects made you actually feel like you were in space. In terms of the other aspects of the movie, everything was top notch. Matthew McConaughey did a good job, though nothing out of the ordinary. Mackenzie Foy, the girl who played Murph, did a fine job as well. Christopher Nolan impresses with every movie; Inception, the Batman movies and finally Interstellar. Another thing I really liked about Interstellar was that it actually taught me something about space and time. At first, it seems confusing with the space-time continuum and everything, but it clears up near the end. The movie is almost 3 hours long, but it's absolutely worth it. Oh, and one more thing, there isn't much humour in the movie, but whatever is there is funny! You guys will love this movie.

• Genre- Sci-fi, adventure
• Director- Christopher Nolan
• Producers- Emma Thomas, Kip Thorne, Lynda Obst
• Starring- Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain

My rating 

5/5

Annabelle

Annabelle is the newest horror movie in cinemas now, and let me tell you, it is scary. Its about a doll who gets possessed by a demonic creature and then starts to haunt a woman and her new daughter. It probably sounds like a clichéd plot, but get this: it's based on a true story! There is a real doll called Annabelle, though it looks nothing like the one in the movie, that was possessed and caused a rather unfortunate series of events.

When Mia receives a doll that she's been hunting for from her husband John for her expected baby, she is overjoyed. But that's just a sure sign that something bad is going to happen. During the night, Mia hears a murder taking place at their neighbors' home. A report shows that the assailants were Annabelle Higgins and her boyfriend and were part of a satanic cult. Mia is attacked by them, but they are subdued. A drop of Annabelle's blood falls onto the doll's eye. As expected, strange activity begins to torment Mia and her baby. Through some research and help from an old woman who is knowledgeable about superstitions, Mia determines that the spirit haunting her wants a soul. It doesn't want her soul; it wants her baby's soul instead.

I'm not a huge fan of horror movies. Horror ranks about 8th out of my top 10 favorite genres. In fact, the only reason I went for it was because my friends were there as well. Now, I've only watched a few horror movies (3 of them), but I really thought Annabelle was a scary movie. I was absolutely freaked in the cinema. I'll admit it; I screamed twice during the film. The background music was great at raising suspense and fright wherever needed. It told me when to cover my eyes... (I'm joking. No, seriously). Another great thing in the film were all the camera angles. I've never seen so many different camera angles in just one movie. That made it easier the see the looks of abject terror on the characters' faces. I don't know if you guys liked it or not, but I personally thought it was a satisfying film. The trailer, however, spoiled most of the scares in the movie. Not something I like.

• Genre- Horror and mystery 
• Director- John R. Leonetti
• Producers- Peter Safran and James Wan
• Starring- Annabelle Wallis (Coincidence? I think not!), Ward Horton and Alfre Woodard

My rating

4/5

The Maze Runner

Before I start my review for The Maze Runner, let me just say that the books by James Dashner were fantastic. Each of the three books were well-written and the story was gripping too. So obviously, I was excited to watch the movie.

When Thomas wakes up in the Glade with a group of other boys inside the Maze, he has no memory at all. No recollection of any memories. But he soon starts dreaming about a mysterious organization known as WCKD (known as WICKED in the book). There is one rule that all the Gladers follow: do not enter the Maze. Nobody knows about the Maze. Every night, the maze doors close, and the Grievers come out to play. The Grievers are basically half machine and half animal. They are programmed to kill any Glader in the Maze. But when Thomas kills one, everything starts to change. When Teresa, the first girl to be sent to the Maze, seems to recognize Thomas, everything changes. By piecing together clues he finds in the Maze and the things he learns from his dreams about WCKD, he begins to discern the real purpose he was sent to the Maze for and a way for all the Gladers from the Maze to escape.

While The Maze Runner was not an exceptional movie, it was satisfactory, like all other movies that are based on books. However, Dylan O'Brien carried his role as Thomas strongly. He carries along both the story and the emotions. From the beginning of the movie until the end, it was considerably accurate, with just a few tweaks to the story. The special effects made everything authentic. The Maze walls looked realistic, and I felt that this was important for the movie. Everything from the way the walls moved to the puddles on the floor made the whole setting seem as if it was original. However, in the book, Thomas and Teresa could speak to each other telepathically. I felt that they should have included that in the movie as well because it was an important part. The Grievers also looked different from what I'd imagined. Dashner described them as half-slug and half-machine, so I imagined a brown slug-like thing with metal spikes and appendages sticking out. In the film, they were more 'spidery', with jagged metal legs. My final verdict? A good movie, but it could have been much better.

• Genre- Sci-fi, action, mystery
• Director- Wes Ball
• Producers- Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, Lee Stollman  
• Starring- Dylan O'Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Ki Hong Lee

My rating

4/5

The Hundred-Foot Journey

Most of you may have noticed that all the movies that I've reviewed so far have one thing in common- they are all either action or adventure or science-fiction. But not today. Today, I'm reviewing The Hundred-Foot Journey, a heartwarming story about a young Indian chef in France as he struggles to prove his competence in cookery.

When Hasan and his family end up in a tiny French village with a dream of opening an Indian restaurant, they aren't discouraged by the fact that just a hundred feet across their door is an acclaimed Michelin-starred French restaurant that's so popular that even the President of France dines there. But when Hasan and his family open their restaurant, the owner of the restaurant opposite, Madame Mallory, will do anything to get their restaurant shut down. The French and Indian cultures clash, and what was first a small rivalry, becomes all-out war. However, when Madame Mallory discovers Hasan's prowess and passion for cooking, she immediately takes note of his potential to earn her restaurant one more Michelin star. This, along with the budding friendship developing between Hasan and Marguerite, Madame Mallory's sous chef, brings the two cultures together. 

This movie was beautiful. Along with Guardians of the Galaxy and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, it was one of the best movies I've seen this year. The acting was first-rate and the story was a perfect mixture of comedy and seriousness. Another thing I really liked about the film was that there were no random clashes or out-of-nowhere surprises. You guys remember Disney's Ratatouille? Ratatouille is one of my favorite movies, and The Hundred-Foot Journey reminded me of it, especially the similarities between Remy and Hasan. The movie was about food, and it did just what food should do: it satisfied me. I would recommend this movie to everyone, but I guarantee that you're going to leave the cinema hungry! 

• Genre- Comedy and drama
• Director- Lasse Hallstöm 
• Producers- Steven Spielberg, Oprah Winfrey and Juliet Blake 
• Starring- Helen Mirren, Manish Dayal, Om Puri and Charlotte Le Bon 

My rating

5/5

Guardians of the Galaxy

"All heroes start somewhere."

Marvel has finally made a movie starring some of it's lesser-known, but still amazing, characters. The Guardians of the Galaxy include a thief, an assassin, a genetically modified big-mouthed raccoon, a plant-humanoid who can speak only three words and a powerful prisoner. Together, they are the most unlikely of superheroes to save the day.

When Peter Quill steals a stone with powerful properties, he is made a target by Ronan, the obsessive Kree who wants to destroy the planet Xandar. He forms an uneasy alliance with a bunch of extraterrestrial misfits: Gamora (the assassin), Rocket (the raccoon), Groot (the plant-humanoid) and Drax (the powerful one). From here on, they embark on a thrilling journey across the galaxy to restrict Ronan from getting his hands on the stone and destroying the entire galaxy. 

I'll give it to you guys straight: Guardians of the Galaxy was one of the finest Marvel movies. Better than Iron Man 2. Better than Iron Man 3. Better than Thor: The Dark World. The action and comedy were great too. It's not only got the markings of an amazing movie, but you can also empathize with the characters and get to know about them. Everyone acted really well throughout. While I was watching, I couldn't decide on which character was my favourite. Peter? Groot? Rocket? I couldn't choose. I guess I liked Peter because he reminded me of Han Solo from Star Wars. The resemblance between those two was uncanny. Meanwhile, everyone at DC is probably scratching their heads and wondering how in the world did a movie starring a talking raccoon and a tree-humanoid who can only say one sentence is at the top of the charts. All in all, an amazing movie and a movie that everyone, and I mean everyone, should watch. And one more thing, Groot was awesome!

• Genre- Sci-fi, action, adventure
• Director- James Gunn
• Producer- Kevin Feige
• Starring- Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel and Lee Pace

My rating

5/5

Transformers 4: Age of Extinction

"This is not war, it's extinction"

This is the fourth and definitely not final movie in the explosive Transformers franchise. I'm pretty sure that all of you know what happens in the other movies, or at least have a basic idea, but if you don't, here's a quick 101: a bunch of Decepticons attack, everyone goes crazy deploying soldiers and weaponry, and then the Autobots along with a few humans save the day. There's one small difference in Age of Extinction- there aren't any soldiers, and the final battle is in China, not some city in the USA.

When struggling inventor Cade Yeager finds an old truck that just happens to be Optimus Prime, he is targeted by CIA agent Harold Attinger, who is bent upon finding and destroying all remaining Transformers on Earth. But when businessman/inventor Joshua Joyce, one of Attinger's allies, ventures to learn more about the Transformers, he crosses the line and pushes technology to it's limits, trying to learn as much as he can; all while an ancient Transformer menace threatens Earth once again. 

To be honest with everyone of you, I thought that this movie was one of the worst in the franchise. It was way too long for an action movie (2.5 hours!!) and they didn't even try to develop the plot. Remember the slo-mo scenes in the first three movies, like when Ironhide jumps up and shoots missiles while a woman screams underneath, and Devastator in the second movie and how Bumblebee transforms with Sam still inside him during the third one? Well, there were none of those in Age of Extinction. There was slo-mo, but not the memorable kind. Then there's the humor. There's only one word for it- sad. I'm not sure, but I think it was supposed to be funny, not make you sigh with annoyance. I've been a Transformers fan for a very long time, but this was an all time low. You know, there should be a new law passed that makes it illegal to make a bad movie if the trailers are so good. The trailers made the movie seem better than they actually were. The only good thing I have to say about this disappointment is that the CGI and graphics were amazing. It looked fantastic. Mark Wahlberg did a good job, but he was the only one. The lone spark in a gigantic cloud of smoke. 

• Genre- Action, sci-fi and adventure
• Director- Michael Bay
• Producers- Don Murphy, Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Ian Bryce
• Starring- Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz and Stanley Tucci

My rating

2/5