Movie Review: Gabriel Iglesias – Hot and Fluffy

Bottom Line:

Watch It.

Details:

[No spoilers!]

This isn’t really a movie, but a one hour Comedy Central special by my all time favorite comedian – Gabriel Iglesias. Gabriel is a gut-busting hilarious guy. He can do what other comedians rarely can: stay funny. I wouldn’t call him family friendly, exactly – he does talk about sex and sometimes he swears, but he is much more PG than a lot of other comedians out there. He’s great at poking fun at himself and he does awesome sound effects. Seriously, how can anyone not love this guy?

This is his first Comedy Central special. He’s been on the scene for a while before this, but this is the video that really got him going. And it’s been all laughs and chocolate cake since then.

There isn’t too much more I can say about this special, other than to watch it. I don’t want to ruin any of the jokes, so all I’ll say is: “fluffy,” “doughnuts,” “cops,” and “but it was funny, huh?”

If you don’t believe me, check out one of the best clips from his show down below. You can actually watch pretty much the whole thing online!

 
He’s had a couple more shows out since then, and they only get better! My favorite clip from I’m Not Fat…I’m Fluffy! is “The Chocolate Cake Made Me Late.” And even though it has nothing to do with this special, I can’t just walk away and not provide a clip for it:

 
So, if I didn’t already love Gabriel, the next bit of information would seal the deal: this guy is one of the nicest ones you’ll ever meet. Now, I’ve seen him once live, but I didn’t get a chance to talk to him. However, you can just tell the type of person he is. At our show, he went well over his time limit and he even took requests to do favorite jokes from previous specials. He took questions from the crowd, too! He always says that if you see him out in public, to never be afraid to approach him. He’s happy to sign autographs and stop for pictures, no matter what. And here’s two little tidbits from his website:

Gabriel once did a meet and greet at an El Paso Best Buy store that lasted over 5 hours. He signed autographs and posed for photos with every person in line.

And…

Gabriel’s longest show ever was over 4 hours long and he still did a meet and greet after that took another 2 hours.

It isn’t often that entertainers care so much about their fans and have the patience to do things that Gabriel does. All I have to say is… THANK YOU MR. IGLESIAS-WITH-AN-I.

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Guest Post by Ddog from Gamerscene – The Amazing Spiderman: An Amazing Idea?

Today I’m lucky enough to have my friend Ddog, from Gamerscene, over here at my blog! He’s a fellow movie junkie, and I love reading his movie reviews. But he’s got so much more than that! He also reviews video games and books, has some opinion pieces he calls “rage segments,” and even has polls every once in a while (and who doesn’t love a good poll?). It’s great having you here, Ddog, thanks for guest posting for me!!

*****

Hello everyone! Ddog here from gamerscene.wordpress.com, and it’s an honor to be here at Karen’s blog: The Midnight Novelist!

Spiderman…a name that brings mixed emotions. I grew up watching the first one, fascinated by the costume and the sinister Green Goblin. Didn’t we all enjoy the first? It’s a classic. But then the second and the third Spiderman movies came out, and they visibly declined in quality each time. But I’m not here to talk about how terrible Spiderman 3 was. I’m here to do a bit of an analysis, answering the following questions: Why did this movie get made? Is this the correct time to release this movie? Will it be successful? These are questions that I’m sure everyone is scratching their heads to.

Why is a Spiderman reboot being made? Well, Spiderman 4 was supposed to be created, until the Spidey himself said no to another installment. But why? The Spiderman movies were always the top at the box office! Tobey Maguire would rack up a ton of cash, so why would he deny another opportunity? Well, the script of Spiderman 4 sent Peter Parker back to high school, and Tobey didn’t want that. He refused to join in, being 34. The director of the first three films dropped out of the franchise with him.

Word was always going around that the cast of the original three dreaded the work, too. They supposedly hated working on the movies. Why? That’s been kept under wraps, but everyone knows that when people don’t enjoy their work, they don’t perform their best. Maybe it was a good thing that Tobey bailed. I never liked the guy anyways.

Let’s take a quick break. Do you remember how Peter Parker beat up the goons chasing Mary Jane? And after that, he kissed her upside down in the pouring rain? Well, that scene was extremely difficult to film. Tobey Maguire kept getting water in his nose. On the topic of Spiderman, I have to bring that up.

BUT…back on topic. Is this the correct time to reboot the Spiderman franchise? It’s been ten years. We have to introduce the youngsters to the friendly neighborhood Spider Man, right? Unfortunately, the youngsters aren’t the ones who purchase movie tickets and popcorn. The adults have to flock to the film, but will they?  At the moment, there’s a grand coffee stain on the jeans of Spiderman. Not even Oxi-Clean can remove it. That stain is the Spiderman Broadway show, Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark.

 

This production has been a train-wreck since it premiered. Concussions and injuries and technical issues are crumbling its reputation. It has been postponed and delayed as well. But who cares about Broadway productions? What does that have to do with the movie? Well, it could have some effect. I highly doubt that those who saw the musical are extremely eager to see the film. But that’s just a small population of people. Will it have a huge impact on the film? We can’t know until the movie is released, but there are other factors that lure (and repel) people to the theaters.

The actors. Let’s talk about the faces in this flick. There’s no Leonardo DiCaprio or Tom Hanks, but a more youthful, fresher cast. First, let’s start with the new Spidey himself, Andrew Garfield. What’s he from? He’s worked on some TV shows and movies, but his biggest film is The Social Network, the movie telling the story of Facebook. I greatly enjoyed his performance, and I feel confident that he could pull of emotional scenes in this movie. Spiderman is an emotional superhero, after all.

Emma Stone. I will be honest, I know her film history, but I haven’t seen many of her big movies. I cannot make an opinion fairly, so I will leave that for you to think on…I liked her in Zombieland, however. Moving on. Martin Sheen is highly prestigious. Other than those three names, no other star caught my eye. This can be an issue. People don’t know who Andrew Garfield is. He is the leading man, after all. Luckily, the name “Spiderman” is known to us all, so the cast may not be a big factor to reel people in.

Now, let’s look at the timing of this release. July 3^rd of 2012. That’s two months after The Avengers is released. I have a strong feeling that the success of The Amazing Spiderman financially relies on the success of the Avengers. But why? Spiderman isn’t in it. But there is speculation that he could be. Here is a post I recently typed up on Peter Parker possibly being spotted in the Avengers trailer, which is right here. But anyways, The Avengers will leave a taste in the viewer’s mouth concerning superheroes…either a good taste, of being satisfied and entertained, or a bad one, showing the atrocity of superheroes. If this movie is bad, I don’t think that people will be so eager to dive into another superhero franchise. After all, it’s been years of cinema leading up to The Avengers. People have high expectations. The Amazing Spiderman seems so tiny in comparison to The Avengers. One hero opposed to six…two months after the huge project.

This, of course, is just speculation. Who knows? There’s always a dark horse every year at the box office, and 2012 has yet to see one. Who would have guessed that Avatar, a movie with a plot as generic as it gets, would make as much money as it did? Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved that movie, but who honestly expected the lines that suddenly sprouted infront of theaters and the hype that emerged after opening night?

Thanks for reading!  But it’s not about me, it’s about you. What do you think of this reboot? Is it a good idea to launch the Spidey franchise once again for round two?  Let me know in the comments and check out my blog for reviews, rage segments, and polls. Thanks for having me, Karen!
~Ddog

Movie Review: Chocolate

Bottom Line:

Watch it.

Details:

[Minor Spoilers]

About a month ago I talked to you about Raging Phoenix, which has the same female lead as this movie. This movie is pretty different and about a hundred times better! Chocolate is about Zen, an autistic girl that has the ability to learn martial arts just from watching movies, playing video games, or watching other people. Her mother is very sick, and in order to get money for her hospital bills, Zen and Moom, her best friend/cousin (I’m not sure if he’s actually her cousin, but he does call Zen’s mom “auntie”) decide to get it from people that owe money to her mother’s old gang. Zin (the mother) has long since fallen out from the gang, so this doesn’t sit well with its leaders. Either way, it puts Zen in the perfect sort of situation to really kick some butt!

This movie is so full of lovely and perfect things, but let’s start with the obvious: the fighting. The fighting in this movie is very Jackie Chan-esque (this could also be because I watched Rumble in the Bronx on the same day). It’s got the same sort of flare for comedic moments, and the same style that finds the protagonist using ordinary objects to beat up her attackers. (Technically she’s the attacker and they’re just unfortunate, but I’m not going to split hairs.) Just like with Raging Phoenix, I found the fight sequences much more engaging than in most American made movies.

Jeeja Yanin is a great actress. She did an incredible job portraying an autistic child in the movie, and some of her scenes were really heart-wrenching and beautiful. On top of that, the other characters were likeable (or hateable, respectfully), and I really liked Moom. There’s a scene where she first starts fighting and the way she imitates the movies she’s seen is both hysterical and incredibly adorable.

The writing for this movie is much better, and the storyline is much more concrete. There wasn’t any pacing problems, and it was much less cheesy. And although the ending is still a little sad, it is much more hopeful and realistic than Raging Phoenix’s.

I have very little to say on the negative side. Some of the fight sequences dragged a little bit and you really start to wonder how long these people can last after being beat up so many times. On the flip side, though, I think it’s much more realistic than them getting punched once and then never getting up again.

I’m sitting here trying to balance this out a little more, but I honestly can’t. I really, really enjoyed this movie. Even though this came out before Raging Phoenix, I suggest watching Chocolate after you see the other one. That way you don’t get your hopes up for Phoenix, and you’ll appreciate this one more.

Here’s the trailer if you’re interested. It is definitely worth your time!

 
Also, I’m posting this now realizing that it is Autism Awareness Month. How perfect is that? I’d be interested to know what they did “right” and what they did “wrong” in this film. I know Jeeja did a lot of research for her role, so I hope that it’s believable to someone who has a little more experience with autistic children than I do. Let me know what you guys think of it once you’ve seen it!

Movie Review: The Hunger Games

Bottom Line:

Watch it.

Details:

[Light spoilers]

I’m going to try really hard not to go crazy on this review because I know a lot of people are going to be talking about this movie, but I just wanted to throw in my two cents. [EDIT: Obviously this is me trying not to go crazy and failing completely. Sorry about that.]

(P.S. Here’s a great review from a movie writer at Hypable. Definitely worth your time, and a bit more technical than mine will be if that’s your thing. And here’s a fellow movie reviewer’s take on it. We’re both fans of the books and our reviews definitely echo each other’s, so you’ve got to know the movie was that good! AND here’s another one by a fellow blogger. She has a few different opinions, and that’s always great to read about! And, lastly, here’s a fellow nerd’s take on the film.)

Now, I’m a little biased. I was SO pumped for this movie. I’ve read all three books several times, and I love each and every one for a different reason. When I heard that they were coming out with a movie, I was extremely excited. Of course there was a little bit of fear and doubt in the back of my mind – films like Harry Potter and Twilight haven’t been super faithful to the books. And, you know, that’s fine! There’s reasons why things had to be cut and regardless of my personal opinion of how it was handled, I do understand that.

I had nothing to worry about when it came to THG.

(On a side note, [NERD WARNING] I was so excited that it literally felt like Christmas morning for me. I woke up at 4:30 and was like, Ugh, way too early. Then I woke up again at 6:30. That was fine. 6:30 I could do. I was too energized by the thought that I was finally going to see this movie to go back to sleep anyway.)

The acting was incredible. Jennifer Lawrence lived up to the expectation that everyone had of her. I’m so glad she was cast, and incredibly proud of her for stepping into these shoes. She had a lot of pressure on her shoulders, and boy did she deliver.

Peeta was great and so was Prim. I thought Gale was a little lacking, but then again he didn’t have a lot of screen time. Haymitch and Effie were wonderful, and I loved that their back-and-forth relationship translated so well from book to movie. I’d have to say that – aside from Katniss – my favorite character was Rue. She didn’t have a whole lot of screen time, but she owned it when she was there. I could probably write an entire essay on why I love her character – both in the books and in the movie – so much. Her main scene (you know the one I’m talking about…) was incredibly powerful. I wish I could say exactly what I loved about it, but I do want to try to stay away from spoilers.

I don’t cry that often (especially not in crowded movie theatres), but this movie definitely brought me to tears in a few places (if you’ve read the books, you know exactly what places those are). The acting is just that commanding.

The actual adaptation of the book was incredible. They left very, very little out. And, you know what? What they did leave out wasn’t necessary to the plot anyway. I’m not upset at all. They did add a few scenes, which was a great idea. I think a few of them worked better than others, but nothing felt out of place. One of my favorite parts of the movie as a whole was what we saw in the Gamemaker’s Center. That was really cool!

So, what were things that I had problems with? Well, everyone is citing the “shaky-cam” as one of the biggest problems. In the very beginning I did have trouble with it – it was just a little too shaky. But this pretty much drops off once you hit the Capitol, which I think does a lot for the film stylistically. Some of the action scenes at the end were similar to the beginning and it was hard to follow the fight sequences. I like seeing the fighting and the moving around in these places, so I didn’t enjoy the close-up immediacy of the style that Gary Ross (the director) used. Overall, though, it wasn’t as bad as a lot of people were making it out to be.

There were some other small things. I wished that Katniss had played up to the cameras more, like she did in the books. That was a really enjoyable thread for me in the series – her extreme consciousness of the audience that was watching her. I wished that we saw and/or knew that the mutts had the eyes of the Tributes. I felt like that really showed how sick the Capitol was, plus it does sort of become more important later on. I didn’t particularly like how the cornucopia turned out, but I thought it served its purpose well in the end.

But, really, how important were these things? Not important at all, just things I enjoyed “seeing” in the books and was hoping to see in the movie. No big deal.

The CGI was not fantastic, but it didn’t throw me off or anything. The mutts could have been better, but the scene was at night and the semi-darkness allowed them to leave some of the details out. I didn’t mind. The flames were…I’m not sure. I loved them, but they were a little off for me too. But you know what? They weren’t supposed to be real anyway, so I think it’s fine that they looked a little different, a little otherworldly. The only thing that I’m genuinely concerned about is [SPOILER WARNING] the fact that Katniss doesn’t actually love Peeta right away. I don’t think this was an easy conclusion to come to in the movie, until *maybe* the end. But, I’m sure we’ll get more of this in Catching Fire. [END SPOILER WARNING]

There were some things that genuinely surprised me. I went in thinking this wasn’t going to be a funny movie (and it’s not, just to clarify). I heard Woody Harrelson was taking Haymitch down a notch, so I thought we wouldn’t really see a whole lot of humor. Wrong. This is by no means a comedy, but I definitely laughed out loud in a few parts. There are some really witty scenes.

The way in which Ross and his team put you in the movie is actually incredible. The close-up shots and the shaky-cam both do this, but not to the extent that the sound of the movie does. The Tracker Jacker sequence was in-cred-ible. I loved how it was shot and edited, and you just knew exactly how Katniss was feeling. This same thing comes later after the explosion. The sound gets muted and you can tell that her hearing isn’t quite right. There are also some other small places in which this happens, such as when she’s nervous to be on stage with Caesar Flickerman and he has to ask her the question a second time.

I also liked how the beginning started with text on the screen explaining the Reaping. I felt that this was a simple solution to the problem of giving the backstory. I didn’t want them to waste time developing that, so I was glad to see they did it in this way. Also, the little details really made me excited, like seeing Buttercup or Prim adjusting her little duck tail.

I read a lot of books and I watch a lot of movies. This is by far the most faithful adaptation that I’ve seen. I can’t sing any higher praise for it. If you haven’t yet, read the books. They’re powerful and incredible and poignant and relevant. Then go see the movie. It’s just as good, and in some ways develops the story further than what Suzanne Collins was allowed to do in the books. If you can’t be bothered with the books, please go watch the movie anyway. You won’t be confused. They do a great job of setting up this world and really immersing you in it. Caesar Flickerman serves as the host of the Games and they cut to him to explain certain things to the people in the Capitol (and, as a result, to the movie-going audience). I went with two other people who had read the books and one who did not. The one who didn’t read them beforehand wasn’t confused at all, and all four of us came out loving it.

I can’t wait to see it again. I think I’ll probably have to give in later this week. I just don’t know if I can wait that much longer until it comes out on DVD…

Movie Review: Raging Phoenix

Bottom Line:

Watch it.

Details:

[Medium to Well-Done Spoilers]

I’ve developed a strange affinity for martial arts films, especially foreign movies.

Enter Raging Phoenix.

This movie caught my eye because it was about a girl (Deu) who was nearly kidnapped by human traffickers, but then got away and decided to learn martial arts to get revenge on them. Other than that, I had no idea what the movie was about.

Well, I was pretty surprised.

It turns out that the basis for the style of martial arts that they do is getting really, really drunk. It’s actually a lot cooler than it sounds. And it sort of makes sense. Anyway, it’s a made up style, but it’s a combination of Muay Thai and break dancing. (Yeah, you read that right.) Deu finds out exactly why the kidnappers wanted her (for the human pheromone market. …Yeah, you read that right, too.) and she decides to offer herself as bait so they can find their hideout. This is when the real action started.

So, I actually liked this movie quite a lot. The style of martial arts was interesting and different, to say the least. I’m not sure how it would work in the real world, but in this story is was effective and it looked cool. The fighting sequences were much better than a lot of the ones that I’ve seen in American made fight movies. The acting was also pretty good, and I liked the general layout of the story. It was funny, but deep and thought provoking. Some of the visuals were gorgeous. And even though you need to read the subtitles (unless you speak Thai, of course), it isn’t dialogue heavy and you can sit back and enjoy the fighting scenes.

However, sometimes I didn’t know whether this was trying to be a comedy movie or an action movie. There were some pretty hilarious scenes and some great one-liners. Three of the main characters were also named “pigshit,” “dogshit,” and “bullshit.” No, I’m not joking. I think that was one of the problems – there’d be something really funny in a serious scene, and I wasn’t sure if they were trying to be funny or not. I think they were, but it did sort of jolt me out of the movie a little bit.

Another problem I had was the pacing. The first half of the movie was pretty awesome, but it was only halfway through that we found out what the real plot was. It was like the entire first hour was exposition, which we all know isn’t a good way to get the story up and running. Over and above that, though, was the fact that I actually liked the exposition better than the real plot line. The real story was a little hokey. (Human pheromones on the black market…really???)

Lastly was the ending. I won’t give it away, but I will warn you: if you like happy endings, tread carefully if you want to watch this movie. It felt like it was leading up to one thing the entire movie, and then all of a sudden that choice is completely taken away. It wasn’t the most satisfying ending, but it could have been worse, I guess.

I’d watch this movie again just for the visuals during the first half, plus the fighting sequences. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes foreign films or martial arts movies. Even if you just like good action movies, this might keep you entertained.

Also, here’s a funny story…I was debating on whether I wanted to watch this one or a movie called Chocolate. It turns out that the girl who plays Deu (Jeeja Yanin) actually plays the main character in Chocolate. How crazy is that! I’ve read around a bit and a lot of people are saying that Chocolate is a lot better. Guess that’s up next for me to watch (and review)!

My Top 5 Favorite Narnia Characters

I was watching The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe the other day and I began thinking about my favorite characters from the movie. The list surprised me, so I thought I’d share it with you, too:

5. Aslan

I’m sure some people will consider this blasphemy, but Aslan only just made it into the last spot. Regardless, I do love him. The regal voice of Liam Neeson (love that guy!) is a perfect fit for this majestic character. I love his wisdom and mysterious nature, but most of all I just love how much he loves the children.

4. Mr. Tumnus

It was tough putting Mr. T (no not that Mr. T) in this spot, because I really adore this character. He’s such a gentle being, and you can tell that he immediately became friends with Lucy. He’s a flawed character – cowardly and meek – but it doesn’t stop him from doing what is right in the end. He risked his life for Lucy and had to pay the consequences. In the end, though, he was saved by Aslan. Yay!

3. Edmund

Edmund very nearly made it to the second spot on this list. I love Edmund. He’s a flawed character, too. In the beginning he was greedy, mean, sarcastic, and brooding. It’s tough being the second youngest child, and the youngest male in the family. He had a lot of expectations to live up to, and you could tell that it affected him. BUT Edmund learns his lesson – and not the easy way. He almost loses his family, not to mention his own life, on several occasions. In the end, though, Edmund did what was right. He even went on to become one of the most noble and just characters in the entire series.

2. The White Witch

This was probably the most surprising addition to my list, but I stand firm that the White Witch deserves my number two spot. I think this has less to do with the character and more to do with the actress: Tilda Swinton. I love, love, love her! She’s an incredible actress, and I really enjoy when she plays supernatural characters. (My other favorite role of hers, by the way, is Gabriel from Constantine.) The character itself is wonderful – she’s an evil queen, who is intelligent and merciless. She’s not an easy foe to beat. But even better than that is Tilda’s acting. I love that otherworldly look to her face – the alabaster skin, the big dark blue eyes, strawberry blonde hair, and her high cheekbones. She has a certain way of talking and moving that really lends itself to this character. I’m even a little sad when the White Witch dies at the end (good thing she shows up again in the next movie!).

1. Lucy

Okay, this probably isn’t the most original pick for the number one spot – but can you blame me? Little Georgie Henley is a superb actress. (She’s not so little anymore…she’ll be turning 17 this year.) She did a really great job in this role and brought to life a well-loved character from the series. So that brings up Lucy and why she’s so fantastic. Why is she so well loved? The simple answer is because she’s the youngest (and cutest) Pevensie, and you can’t help falling in love with such a sweet child. But I think it’s so much more than that. Lucy is a dreamer. She believes in what seems to be unbelievable – don’t we all wish we could do that? She kept faith in Aslan even when everything seemed so doubtful. And even though she struggled with her own personal flaws, Lucy was one of the most genuine and loving characters in the entire movie.

The reason why this list was so surprising to me is because when I first started watching the movies and reading the books, I immediately wanted to like Susan. She was more my age and she seemed to be intelligent, pretty, and talented with the bow. What could you not like about that? But, her darker side comes out eventually and you find that she’s one of the most flawed characters in the books. That’s why she’s not on my list. I also thought about adding Peter, but even he couldn’t match up to the likes of Mr. Tumnus and Lucy. He struggled much more with his own fatal flaws and, even though he overcame them in the end, there was just no room for him here.

So, how does my list compare to yours? Did I miss anyone that you feel should be on here? Were any of my choices surprising to you?

Movie Review: Dane Cook – Rough around the Edges

Bottom Line:

Don’t watch it.

Details:

I loved Dane Cook from the moment that I heard his Burger King skit. He’s so loud and full of energy, and he’s always jumping around the stage. He doesn’t hold anything back, either. He can be pretty explicit, but he is such a funny guy. I was also surprised by how well he was in Employee of the Month. (I thought that movie was going to bomb, but it was actually…not bad!)

(Here’s the BK skit. I love this animated version. You can find a different live version on YouTube, if you’re interested in watching that instead. We’re entering potty mouth territory up ahead, so make sure to clear the kids from the room.)

 

So, Rough around the Edges. I didn’t like it. It’s obviously not because I’m not a Dane Cook fan – I am! He’s definitely in my top five favorite stand-up comedians of all time. But this special just wasn’t all that funny to me. There were a couple of parts that I laughed at, but the majority of it just fell flat. He got even more overt in this one, and I think that’s part of the reason why I didn’t enjoy it. You can only listen to someone talk about the same topic (ie. sex and masturbation) so many times before it just isn’t funny anymore. Sorry, Dane. Hope you have better luck next time.

As an added bonus, here’s another clip that I find particularly funny. My friends had a good laugh (at my expense) when I discovered this one…

The Hunger Games Trailer #2 – Analysis & Opinion

[SPOILERS]

Another trailer for The Hunger Games has been released, and I’m here to break it down for you. I did this for the first one, which you can check out here. I’m using the video below for this analysis.

 

By the time we hit 14 seconds, we learn that the moviemakers have already strayed from the book. Katniss gives Prim the mockingjay pin, as a promise that nothing bad will happen to her. We can assume that Prim will give it back to Katniss before she leaves for the capitol. Some people are upset by the decision to leave Madge out of the movie, but most seem pretty okay with it. I’m with the latter group. She didn’t have a huge role in the book(s), and I’d rather see her go than something more important.

At 15 seconds we see an overview of District 12 gathering for the Reaping. Snow is on the video monitor, and he says, “Welcome and happy Hunger Games.” You see Katniss and Prim finding their spots in the crowd, before Effie says, “I just love that.” We get a quick clip from the previous trailer where Prim’s name is drawn and Katniss volunteers to take her spot.

At 30 seconds we see Gale saying, “you’re stronger than they are,” and Katniss replies that “there’s twenty-four of us, Gale. Only one comes out.” This is interspersed with shots of Cato hacking up dummies with his sword in the training room.

At 34 seconds we see Prim yelling out as a Peacekeeper takes her away. This looks like it is taking place after Katniss has already been chosen and in the room where they get to say their goodbyes. Directly after, we see Katniss crying and saying, “Take care of them, Gale. Whatever you do, don’t let them starve.” (*sob*)

At 37 seconds the train leads them into the Capitol, and then there’s a shot of Katniss standing up in a simple yellow dress. This is a clip from the very end of the movie, when Cinna is trying to make her look at innocent and child-like as possible.

Meanwhile, Caesar Flickerman announces Katniss as the “Girl on Fire” to the roaring crowd. At 41 seconds, we see a shot of Katniss walking with the Peacekeepers, presumably toward the chamber that will take her up to the arena above.

At 42 seconds we see Cinna’s hands placing some sort of garment on Katniss. I believe this is just her jacket for the arena. Caesar is asking Katniss what she told her sister when she volunteered for the Games. Katniss replies, “I told her I would try to win for her.”

At 47 Katniss has her bow and arrow out in the woods in the arena, at night. Caesar says, “And try you will,” and kisses Katniss’ hand. At 50 seconds we see the shot of her giving the three finger salute after Rue’s death. We share our POV with the people from (we assume) District 11.

At 49 seconds we hear Peeta saying, “I just keep wishing that I could think of a way to show them that they don’t own me.” Over this we see shots of Katniss looking at a video screen during Peeta’s interview. This appears to be right around the time where Peeta admits his love for Katniss. I’m glad to see Caesar and Peeta’s relationship looking as jovial and comfortable as it is described in the books. The last shot during this quote is the one from the rooftop that we saw in the last trailer.

At 52 seconds the tributes are running toward the Cornucopia. We get a closeup shot of Katniss, and a shot of Peeta. This is the same shot we saw from the first trailer, only now we get to see it on the screen from District 12. The following image is of Peeta and Katniss in their training gear. Peeta continues talking and says, “If I’m gonna die, I wanna still be me.”

The 56 second mark shows Katniss stopping right as a flame engulfed tree falls down in front of her. Then she says, “I just can’t afford to think like that,” in response to Peeta’s previous statement. We see her on the roof of the building talking to him.

At 58 seconds we see Cinna and Katniss together. He peels back her jacket and reveals the mockingjay pin attached to her shirt. He holds up his finger to his lips to tell her to be quiet. Out of context of the film, I’m not really sure what this means. In the book everyone knew that this was her token from District 12. In the movie, is it more of a secret? If they changed how Katniss got the pin, it’s possible that this has also been changed.

Logo, Rue’s whistle, release date, and it fades to black.

SO. What did you guys think? I loved that we got a bunch more shots for this one. It was shorter than the other trailer, but as the movie is getting closer I’m totally fine with that. I’m also glad that we didn’t see any more of the Games – I really want that to be a surprise! I’m getting really excited! Any guesses about that quick scene with Cinna?

Movie Review: The Expendables

Bottom Line:

Don’t watch it.

The Details:

[Minor spoilers.]

I have to jump back about a week and bring your attention to a great post that Fabio Bueno wrote titled The Opposite of a Chick Flick. I couldn’t get this post out of my head as I watched this movie.

^ Female

A single, all-important fact you should know about me: I’m female.

But don’t think I’m skewed. Okay, I might be a little, but much less than most women I know. I’ll take an action movie over a romantic comedy any day. I prefer the blood, guts, and explosions of 300, Die Hard, and Con-Air. I’m a superhero movie addict. Some of my favorite movies of all time were named in Fabio’s post as being “macho movies.”

But The Expendables? Even I have to draw the line.

Okay, so I did enjoy the fighting sequences. And the explosions. And even some of the humor.

But other than that…it was pretty bad. I mean, what was the movie even about? I had a hard time following the plot – that American guy who was behind everything…what was he even doing? Was he trying to grow and export drugs? I’m still not sure.

The movie falls into some clichés. Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone’s character) just doesn’t understand why Lee Christmas (the wonderfully English Jason Statham) loves Lacy so much (can anyone say…CORDELIA!). BUT, as soon as he sees the beautiful Sandra (Giselle Itié) he risks life, limb, and maybe even country to protect her.

Puh-lease.

I was happy as anyone to see Mickey Rourke in this movie, but what was his purpose? I felt like all he did was wear his shirt open and go around tattooing people. Weird.

The other characters were pretty much background noise (except for one, but I’ll get there in a minute). I didn’t care about them at all. Like I said before, the plot was confusing and I had trouble following it. Although some of the dialog was funny, I found a lot of it fell flat. Oh, and can someone PLEASE tell me what the point of having Arnold Schwarzenegger in a movie if all he is going to do is banter pointlessly with Stallone for thirty seconds?

So, what DID I like? I liked Jet Li’s character. The poor guy got picked on the entire time. Most of it wasn’t even funny. He could so kick all of their butt’s. In the movie or in real life. I also liked how, at the end, he got a little bit of redemption. Way to go.

I have a feeling I know what Fabio is going to say – it’s a Macho Movie! You’re not supposed to analyze it. You just turn off your brain and clap when things blow up.

I tried, Fabio, I really, really tried.

In the end, that tiny part of me that wants some semblance of plot won out. The writer in me cringed. The woman inside rolled her eyes.

But I’ll leave you with this:

How AWESOME was it when they SHOT that guy IN HALF?

Movie Review: Tangled

 

Hey, look! It's Maximus!

Bottom Line:

Watch It.

Details:

[Minor Spoilers. Proceed with caution.]

Disney has done it again! Another movie full of cute animation, great characters, and humor for all ages. I just recently signed up for Netflix’s streaming video free trial (which means more movie reviews!). I’m not sure how I feel about it just yet, or if it will be any different once I get the full version. (Actually, does anyone know? Do you get more titles with the full version?) But, until then, I’ll be watching what I can.

So, why is Tangled such a great story? Well, I really enjoyed their twist on the tale. It isn’t what I was expecting, but it worked so well. Another great reason is the humor – this movie if funny. There are even some jokes in there that teens and adults would get more than the kids. That’s something Disney and Pixar have always been great about – not forgetting that parents are sitting there watching the movies, too. I think kids will really be able to relate to this movie and get a good kick out of it. The singing was amazing, especially with Mandy Moore in the lead. And some of the characters were just downright adorable. I can’t decide who I love more – Maximus (the horse) or Pascal (the chameleon).

I also have to point out one very important thing: this movie does not fall into the traps that so many other Disney/princess movies do. And it was such a breath of fresh air. The main thing that I’m thinking about here is that Rapunzel and Flynn Rider did not fall in love the second their eyes met. And even when Rapunzel admitted there might be something between them, she used the word “like.” Thank goodness! Lately, I’ve been getting so tired of all of the desperate admission of love going around. I’m sorry, but in the real world it usually doesn’t work that way. Even at the end of the movie, Flynn tells us that it takes many years for Rapunzel to finally say yes to marrying him. Smart girl!

I found very few downsides to the movie, but one thing I did notice was the pacing. The beginning was a bit slow and I thought the movie was going to turn out a little hokey, but it really started to pick up about halfway through. And once it did find its groove, it was moving and shaking like there was no tomorrow. If you’re a Disney buff, if you like animation, if you like singing and humor, or all of the above, I highly recommend this movie.