The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Review

The Lord of the Rings trilogy is probably my second favorite of all time behind the original trip to a galaxy far, far away, and each year I revisit all three films over a short span of time. As the desire to do so came bubbling to the surface recently with the release of the final Hobbit film due out, something strange occurred to me regarded the timing of my yearly Frodo journey. For some reason I seem to always do so around this time of the year, when the temperatures dip below freezing outside, and I have never really considered why that is.

A part of me wondered if it is merely a coincidence, that due to the daunting nature of navigating through 10 hour of Middle Earth wandering, the fact that I watched it late in the year a few years back meant I would need to wait the full year each time to find the urge to do it again. This is a possibility, sure, but as I sat here tonight watching The Two Towers I happened to hear a noise outside that alarmed me a bit, so I peaked out to take a look. When I did, I felt the cold air hit my face and I immediately appreciated the warmth and comfort of my home, and it might sound silly but I think this moment perfectly describes why I crave these films during these latter months on the calendar.

The Lord of the Rings are the type of grand, epic cinematic experiences that represent comfort to me. I recall as a child, every year on the eve of holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, I would sit down in my pajamas, pull up a blanket and watch a movie, and it was never something small in scope or low budget. Despite merely sitting on the couch like I could any other day, these circumstances felt special, a moment that needed a movie that felt more like an event that something minimalist. The Lord of the Rings films aren't merely great, they are the type of spectacular storytelling that make me feel like that kid again, wanting to shut off the rest of the world and allow myself to be swept away.

Much to the surprise of many, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is my favorite installment of the trilogy. Disregarded by some as merely being "the middle chapter" after the incredible start to their journey and the epic conclusion, I find The Two Towers to be storytelling perfection, beautifully paced with every single second of its running time managing to be meaningful and imaginative. Oh, and my goodness, the Battle of Helm's Deep...I simply cannot look away from the screen during its entirety. It is pure magic.


5/5

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Review

Prior to the release of the 2011 film Rise of the Planet of the Apes, I had essentially zero interest in the Ape franchise. No desire to go back and see the films of the past and no desire to witness anything yet to come, it simply didn't register on my radar with even the faintest blip. That changed after I caught wind of the positive reactions to that reboot film released three years ago, but even that shift was a rather begrudging one, more of a "Alright, I guess I will check it out" rather than a race to find it with eager anticipation.

Much to my surprise, I found myself delightfully entertained and engrossed and emotionally invested in that first film, yet still my pessimism reared its ugly head when the movie concluded and I immediately expressed my doubts about a sequel. Sure, it was fascinating and rather moving to see the early days of Caesar as he interacts with his human family, and the beginning of the ape uprising was exciting cinema, but the whole fleet of intelligent apes with the ability to speak throughout an entire film was sure to be cheesy and a let down, right?

Wrong.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a superior effort to the 2011 franchise reboot in every way, and I believe its existence will make Rise of the Planet of the Apes a better film as well. The story has been built up bigger than I imagined, the scope of the franchise has skyrocketed, and the development of Caesar and his conflicted emotional connection to humanity makes knowing where he came from and how it all began all the more important. After a brief montage of news footage showing the downfall of civilization due to the ALZ-113 virus, we are reintroduced to Caesar and the community of advanced apes he leads located in the Muir Woods. As far as they are concerned, the human race has officially become extinct as they discuss the last time they even caught a glimpse of the species, but that all changes when they encounter a small group of survivors lead by a man named Malcolm (Jason Clarke).

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is an absurdly smart, meaningful film that has an allegorical message to send, but it never feels like it takes itself too seriously or delivers the themes too heavily for the summer blockbuster that it is. What's clear here is that behind the cinematic war between man and ape we have a film addressing the concept of racial divide and the extensive damage such a thing can do, and the aspect that was handled beautifully and thus allows those themes to really resonate is the incredible character development on both sides of the aisle. Director Matt Reeves was given a script to work with that is never biased towards man nor ape, showcasing that on both sides of the war you will find good, those that are willing to learn to trust each other and work towards peace, and you will find evil, those that refuse to accept anything outside of their own, anything unfamiliar, and would rather spill blood than work at finding common ground.

The most powerful thing for me with Dawn of the Planet of the Apes was when I realized that the line between a human being and an ape had been completely blurred, that I no longer looked at either one differently in any way after I entered the experience worrying that the idea of them speaking might come across as silly. Both Caesar and Malcolm deal with the struggles of leading personalities that conflict with their own. They both have families to protect and deal with the pain and bliss that accompanies love, and while characters across this film from either species look different from one another on the exterior, in their eyes I saw the same thing: a soul. 

By the time the final frame went black, I couldn't believe I ever had doubts. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is a thrilling blockbuster, one that you absolutely should not miss.

4.5/5

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Review - 5/5

As the release of the third and final Hobbit film approaches, which presumably means the final film of any kind by Peter Jackson involving Middle Earth, I decided this would be an excellent time to give my Lord of the Rings trilogy blu rays a spin and go on the grand, sweeping journey with these characters once more...and what a journey it is indeed. The first installment, The Fellowship of the Ring, is a brilliantly paced blockbuster that manages to make every minute of its three hour running time feel vital and joyous rather than ponderous. For me, all three of these films still feel like an event rather than just another movie.

The other day I revisited the film A.I. Artificial Intelligence for the first time since it was released in 2001, and I mentioned that I didn't recall much from that year and that is a very truthful statement, but I do remember the magical cinematic experience The Fellowship of the Ring provided me each and every time I went back to the theater to be swept away into the majestic fantasy land beautifully crafted by Jackson. I am a sucker for work that is this epic in scope, especially those that value storytelling rather than merely an assault on the senses.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is perfectly casted, and thus the performances enhance the magic of the entire experience. It was an ambitious project, adapting such an iconic work by J.R.R. Tolkien, and yet I can't imagine it could have been handled any better with every single aspect working in harmony with one another. The direction of Jackson, the photography of Andrew Lesnie, and the score by Howard Shore that suited the tone of every single scene so well, it is a beautiful film that is worthy of the adoration it still receives to this day.

Viewing these films has become essential for me to do on an annual basis, mostly because I love the feeling of relaxing inside on a cold night and letting the warmth of epic cinema wash over me. My 2014 quest to Mordor is off to a wonderful start.


5/5

The Hungers Games: Mockingjay Part 1 Review

I have said it before and I will say it again, I totally respect and appreciate the fact that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Art is pointless without discussion, without debate, without passion, because if everyone constantly agreed on the quality of it then what the hell is the point? So by no means am I telling anyone they are wrong or that their thoughts are invalid when I say the following: I can't comprehend the negativity that has surrounded The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, at least on a critical level. 

Some may see the "fresh" overall ranking on a site on Rottentomatoes and wonder what negativity I am referring to, but if you take a closer look at many of the reviews posted, there seems to be this consistent rhetoric regarding this film being a lazy cash grab and many seem to find it boring. The general idea behind the cash grab notion is because of the decision to split the final novel into two films where as they were able to make well paced and compelling single films out of the first two, and I will be totally honest, prior to seeing Mockingjay Part 1, I had assumed I would be bothered by this exact thing. I read all the Hunger Games novels prior to me seeing any of the films, and I recall being a tad underwhelmed by Mockingjay after being thrilled by every damn page of Catching Fire. When the announcement came that the final piece of the source material would be split apart, I rolled my eyes and assumed the worst because I didn't believe the first half of Mockingjay was worthy of being its own film, but I gotta tell ya...I was wrong.

Was the pacing of Mockingjay Part 1 perfect? No, a little bit of fat could have been trimmed off the edges for sure. There may have been a scene or two that could have found their way to the cutting room floor without harming the narrative, although to be honest at this moment I couldn't tell you what I would have cut myself. Without a doubt though, this film didn't flow quite as wonderfully as its predecessor Catching Fire did, but regardless the decision to make two films was absolutely the correct one. Knowing what is yet to come when the conclusion of this franchise arrives next year, there is simply far too much content worthy of finding its way to the screen for them to have made an audience friendly 150 minute or less feature without rushing through the material. I'm glad they chose to let the environment, the dialogue and the stakes of the revolution breathe. 

Being bored is such a subjective response to a film because one man's trash is another man's treasure. I was fascinated by the back and forth war taking place during Mockingjay Part 1, and I don't mean merely bullets and bombs but also the trade off of political propaganda in attempts to sway the momentum of the movement. The footage used to rally the districts, the coaching of words to incite the highest amount of passion, all of it was well written and totally compelling, and I found that the film pretty much flew by and I never once felt fatigued by the progression of the story nor did I want it to end. 

Director Francis Lawrence had already proven to me that he was the right choice to helm the remainder of the Hunger Games franchise after I fell in love with Catching Fire, and that opinion was reinforced with his confident and smart direction on display here. The imagery on display throughout balances the modern and crisp essence of 21st century filmmaking with the gritty and dour vibe of the setting and mood wonderfully. The performances were yet again on point, and the talent on display with the usual suspects from the previous installments combined with additions like Julianne Moore and Natalie Dormer made it impossible not to find the dialogue interesting. Oh, and Philip Seymour Hoffman...if he were my professor in school, regardless of the subject matter, I would have gotten an A. When he spoke, I listened, and while I usually don't dwell on the loss of actors for too long, it is still surreal to know he is gone and the days of seeing him absolutely own a frame are soon drawing to a close. 

I have a feeling that the reception to The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 is going to change drastically once the final film is released, when it becomes apparent that the somewhat methodical pace of the first act was actually a perfect lead in to the chaos and tragedy that rears its ugly head during part two. This may not end up making a top ten, top twenty, hell who knows, maybe even a top thirty list from me once I screen everything I desire to from 2014, but the only thing that matters right now just keeps dancing through my head: I can't wait to see the final chapter unfold. 

4/5

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Review

Despite the mostly positive critical response to the first film as well as obvious commercial success, director Gary Ross did not return to continue the franchise, and in walked Francis Lawrence and with him some expected skepticism. I certainly felt it and questioned whether he was the right man for the job, with a filmography consisting of the films Constantine, I Am Legend and Water for Elephants, it was hard to immediately rally behind the choice and assume it would result in the Catching Fire adaptation I had been hoping for. While I was pleased a different cinematic mind would be getting a crack at utilizing the talent involved at a higher level than Ross achieved with the debut, was Francis Lawrence really cut out for this hyped, much anticipated project?

The answer proved to be a resounding yes. Everything about Catching Fire is an improvement from the first. More confident and comfortable performances from the entire cast, as well as great additions to the film like Jeffrey Wright, Jena Malone, Amanda Plummer, Sam Claflin, and of course the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman. In fact, as soon as I heard the news of Seymour Hoffman being added to the cast, my confidence in the entire film skyrocketed. He was a man of transcendent talent and his mere presence in a frame made everything around him seem stronger, and he is and will continue to be missed.

The stakes in this film are higher, the tension has intensified and the direction of the story has gone to more mature heights, as while a similar round of the "games" is played like in the first film, the actually central focus of this narrative is more on the external games being played by President Snow in the Capitol and Katniss and her people as her story of love and ascension as the Mockingjay, a symbol of hope and decency and compassion and strength, sparks a revolution in all of the districts she tours as the previous years winner of the games.

Speaking of the actual games that take place in Catching Fire, the "arena" is not only bigger and bolder and more interesting than it was in the first film, it is also far more aesthetically pleasing, a glorious site on the big screen as it was filmed with IMAX cameras and it still maintains its piercing picturesque appeal on a flat screen at home. The transition from the first act of the film to the games is smooth and the pacing never falters throughout, a running time of nearly 150 minutes and yet I never feel it as I watch the film, it always flies by as every single moment is, quite simply, really god damn entertaining. 

Despite this being my 3rd or 4th time watching Catching Fire in the one year since its release, I still found myself just as enthralled and excited by the entire film as I did that first time in the theater last November. You could argue some of the same issues I found during the first film pop up again here, like a screenplay that doesn't fully flesh out the details for an audience that is unfamiliar with the source material, but I am willing to give this more of a pass as it is a sequel. Francis Lawrence was given an opportunity to work with what was built for him, to take fans of the first film and make them fall in love with the direction of the series, and at least in my case he absolutely nailed it.

4.5/5

The Hunger Games Review

Film appreciation is such a subjective thing, as no matter how talented a filmmaker is or how seemingly perfect a screenplay can be, we see what we see and thus, we like what we like. In regards to the two installments of the Hunger Games franchise, I have seen such wide ranging reactions to the films ranging from it being the greatest thing ever made to one of the worst, and what I try to do when I really break a movie down is separate myself from the hyperbole in either direction.

I decided now was a good time to revisit these two films, with the release of the third (but not final, because every damn franchise needs to a two part conclusion) movie coming this weekend. The complaint I have heard most often regarding the first film has come from those who have not read the books in advance, and it is that the screenplay doesn't do a good enough job to teach the viewers about the basics of the story, like why are some districts thriving while others are rationing food? What exactly is the arena they fight in? What technology is at the disposal of these games makers exactly, as they are clearly able to start fires and create giant dog creatures out of, essentially, thin air?

As I was familiar with the source material prior to seeing the first film when it was released in 2012, it was easy for me to put together the pieces and follow the story so I didn't really absorb the possibility that it would be difficult for others, but the truth is, those complaints are absolutely valid. The screenplay does seem to take for granted the notion that not everyone sitting in the audience will have read the books, and that is a shame because the film really should be able to completely stand on its own without any confusion from the audience.

The sequences involving the love triangle were among my least favorite in The Hunger Games. I still can't comprehend why we are cutting away from the arena to see her male friend/potential lover Gale back at home pouting about their relationship status. The fact that she could be dead at any minute seems to take a back seat with him apparently, and I found having to see his face get all sad over her television romance with Peeta was a lame addition to the film, something that easily could be saved for the start of the second installment.

That being said, The Hunger Games is still a very good film because everything it does right far outweighs the negatives. The casting is inspired across the board, with Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen obviously stealing the show in the lead role. That scene just before Katniss goes up into the arena, as Cinna tries to comfort her? That, for me, is the finest sequence in the entire film, and very little of it has to do with words spoken. The way her body trembles in fear, the look in her eyes as she is about to rise into what will almost certainly be her death...it is a sublime performance.

I love the way sound is utilized during certain portions of the film, like the very start of the games. The chaos taking place is allowed to overwhelm us visually without any noise, making the violence that much more jarring. Also, I appreciate the way this film clearly sets up a sequel but also manages to work independently, merely leading down a path rather than making it a focal point. A character death inside the arena sparks the beginning of a revolution back in her district, and the emotional weight of this scene is effectively heavy and beautifully handled. Rather than diverting away from the central core of the film this is just a quick glimpse into something that will be expanded on later on.

The Hunger Games is a good but not great book that was adapted into a good but not great movie, an effective and entertaining way to kick off a franchise.




3.5/5