invernessmovieclub
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The stakes have never been higher for Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Co. as she leads an assault on the Capitol and assassinate President Snow (Donald Sutherland) – the mastermind behind the Hunger Games and the general suffering of the residents of the country of Panem.
Katniss' is still caught in an awkward love triangle between Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) who is still in bad emotional shape after being rescued from the clutches of Snow and who may still be on an assignment to kill Katniss, and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) who is loyally sticking by our heroine's side as the mission begins. Weighed down with the burden and responsibility of the impossible task at hand, the movie suggests that if Katniss does succeed and survive there may not be much left of her.
The assault itself is where the film really kicks off as the near- ruined Capitol is suitably booby-trapped at every turn forcing the squad to go underground which is where the tension is ramped up to a near unbearable level – causing a number of cinema-goers to scream out loud.
Lawrence is still on good form and can now play the role in her sleep. The rest of the cast do their best, Gale especially benefits from a more beefed up role, but the majority of the stars are there only to support Katniss. I've always felt the role of Peeta should have been stronger than has always been portrayed.
What is quite refreshing about Mockingjay Part 2 is that it is not as straight forward as it seems. Whereas the film appears to be going in one direction, it stops and ventures off in a different unpredictable direction. But unfortunately it's not altogether successful. One death scene is merely brushed over whereas it should be key to the entire finale and instead of being victorious things become very bleak very quickly. The ending is also dragged out longer than necessary.
Whilst Mockingjay Part 2 is an improvement on its predecessor, it doesn't touch the highs of the first two movies. All in all it's a decent ending to a decent franchise and although it doesn't really finish on a high, fans of the books should be fairly satisfied with the conclusion.
Katniss' is still caught in an awkward love triangle between Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) who is still in bad emotional shape after being rescued from the clutches of Snow and who may still be on an assignment to kill Katniss, and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) who is loyally sticking by our heroine's side as the mission begins. Weighed down with the burden and responsibility of the impossible task at hand, the movie suggests that if Katniss does succeed and survive there may not be much left of her.
The assault itself is where the film really kicks off as the near- ruined Capitol is suitably booby-trapped at every turn forcing the squad to go underground which is where the tension is ramped up to a near unbearable level – causing a number of cinema-goers to scream out loud.
Lawrence is still on good form and can now play the role in her sleep. The rest of the cast do their best, Gale especially benefits from a more beefed up role, but the majority of the stars are there only to support Katniss. I've always felt the role of Peeta should have been stronger than has always been portrayed.
What is quite refreshing about Mockingjay Part 2 is that it is not as straight forward as it seems. Whereas the film appears to be going in one direction, it stops and ventures off in a different unpredictable direction. But unfortunately it's not altogether successful. One death scene is merely brushed over whereas it should be key to the entire finale and instead of being victorious things become very bleak very quickly. The ending is also dragged out longer than necessary.
Whilst Mockingjay Part 2 is an improvement on its predecessor, it doesn't touch the highs of the first two movies. All in all it's a decent ending to a decent franchise and although it doesn't really finish on a high, fans of the books should be fairly satisfied with the conclusion.
Over the last few years the thriller genre has been somewhat neglected. There are, of course movies that get tagged as a thriller but they rarely leave you with that sense of fear and vulnerability as well as the tension and, well, thrills that this genre demands. Aussie actor Joel Edgerton has quietly been making a name for himself over the last decade with a run of strong and versatile performances. He can now add another string to his bow as the director of The Gift, a psychological thriller that will keep you biting your nails and leave you guessing how it's all going to end.
The Gift centres around Simon (Jason Bateman) and his wife Robyn (Rebecca Hall) as they move from Chicago to Los Angeles so Simon can begin employment at a new Security firm and to possibly escape a few personal issues they've had. Whilst shopping for furniture for their new home, they meet Gordo (Joel Edgerton) who went to school with Simon years before. Everything seems pleasant enough initially as Gordo accepts a meal invitation and returns the favour by leaving them a few innocent gifts. But as the movie develops Simon takes exception to Gordo randomly appearing at the house and eventually asks him to leave the couple alone. Is Gordo really as innocent as he seems? Or could Simon be hiding something in the past that he doesn't want Gordo to reveal?
It would be impossible to expand further on the plot without giving too much away but the slow build and reveals leave you hanging on to see what the next act brings.
The three leads are all excellent. Jason Bateman is giving the chance to play a little against type from his usual nice guy to the nastier aspects of Simon's nature. Rebecca Hall is also on top form as the vulnerable Robyn where you never know if her personal issues are causing her to overreact or whether she really is in danger at times. The movie though belongs to Edgerton who brings both sides of emotion to Gordo as making the audience feel threatened and also sorry for him.
There is no real action as the budget was less than $5m. It is simply a decent story based on the characterisation of the three actors and the claustrophobic edge that Edgerton brings to the direction. The Gift is by no means perfect and there are certain scenes that feel overlong at times. The plot itself also isn't anything we haven't seen before but The Gift is a more than satisfying thriller that will leave you gripped to the final scene and will make you think twice about reuniting with old acquaintances from the past.
The Gift centres around Simon (Jason Bateman) and his wife Robyn (Rebecca Hall) as they move from Chicago to Los Angeles so Simon can begin employment at a new Security firm and to possibly escape a few personal issues they've had. Whilst shopping for furniture for their new home, they meet Gordo (Joel Edgerton) who went to school with Simon years before. Everything seems pleasant enough initially as Gordo accepts a meal invitation and returns the favour by leaving them a few innocent gifts. But as the movie develops Simon takes exception to Gordo randomly appearing at the house and eventually asks him to leave the couple alone. Is Gordo really as innocent as he seems? Or could Simon be hiding something in the past that he doesn't want Gordo to reveal?
It would be impossible to expand further on the plot without giving too much away but the slow build and reveals leave you hanging on to see what the next act brings.
The three leads are all excellent. Jason Bateman is giving the chance to play a little against type from his usual nice guy to the nastier aspects of Simon's nature. Rebecca Hall is also on top form as the vulnerable Robyn where you never know if her personal issues are causing her to overreact or whether she really is in danger at times. The movie though belongs to Edgerton who brings both sides of emotion to Gordo as making the audience feel threatened and also sorry for him.
There is no real action as the budget was less than $5m. It is simply a decent story based on the characterisation of the three actors and the claustrophobic edge that Edgerton brings to the direction. The Gift is by no means perfect and there are certain scenes that feel overlong at times. The plot itself also isn't anything we haven't seen before but The Gift is a more than satisfying thriller that will leave you gripped to the final scene and will make you think twice about reuniting with old acquaintances from the past.
When director George Miller created Mad Max back in 1979, he couldn't have foreseen the impact the micro-budget film would've had on the action genre. Not only did it launch Mel Gibson into an A- list star, it's gritty, post-apocalyptic style set a precedent for action movies and had a major influence on many directors for the next two decades. Two sequels arrived in the years following and then nothing. The series ended. Rumours have persisted since 2000 of another sequel but it wasn't until 2011 when the same director, Miller decided it was time to raise the bar once again and got to work on Mad Max 4. The wait has been worth it.
Replacing Gibson with British actor Tom Hardy, Fury Road begins with a voice over "My name is Max, the world is fire and blood. It's harder to know who was more crazy, me or everyone else." We then launch straight into a chase scene over the desert plains of a post- apocalyptic desert where Max is captured by a group of cannibals. Elsewhere we are introduced to Furiosa (a pumped up Charlize Theron) who has been tasked by local gang leader Immotan Joe with driving an armoured rig full of now-scarce water across land in exchange for gasoline. Instead she rebels and heads for her homeland along with freeing Max and Immortan Joe's five wives, two of which are pregnant. And then all hell breaks loose!
What follows is simply a breathtaking display of action cinema. From here on, Fury Road is effectively one long chase as Immortan Joe's enormous army of lunatics pursue Furiosa across the endless desert. The film slows down briefly to introduce Furiosa's relatives, but the pursuit swiftly continues.
The action is simply relentless as supped up cars, motorbikes, trucks and tankers crash, flip and explode as they attempt to halt the rig with stuntmen literally flying everywhere. The stunts are simply astonishing, all the more so that Miller insisted that the majority of the action be filmed practically without the reliance on CGI – how no one was killed in the making of the movie is all the more astonishing. Director Miller, now 70, is at the top of his game and handles the action brilliantly. The locations are suitably apocalyptic (filmed on location in Namibia) and suit the movie perfectly.
The plot itself is simple and, although you don't get much in the way of characterisation, it really doesn't matter. There are enough glimpses of Max's past to fill in the gaps for anyone who hasn't seen the original movies. Hardy is a fitting replacement for Gibson and does a fine job as Max, however the real standout is Theron – shaved head and as far from the gorgeous blonde we know so well, she plays the role of Furiosa amazingly.
Not only does Mad Max: Fury Road raise the bar for action movies, it smashes the bar entirely. Sit back, switch your brain off and you'll have a blast!
Replacing Gibson with British actor Tom Hardy, Fury Road begins with a voice over "My name is Max, the world is fire and blood. It's harder to know who was more crazy, me or everyone else." We then launch straight into a chase scene over the desert plains of a post- apocalyptic desert where Max is captured by a group of cannibals. Elsewhere we are introduced to Furiosa (a pumped up Charlize Theron) who has been tasked by local gang leader Immotan Joe with driving an armoured rig full of now-scarce water across land in exchange for gasoline. Instead she rebels and heads for her homeland along with freeing Max and Immortan Joe's five wives, two of which are pregnant. And then all hell breaks loose!
What follows is simply a breathtaking display of action cinema. From here on, Fury Road is effectively one long chase as Immortan Joe's enormous army of lunatics pursue Furiosa across the endless desert. The film slows down briefly to introduce Furiosa's relatives, but the pursuit swiftly continues.
The action is simply relentless as supped up cars, motorbikes, trucks and tankers crash, flip and explode as they attempt to halt the rig with stuntmen literally flying everywhere. The stunts are simply astonishing, all the more so that Miller insisted that the majority of the action be filmed practically without the reliance on CGI – how no one was killed in the making of the movie is all the more astonishing. Director Miller, now 70, is at the top of his game and handles the action brilliantly. The locations are suitably apocalyptic (filmed on location in Namibia) and suit the movie perfectly.
The plot itself is simple and, although you don't get much in the way of characterisation, it really doesn't matter. There are enough glimpses of Max's past to fill in the gaps for anyone who hasn't seen the original movies. Hardy is a fitting replacement for Gibson and does a fine job as Max, however the real standout is Theron – shaved head and as far from the gorgeous blonde we know so well, she plays the role of Furiosa amazingly.
Not only does Mad Max: Fury Road raise the bar for action movies, it smashes the bar entirely. Sit back, switch your brain off and you'll have a blast!
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