ellapauly99

I would honestly recommend this to every single person I see if that were socially acceptable. Making female perspectives the default (in Tatiana Maslany's words) is so refreshing and just watching the show is empowering. It's cheesy romantic fantasy, yes, but: - there's a gender non-binary character - there are multiple gay characters - the main couple is lesbian - all of the lead roles are female - the girls save the boys, not the other way around - there's an emphasis on both girl-on-girl friendship and romantic attraction, portrayed better than those things usually are (probably because most creators/crew are women) So 8/10 for representation. It's just not a typical web series. It's obviously low-budget, but they do it well, and I think that actually allows you to focus more on the story. The acting is 7/10 overall, but they interact incredibly well with each other and the actors are such awesome people in real life that their personality shines through the characters. It's funny, heartwarming, frustrating, intelligent, romantic, silly, and serious all at the same time. I can't think of any other web series like it, nor any other series like it, for that matter. It's so unique, both in a "wtf how did they come up with that" way and in the way it handles fantasy and real issues together. I give it a 10/10 because it's one of those things that once you watch it, there's nothing specific you can say to explain why it affects you. Movies, series, books, and music that you truly love are often impossible to explain, you just have to watch it to understand. J Sheridan LeFanu wrote an excellent novella, but this adaptation is a whole new level of wonderful. The fandom is also really excellent. In short, if you're not watching Camilla, you're really missing out.

I completely disagree with what other users said: "set up", "boring", "melodrama", all are valid opinions but I think these perspectives are missing something.

Most blockbuster films maintain a sense of detachment between the story and the audience. You walk into the theater, things explode, people hook up, and then you walk out, having gained two pounds in popcorn but gaining nothing emotionally. Maybe that's just what audiences want for entertainment, but I for one want to be impacted by a film somehow, or it's $15 wasted. To be bored by such a powerful and realistic depiction of a dystopia, you'd have to be totally missing the point. What happens in Mockingjay is happening in the world, and I don't see how you couldn't find that jarring and intense. The action that everyone says is missing is there, it's just more complex than your typical one- liner + apocalypse combo. The action is under the surface, in the complicated themes and ideas that the writers are conveying to you, in the internal and external conflicts between characters, in the emotions that are at once dramatic and hauntingly real. You don't get that every day anymore. If you wanted things blowing up and obvious plots that you don't have to invest yourself in, there's probably another Transformers movie you can go see instead. Indeed, I think what people are calling a "set up" movie presents a far more important story than what it's setting up for - the explosive conclusion is not what matters. Sorry, Suzanne Collins, but we all knew how Mockingjay would end. Why is that part so important to viewers? The interesting parts of the Hunger Games novels have never been in the love triangle plot devices or 'shocking' deaths. We see that all the time. No, what differentiates the Hunger Games from other series of its kind is the extra level of depth in its themes and morals. The characters are well-written, and the actors portray them well; the plots are simple, yes, but the emotions that drive them are not, and the movie doesn't over-simplify. I

This was the best Hunger Games movie by far. Emotional, intelligent, true to the story, and well-made. Jennifer Lawrence is incredible (though that goes without saying). A perfect balance is held between the witty romanticism of a YA lit adaptation and the somber, harrowing tone of a true dystopia. We throw the word dystopia around all the time, but what makes a good story of that genre is that it has both a sharp systemic criticism and a deep human aspect. This does that - you see Katniss as a symbol and also as a person, which is important. They talk big ideas about government, but they use that to say something about human nature, too.

(Also, if you say you didn't get chills in the Hanging Tree scene, you're lying.)