CJohn Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 One of the best movies I've seen this year and probably the best large scale movie I've seen this year as well. The first one was really lame imo, this one is everything I HEARD others say about the first. The games were brutal, violent and completely unpredictable and for the first time in the series, I really felt for Katniss, I felt the danger and even though I know she can't die, I feared for everyone else. I'm actually kind of happy to be in on the Hunger Game love fest now. It always seemed like I was a bit of a pariah when it comes to blockbusters. Not a big fan of Potter, The Dark Knight is hit and miss, same with Marvel and of course I like Twilight while everyone else despises it. Finally a blockbuster I like just like everyone else. lol. 9/10 When I read in the Friday thread that you liked it, I thought people were joking because you had actually hated it even more than the first 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4815162342 Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 (edited) The only thing I was disappointed with was they didn't end it as soon as Gale said there was no district 12. That was my favourite line in the books and they should have cut the screen to black straight away Naaaa...I loved the pissed-Rambo-Murdoch-I'm-coming-to-get-you look she had on her face at the end. That was a perfect way to end it imo. Honestly, I would've been more annoyed if they just cut to black after Gale mentions the destruction of District 12 because that whole scene and the way he infodumps was just pretty poorly done, in my opinion. Katniss's final look to the camera was that scene's saving grace. I have to agree. Ending the final shot with the look on Katniss face was the way to go. As Coolio said, the film should have ended like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOwvr3tIWAo It'd be the perfect foreshadowing of the rabbit hole of mental issues Katniss goes through in Mockingjay. Edited November 23, 2013 by 4815162342 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antovolk Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 (edited) Just came back from seeing it at the BFI IMAX in London. Some first impressions and thoughts while I still can get them down.Really really great - best franchise film of the year. Both the Lawrences were great, Jen with her gripping acting as Katniss and Francis with his direction and improved visual style. On par if not better than the first; Mockingjay will be great if the fantastic first half of this is anything to go by. Great supporting cast as well, especially Katniss's allies and entourage and of course Philip Seymour Hoffman and Snow. Really faithful to the book as well which I liked (more on that under spoiler cut)The Games themselves were good...don't know why but I preferred the ones in the first film. IMAX was really something as well, bits of the IMAX cinematography, framing especially, irked me though, and 50 minutes of full frame uninterrupted 15/70mm IMAX is 50 minutes of full frame uninterrupted 15/70mm IMAX, damn impressive. But the non-arena IMAX-framed (were they even filmed with IMAX cameras?) shots...left me slightly confused. Guess they didn't want to go down the Nolan route for aspect ratio changes every 7th shot or something. Wonder how they'll do the Blu-ray. But this NEEDS to be seen in 70mm, not digital IMAX, real shame that Lionsgate/IMAX didn't make it as big a thing as it should have been...only 30 odd prints going around and for a sec I was afraid they were gonna show a digital copy.(list of theaters showing 15/70mm version at http://avindustries.co.uk/cfimax)Music - really enjoyed James Newton Howard's score, loved Katniss' theme, and he did seem to take a cue (pardon the pun) from Zimmer in one bit... Oh, and the music from the start of the final trailer appears twice, in case you wanted to know, rest of that was a custom mix of JNH's score or something. And a nice non-JNH theme from the first film makes an (uncredited) double appearance...And now for the spoilery stuff...(more like random points)1. While the ending was identical to the book, I never realised how much it screamed SEQUE-oh wait-MOCKINGJAY-BAIT. Everything on from Katniss' "SONOFABITCH" and especially the final shot was fantastic regardless.2. That ending again, too abrupt/rushed?/time jumps. Maybe done to reflect Katniss' POV?3. Funny bits (you know which ones) were funny. And the reaping was surprisingly amusing...for a few.4. Favourite scene: Quarter Quell announcement.5. Arena crumbling was great, ended too abruptly though6. Oh Ceasar and your little fanfare...all these segments were great.especially the interviews.7. Cinna's death scene and that first IMAX shot..that was something.,really got me.So that's that so far! 8/10 from me Edited November 23, 2013 by antovolk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainJackSparrow Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Antovolk, no spoiler tags are needed here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K1stpierre Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 The part in District 11 where Katniss gives the speech about Rue gave me chills. Easily one of the most emotional scenes of the year. She acts the role out so naturally now, raw emotion, strong and determined. The tone of the movie was absolutely spot on, and the cinematography was gorgeous. Camera work was also a big improvement this time round, adding a heightened sense of hopelessness and chaos. Would have liked for the climax to last a little longer, it did end rather abruptly, but the actual ending itself was more than enough to pull in audiences for the next film. I think my fave part of Katniss is the end and she freaks out about....well, we know what. Iwas crying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddddeeee Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Caesar during the proposal is the funniest thing I've seen in I don't know how long. I cried. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoolioD1 Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Waaaait a second, my man Lenny Kravitz died in that scene? I thought he just got his ass thrown in jail or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockNrollaDIM Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Waaaait a second, my man Lenny Kravitz died in that scene? I thought he just got his ass thrown in jail or something.Never appears again after that, in the books. It's not confirmed but strongly implied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lab276 Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 That was a pretty chilling scene I've gotta say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K1stpierre Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Waaaait a second, my man Lenny Kravitz died in that scene? I thought he just got his ass thrown in jail or something.I think it's safe to assume he died. In mocking jay they refer to him in past tense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K1stpierre Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Katniss's reaction to cinna's death and peeta gone are the two that had me crying. Really emotional scenes. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cozmeesah Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 The part I had to keep myself from crying was Katniss' Rue speech. Got a bit verklempt. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K1stpierre Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 The part I had to keep myself from crying was Katniss' Rue speech. Got a bit verklempt. Yeah, that was so emotional as well.Fuck it.JLaw just gives you emotions ALL the time PERIOD! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceroll Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Katniss's reaction to cinna's death and peeta gone are the two that had me crying. Really emotional scenes. The part I had to keep myself from crying was Katniss' Rue speech. Got a bit verklempt. Those were the two best scenes for me too. And it really requires that you watch the first movie to get the full impact. You needed to see the bond that Katniss and Rue had in the previous Hunger Games to appreciate the sincerity and emotion she delivered during that speech, and you needed to see how much of a comforting relief figure Cinna was for Katniss in the midst of all the chaos to understand how truly devastating it was for her to watch him getting beaten and dragged away right before she got into the arena. I heard some people complaining about the character motivations in this movie and they haven't seen the first film. But for this franchise in particular, everything is so well connected that you absolutely need the last installment to appreciate everything that's happening. I'm going to re-watch THG for the first time before I see CF again in IMAX. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iceroll Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Oh and I haven't posted my full review in here yet, but mind you my showing was completely sold out and there were a bunch of annoying teenage girls behind me squealing whenever there was a kiss and whenever Finnick did anything. I thought the beginning was kind of weak and maybe because I was too antsy to see the arena scenes but it felt kind of slow and uneventful. And also the first half was when most of the clips and trailer footage was taken so everything felt too familiar once I saw it in the movie. I'll probably try to avoid TV spots and clips for the two Mockingjay movies. There were still some amazing scenes here like the District 11 speeches and Johanna's hilarious nude scene in the elevator (everyone in the theater was dying of laughter). The actual arena scene was astoundingly good though. Francis Lawrence's visual expertise really shined through, and and there were some amazing cinematic shots, like when Peeta held the morphling girl at the beach and we saw a shot of the sky as she was dying. And the action and suspense here was pitch perfect, every hourly challenge in the arena felt more formidable and frightening than the last, and the actor's reactions here were perfect. Which brings me to the new cast, Jena Malone and Sam Claflin did wonderful jobs, and portrayed their characters exactly as I'd imagined while reading the books. I'm especially surprised at how well Claflin pulled off Finnick's looks and mannerisms, I take back all I said about his moobs and flat torso now (they must have edited it post-production ). The ending did feel kind of rushed and frenzied, but that's how it was in the book too and it was a very effecting way to make you want more. The scene with the hovercraft pulling Katniss from the ashes and you see all the fire and destruction and mayhem surrounding her as her body was being lifted off was so powerful and probably my favorite scene in the entire movie. And Katniss' steel gaze into the audience right before the credits was a perfect image to end off with. I'd give the beginning a 7.5/10 and arena scenes/end a 9.5/10 for 8.5/10 for now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K1stpierre Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Oh and I haven't posted my full review in here yet, but mind you my showing was completely sold out and there were a bunch of annoying teenage girls behind me squealing whenever there was a kiss and whenever Finnick did anything. I thought the beginning was kind of weak and maybe because I was too antsy to see the arena scenes but it felt kind of slow and uneventful. And also the first half was when most of the clips and trailer footage was taken so everything felt too familiar once I saw it in the movie. I'll probably try to avoid TV spots and clips for the two Mockingjay movies. There were still some amazing scenes here like the District 11 speeches and Johanna's hilarious nude scene in the elevator (everyone in the theater was dying of laughter). The actual arena scene was astoundingly good though. Francis Lawrence's visual expertise really shined through, and and there were some amazing cinematic shots, like when Peeta held the morphling girl at the beach and we saw a shot of the sky as she was dying. And the action and suspense here was pitch perfect, every hourly challenge in the arena felt more formidable and frightening than the last, and the actor's reactions here were perfect. Which brings me to the new cast, Jena Malone and Sam Claflin did wonderful jobs, and portrayed their characters exactly as I'd imagined while reading the books. I'm especially surprised at how well Claflin pulled off Finnick's looks and mannerisms, I take back all I said about his moobs and flat torso now (they must have edited it post-production ). The ending did feel kind of rushed and frenzied, but that's how it was in the book too and it was a very effecting way to make you want more. The scene with the hovercraft pulling Katniss from the ashes and you see all the fire and destruction and mayhem surrounding her as her body was being lifted off was so powerful and probably my favorite scene in the entire movie. And Katniss' steel gaze into the audience right before the credits was a perfect image to end off with. I'd give the beginning a 7.5/10 and arena scenes/end a 9.5/10 for 8.5/10 for now.OMG KATNISS BEING LIFTED IN THE AIR BY THE HOVERCRAFT WAS ANOTHER ONE OF MY FAV SCENES.It was such a great shot. Even just the causes of the arena coming apart was amazing. But when shes lifted, her face, the music, everything was epic in that scene. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kvikk Lunsj Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 A massive improvement for the first one and I liked the first one. I need to see this again. The movie was so epic and I was on edge of my seat the whole time. Jennifer Lawrence does a great job. The movie starts off great. I love the victory tour and you slowly see the districts. I love seeing capitol and when meet the other tributes. The games where fantastic and heart pumping. OMG I loved the third act. This is easily one favorite movies of the year. I kind find barely anything wrong. I loved the final shot A 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olive Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 I have seen it twice, loved it. 9.0/10 I gave THG 7.5/10. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajde Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Saw it last night with a friend of mine and boy, it was good, it was soo good!Felt the excitement throughout the whole film, all cast did a great job imo, with J.Law giving a top-notch performance.The portrayals of Effie, Peeta, Caesar, Finnick and especially Johanna(whose lines got me cracked up) were great too.I also really appreciate the makers staying true to the book material, some of the lines were even exactly the same.One of the best blockbusters I've seen this year on a big screen.A. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noctis Posted November 23, 2013 Share Posted November 23, 2013 Easily the best blockbuster of the year and the most personally satisfying novel to film adaptation since Perks of Being a Wallflower. Amazing performances, brilliant atmosphere, great visuals, and such a strong narrative. It bests the first film in every way possible. Just...wow. The District 11 scene brought me to tears. A 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...