Please note: if you're reading this on Friday, you might have noticed that I posted nothing for Monday. I am sorry I missed a usual posting date! So in lieu of that, I'm making this movie-centred post for today, with a game-centred one that will be on Monday. My "normal" schedule should resume after that. Anyways...
Alright! So! As part of my ongoing plan to catch up on recent movies, I have, finally, seen both The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, as well as Disney's Frozen. But, the thing is, I feel like most people have already seen one or the other. Or both. So this will not be a "review" in the usual sense, ie. no Spectrum today. Instead, my approach is far more simple: I'm just going to give you my general thoughts about each one! Hooray! That sounds so incredibly boring! But you're hear for an opinion, no? Well rest assured, my humble Emporium patron, you shall receive just that! And not just one, but TWO opinions from yours truly! Oh isn't it simply delightful? However, perhaps I can offer something else in the case of Catching Fire...
A disclaimer: my opinion of Catching Fire, as well as its predecessor The Hunger Games, is from that of a person who has never read the books. I am reminded of how well the books are received, do not get me wrong, but I felt like for a unique perspective, I can look at this movie (and THG) with a fresh state of mind. So all that being said, I can say this: Catching Fire is really good! Taking place some time after Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) together won the 74th Hunger Games, the movie picks up with Katniss now having angered the President of Panem's Capitol, President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Having played the part of lovers to appeal to the masses, Katniss and Peeta have instead ignited the fires of revolution and uprising within the other Districts, and now must heed Snow's warnings, or pay the price in blood. But on the eve of the 75th Hunger Games, Snow, along with new Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman) devise a way to quiet Katniss for good, with the next Hunger Games to feature the previous victors.
The crux of the movie is divided up primarily into two halves: the first part dealing with the continued aftermath of the previous Game, and the latter half featuring the 75th game. In retrospect, the structure of it all is kind of unusual, in that "big" moments happen more naturally, and in a spontaneous and unpredictable manner -- that is, of course, if you don't already know what's going to happen. It subsequently makes the smaller, more subtle moments a lot more memorable, and it also makes the movie as a whole better at conveying exposition and plot in chunks, rather than continuously over the entire course of the movie. That's something that is much more relevant to Catching Fire than The Hunger Games, largely because the overarching narrative of Panem, the Districts, and of course, the symbol of the Mockingjay, is far more prevalent and imbued than the Games themselves. There's a tension present throughout the film that manifests itself in some really good and heightened scenes early on, especially those that involve the other Districts.
That is something I wish there was more of though: extended looks at the other Districts. It's cool to see glimpses of each individual District on the platforms, and in the people and contestants, but it would still be really cool to see some other contrasts. And I still think seeing more of the Capitol itself would be neat, but much like its predecessor, many locations outside the Game Room, talk-show stage, and training ground are left out. My thinking is that this is the result of how Katniss herself perceives and interacts with the Capitol, from her point of view, but in movie form that method doesn't payoff as much as it could. That's not to say what we do get isn't notable. In fact, it's most certainly spectacular! The people and locations have vibrant and eclectic looks and personalities that really bring the feel of the movie to life, and to also contrast quite distinctly from the more low-rung Districts. There's a subtle eagerness of getting to see the next set-piece, or the next suit that Effie Trinket appears in. The nature of it all is very stylish and extravagant. Compared to, of course, the actual Games, which take a far more down-to-earth and rugged approach of their own (it's also a nice touch (in both movies) to have events happening in the Game to be shown in the Capitol and Districts, with each respective group of people weighing in). But an easy fear to have in this case is that the Game featured in Catching Fire might feel to similar to that of the one featured in The Hunger Games. Thankfully, it's clear there were numerous attempts made to distinguish the two.
To that end, effort is put in to the 75th Game as to not make it a carbon copy of the previous one, and this is done both within the movie, and from the point of production. The most notable distinction of the first Game was likely the fact that it was young kids being sent to kill each other, but here, that's no longer the case, since the victors participating greatly range in age. As such, the tone and feel is noticeably different this time around, and that's not just due to the welcome absence of "shaky-cam" that kind of unhinged the previous movie. There's a greater emphasis on teamwork and navigation, as well as a little bit of puzzle-solving, but also an undertone of mystery that is largely due to the unusual actions from some of the contestants. This puts a unique spin on things, as discerning friend from foe gets increasingly interesting, and it gets tense and even a bit complex when the action cuts between Katniss and Heavensbee (these names, man!) in the Game Room. It also helps that the acting from basically everybody involved is excellent. Jennifer Lawrence continues to be the most badass heroine around, and outside the action you've got Stanley Tucci being ridiculously fun as Caesar Flickerman, and even Woody Harrelson playing the charming, drunken mentor and former victor Haymitch Abernathy (seriously, these names! I love 'em!). And of course, the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman as Heavensbee. Always awesome.
So coming from someone who has not read the books, and also quite liked the previous film, I found a lot to like in the movie! It also improved on a lot from The Hunger Games, with just overall better directing. Great acting. Great setting. Great action. And, yeah, Catching Fire! I found it quite enjoyable indeed!
Now, on to the opposite side of the thermometer, with
Frozen!
Now WHAT do I have to offer you in regards to
new opinions or proclamations about
Frozen, arguably one of Disney's best non-Pixar animated films in
years? Nothing! Ha ha, well,
almost absolutely nothing! Just about everybody's probably seen this by now, judging from the numbers this movie brought in, and continues to bring in, and I would be just shouting its praises like everybody else. But that's exactly what I'm going to do!
Frozen. Wow! In terms of Disney Animations,
Frozen is proof positive that Disney's finally learning to progress beyond the classic, and let's be honest, sometimes archaic, tropes that have snuck into the entries that have come after the wonderful Disney Renaissance from the 80's's to the early 2000's.
Frozen is that wonderful, classic Disney awesomeness for a new age, and a new generation.
The tale of Princesses' Elsa and Anna is somewhat based around the story of
The Snow Queen, which Disney himself once tried to produce into an animation decades ago. The attempts were unsuccessful at the time, with Disney and the company encountering difficulty in adapting it for a perceived modern audience. Now however, comes a new adaptation that is less darker than its original source material might have presented. In the Kingdom of Arendelle, the young Princess Elsa develops the ability to manipulate and create ice and snow. With her sister Anna, the two play around inside the castle using Elsa's powers to create their own little winter wonderland. When Anna is accidentally injured, however, Anna's mind is wiped of Elsa's powers and Elsa seals herself away, straining their relationship for the years to come. When an adult Elsa is due to ascend the throne, her powers are revealed to the people, and she runs away from their fear and anger. Her actions, however, leave Arendelle in a perpetual winter, and Anna sets out to find her with the help of Kristoff, an ice worker, and his loyal reindeer Sven.
By the time Anna sets out, there have already been several very high-quality musical numbers that, in usual Disney fashion, demonstrate character and relationship building in a timely but no less memorable and important manner, and Anna's journey to find and help her sister feels genuine and strong. The circumstances in which causes Elsa to leave though are surprisingly un-Disney, by which I mean that the event, and song, involving Anna and Hans is something akin to a "whoa...already?" moment. But the best part is that the film knows it, and acknowledges it, and it's subsequently the cause for a good amount of surprise and fascination later on. Meanwhile though, Elsa has isolated herself away in her own castle of ice, in which she can be free from her confines and the fear of the people, and all of this is brought on by the musical number Let It Go.
And frickin' hell man, Let It Go! It's just so good! One of the best Disney musical numbers in a long, long time. Idina Menzel just brings down the house! It's an incredibly liberating and satisfying song and animation, that adds just a little twist into the mix. It's at this point where Elsa almost straddles the line between heroine and villain, but wisely doesn't fall for it. What makes the character of Elsa, and by extension the film as well, so great is that Elsa becomes a character more misunderstood, and conflicted, rather than ignorant or childish. It's a conflict that is relatable to many people, and also one that the movie reaches and confronts just about halfway in, changing the direction, but not the great pace, of the movie. What follows is equally invigorating and fantastic as
Frozen adapts by throwing convention out the window, and heading towards a wonderful finale that, while I won't spoil it here, is the perfect culmination of the movie that echoes beyond itself. It demonstrates that Disney's learning, and they're showing how far they've come.
That is of course, the movie primarily at a glance. The bulk of the film is made up of delightful characters and excellent music, as well as a great and modern sense of humour. Kristen Bell voices Anna as young and whimsical, but also strong and able. Idina Menzel is excellent as Elsa, with a strong and fantastic speaking and singing voice. Elsa's slightly reserved demeanour is conveyed admirably through her speech. Olaf, the funny and almost-deadpan magical snowman is played by Josh Gad, and Olaf is definitely portrayed in a surprisingly strong way in the film, more so than I would have thought. It's easy for someone like Olaf to become another annoying side character with little to offer outside one-liners, but Gad gives Olaf a life and personality of his own that really stands out. Jonathan Groff and Santino Fontana as Kristoff and Hans respectively don't give quite as memorable a performance as the ladies do, but both exceed at their respective roles, with Kristoff's humble practicality, and Hans' underlying tenacity. There is also Alan Tudyk, who plays the Duke of Weaseltown, er, Weselton, I mean. I think that speaks for itself. Just awesome!
The humour is relevant, but also spot-on and funny. There's a strong amount of charm that doesn't
ever feel overdone, something I was honestly pleasantly surprised by, and similarly the wit of the movie never feels stretched or oversaturated by a certain gag. It's more than appropriate when put in to alleviate the more dramatic, and sometimes darker, moments that come as the movie progresses. But I think more importantly, the humour is just overall, well,
better than usual. Much of how this movie relates to more than just the younger crowd is in how the wit and charm is conveyed, and here it feels strong and associates well with likely every age group.
Though it feels like there could have been maybe one more song, and maybe a little more of Arendelle itself,
Frozen is nonetheless a wonderful movie, and another hallmark for Disney. It's the definition of a modern Disney classic, and folks both young and old will be humming/singing the songs here for a long time to come (I know I am). The animation and setting is great, with hints of almost Scandinavian influences, and fantastic and gorgeous ice effects. And more than that, its narrative is strong and even mildly revolutionary.
Frozen has a charm and warmth (odd, considering, you know....ice. Sorry. I'm not that funny) that make it great, but a unique plot and characters that really make it stand out. Oh, and the awesome songs help too. I'd tell you to see
Frozen, but my guess is that you've already have. Ah well, see it again!
I usually talk about Cosmos
now, since I've kind of been doing that for the past couple weeks. Well...for now I'm just going to put this picture from Cosmos
of a baby blissfully gazing up into the night sky. Aw. How cute.
