In Review: "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2"

The problem with this movie is simply that it exists. There is nothing particularly wrong with the film. It is just not as good as it could've been if it wasn't separated for its pair. A tactic that has been successful with other films and narratives in the past but did most certainly did not work this time.

The Story

We continue right where we left off - Katniss has been commissioned by District 13 to help start the revolution, her only goal being to kill the malicious President Snow, Peeta has been safely found but has been brainwashed by the Capital to hate Katniss.

This movie finishes the war and finishes the series. I'm not telling you anything else.

The Stars

All of the original characters are back. And once again, Jennifer Lawrence slays it.

The Message

The message is very unclear when you take into consideration how the story ends. Was this just a warning to never let anything like the Hunger Games happen in real life? Or was this more about moving away from an all-powerful government and giving the power to the people? It is unclear how political we are supposed to get.

Overall

The new movie is painstackenly devoted to the source material. Down to the stupid final line- "There are worse games to play." But if the movie makers really truly cared about the source material, they would have kept the final book as one film.

Let's look at the times this tactic has worked in the past. Harry Potter's final book was split into two films. This works because we have one location for the final movie: Hogwarts. It is a natural break in the story: our three heroes decide to fight instead of hide. Twilight's final books was split into two films. This works because our hero has "awakened" as a new creature. The world is entirely different to vampire Bella than it was to human Bella. So new film techniques can be used and even the 3D makes sense here. When it wouldn't have worked in the previous film.

This time, it doesn't work. There is no natural break in the story. There is no character awakening. The location is the same as the last movie. By spliting this book is half, you lose all of the momentum the last part had created. Now, we don't remember who the new characters are, nor do we really care when they die in the beginning. The character development is not as clear or as well crafted than in the book because you can't remember the nuances of the character in the previous film. Nor do you really care now to go back.

The new movie created more money for an opening night and more money from the people who forgot to see the previous film. It does nothing for the story. It does nothing for the characters. It is simply to make more money. And not even more money for the franchise as a whole because this movie wasn't very good, newcomers won't want to go back and watch the old movies.

I hope this movie will stop this trend of splitting films in half. It just doesn't work.

1 out of 4 Arrows

In Review: "The Peanuts Movie"

It can be hard to stand in the shadow of a legend, but I think this movie paid him homage and tried to introduce a new generation to something that has been loved for generations.

The Story

All of the beloved Peanuts characters are back in this 3D animated movie where the cartoons have jumped off of the pages. The Little Red Head Girl has moved in across the street from Charlie Brown. With the help of his trusty dog and best friend Snoopy, Charlie Brown tries to stand out and gain the confidence to finally go and talk to the new girl in town.

Meanwhile, Snoopy, writes his own story. Snoopy is the Flying Ace and must defeat the evil Red Baron and save the love of his life, Fifi, a little pinky poodle.

The Stars

Just to show how dedicated this team was to creating a movie that Charles Schulz would be proud of, every voice character who plays one of the Peanuts kids is in fact a kid (and also sounds quite a lot like the original voices in previous films) and the voice of Snoopy is no one new. In fact, every sound Snoopy and Woodstock make is archival sound made by Bill Melendez. Melendez was the voice for Snoopy and Woodstock since 1965.

The Message

Charlie Brown is continually told he is not good enough. He continually fails at just about everything he tries. But he doesn't choose to give up or even hate the world. He faces every problem he encounters with determination and hope that this time will be it for sure. And through it all, he stays warm and open to the world around him. Proving that who you are is just enough. Something that even adults struggle with.

Overall

This movie is all about a lost generation- a generation where kids were their own adults, and they did what they wanted when they wanted. There were no schedules of activities or real communication between parents and children. Kids would spend summers playing endlessly with friends at the park or the swimming pool. And not return home until dark. That is why in the Peanuts cartoons and movies, the adults are not a central part of the story and literally speak gibberish. Because these kids from an early age are taught to take care of themselves.

Because of this, this movie will be hard for this generation of children to relate to. Charlie Brown doesn't sit in front of a screen playing games all day. And he doesn't ask his mom (?) or dad (?- not sure if he even lives with his parents) for help when he wants to impress the Little Red Haired Girl. He's his own little adult with his own little adult problems.

That way of thinking may not be the best parenting, but this generation had something that future generations has forgotten. The wonder of imagination. Snoopy pretends to be the Flying Ace throughout the movie, something that would now be done through a video game. But this pup walks around his neighborhood, through kids' bathtubs, through empty fields, pretending that he lives in this world he has created. No one does that anymore.

Although the movie kept to the original material as close as humanly possible, it was nothing groundbreaking. All of these lessons and characters are things we have seen before from previous Peanuts specials and movies. Not to say that that is a bad thing, but it would have been nice to see something a little more special about this movie.

This movie is perfect for a night of nostalgia. For anyone who wants to be reminded of the importance of childhood and the importance of man's best friend.

3 out of 4 Woodstocks