Month: January 2023

“Hope is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous.”

“Wanna see what I got you today? It’s a Mockingjay pin, to protect you. And as long as you have it, nothing bad will happen to you, okay? I promise.”

“I volunteer! I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!”

The piece of media I’m reviewing this week is absolutely iconic. While I’m not reviewing the original material, the movie itself portrays the book better than most page-to-screen adaptations. Unless you’ve lived under a rock, you probably can guess what movie will be talking about for this post.

The Hunger Games truly helped bring the genre of dystopia back into popularity. The movie follows Katniss from District 12 as she competes in the Hunger Games, a game where 24 enter and 1 leaves. This movie accomplished so much that eventually the rest of the books were turned into movies.

I think it’s time to start this review and let the odds be ever in your favor…

Characters:

Katniss Everdeen is an amazing protagonist. From the start, she is driven by her love for her sister and this continues throughout the entire movie. Her love for her sister is relatable and inspiring. She begins to show this same protection over Peeta Mellark, the other tribute from her district. Despite being based on a lie, Katniss and Peeta’s concern for the other is just as heartfelt to watch as Katniss’s love for her sister.

 Not only does Katniss fight to protect the ones she loves, but she is a strong character. Yes, strong in the fact that she is able to fight in the Hunger Games physically, but also strong in her mentality and mindset. The Hunger Games is full of death and most of the time, people who didn’t have any other choice but to be there. Katniss is able to battle through loss, hurt, and mental pain throughout the book. She keeps pushing forward and persevering. It’s hopeful, inspiring, and also relatable.

My favorite thing about characters is when they have flaws. I love when they are still good people but not perfect people. Not only does it add depth to the character, but it adds a realness to the story. This can be said for Katniss’s character and storyline. Her development throughout the movie is amazing and perfectly executed.

While I love Katniss, she isn’t my favorite character. That prize would have to go to the one and only bread boy, Peeta Mellark. He is almost the opposite of Katniss. She plays to physical abilities, while he plays to the public eye and the other tributes. If there’s one thing to really sum up Peeta, it’s that you can tell he was written by a woman. He is kind, gentle, sweet, thoughtful, and honestly the list goes on and on. If you don’t believe me, watch the movie yourself and try to say you didn’t love Peeta.

Katniss and Peeta are the main characters in the Hunger Games, but the other characters also make a lasting impression, such as Gale. Except the lasting impression I get from Gale is that he is an annoying pick-me and I can’t stand him.

Anyway, the rest of the characters are better than Gale, I promise. Haymitch and Effie are the most unexpected duo, but are both hilarious together. Two completely different personalities, but with Katniss and Peeta, the four almost become a small family.

President Snow doesn’t play a huge part in the movie, but his character presence is everywhere. He is such a well written and acted villain. He’s literally an old man, yet still holds so much power. He is manipulative and always tries to get what he wants. The audience loves to hate President Snow, which is always a fun villain dynamic to see on screen.

For characters I give The Hunger Games a 8.5/10. Before you ask, the ranking would be higher if it weren’t for Gale.

Plot:

The Hunger Games is honestly something I could go off on a tangent about, which I don’t want to do. Rather than potentially spoil it for you guys, I’ll keep my review for the plot brief and simple.

Unique. Thought provoking. A work of art. The Hunger Games’s plot fits into all these categories. The plot is so different from everything else, one can’t help but love it. The plot twists are small, but still great. The storyline is easy to follow, yet so entertaining to watch unfold. It’s funny at times, but has a lot of emotional moments that resonate with the audience.

For plot, I give The Hunger Games a 9.5/10.

Enjoyment:

I’ve read the books. I have seen all of the movies before, multiple times. This genre is truly one of my favorites and it’s partially because of this movie. From the characters, setting, plt, and more The Hunger Games is so entertaining. It speaks messages and themes, while also maintaining a high enjoyment level. From small comedic lines, to heart wrenching scenes, The Hunger Games has a lot to offer in terms of enjoyment. Other than having to see Gale, these movies are amazing and I love to watch them.

For enjoyment, I rate The Hunger Games a 9.5/10.

Final Rating:

The final rating for The Hunger Games is 27.5/30!

If you would like to learn more about The Hunger Games movies, go to their IMDB Page!

“She’s afraid I will tweet an ethnic slur…again”

“If I ever get Jared Leto, I’m going to whoop his Kombucha brewing ass”

“It was a tribute to Beyonce but people didn’t see it like that”

My love for Agatha Christie was half of the reason I loved Knives Out so much; it reminded me of an Agatha Christie novel. The other half of that love came from Chris Evans, in case you were wondering. So when it was announced that the people behind Knives Out were going to continue making more movies, I was thrilled.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was released on Netflix and almost instantly became popular with viewers. It starred Daniel Craig, reprising his role as the detective Benoit Blanc. Along with Daniel Craig, many other notable actors appeared in this movie, including Kate Hudson and Lesile Odom Jr. To me this movie lived up to the standards set by the original Knives Out. 

Now, let’s get into the review, so I can go watch Glass Onion for a third time!

Characters:

Like I mentioned above, Glass Onion has a stellar cast. They all played their characters so well and truly made the film so much more enjoyable. I honestly wish that this cast did more movies together because of the acting done between them all.

If I had to name a main character from this movie it would be Detective Benoit Blanc or Andi Brand. To put it simply, Detective Benoit Blanc is the one under the spotlight and for good reason. He is hilarious, intelligent, but also very human. Benoit is shown empathizing throughout the movie, which allows for a deeper connection to his charter. Because of how human and ‘good’ he is, the audience wants him to succeed. When the audience is rooting for a character, it makes the film much more enjoyable.

Andi Brand may not be the spotlight, but she is the one who steals the show. I hate to use this, but if I had to pick two words to describe Andi Brand, they would be girl boss. From the moment she arrives to board the boat til the moment the film ends, Andi Brand is a force on screen that pulls all the attention to her (in the best way ofc). Andi’s character is complex and at first hard to figure out. But as the story unravels, so does the many layers and mysteries of Andi’s personality.

While Andi Brand and Benoit Blanc lead the movie, the rest of the cast never disappoints. Birdie is a character who everyone remembers. She may not be the brightest of the bunch, but she is going to be the center of attention. Whether it’s her dull remarks or her flashy persona Birdie is certainly hard to forget. Lionel Toussaint and Claire Debella are the dynamic duo I never knew I needed. Each different in many ways, but so fun to watch interact on screen together.

Honestly, I could go on and on about how amazing these characters are, but I’ll let you see for yourself. But before I give my rating, I will say this: the character work in this movie is top notch and every little detail is on purpose. When watching pay close attention to the masks the character wear because even that small detail tells the audience so much about them.

For characters, I’m giving Glass Onion a 10/10.

Plot:

Like I said before, I love a good mystery. Especially the mysteries that have you thinking ‘OMG, I should’ve seen that coming.’ Knives Out was set apart from other mysteries because it started as one thing, but turned into a completely different thing. Glass Onion delivered again in this category.

The plot was everything I wanted it to be. It was an even mix of comedy, mystery, and surprise. I could never tell what was coming and it was like being on Space Mountain. I had no idea what was next, but I truly loved every wild second of it.

Like the characters, I don’t want to give too much away, it would ruin the experience. So in the name of being simple and short I rate Glass Onion on plot a 9.5/10.

Enjoyment:

If you couldn’t tell, I loved this movie. Every aspect was just indescribably good and fun to watch. The characters were all amazing, unique, and hilarious. The plot was dense, creative, comedic, and super entertaining. The detail put into this movie is utterly amazing. From simple costumes, to the Glass Onion itself, this film made sure to make each aspect memorable and enjoyable.

If you want to watch comedy? Watch this movie.

If you want some mystery? Watch this movie.

If you want a perfect time capsule movie of COVID?  Watch this movie.

I mean, what more could you really want in a movie? Other than Dylan O’Brien starring in it.

For enjoyment, I give Glass Onion a 10/10.

Final Rating:

The final rating for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is 29.5/30. This rating is well deserved and I really hope to see more Knives Out mysteries in the future.

I hope you all enjoyed my review and thank you for reading! If you want to know more about Glass Onion make sure to visit their IMDB Page!