Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

This eagerly-awaited sequel begins as Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a "Victor's Tour" of the districts.

Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow (Donald Sutherland) prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games, The Quarter Quell - a competition that could change Panem forever.

This movie is directed by Francis Lawrence. It's rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some frightening images, thematic elements, a suggestive situation and language. The movie runs for 2 hours 26 minutes. Here's the official website:
thehungergamesexplorer.com/us/epk/catching-fire

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Friday, November 01, 2013

Ender's Game

70 years after a horrific alien war, an unusually gifted child is sent to an advanced military school in space to prepare for a future invasion. Based on the 1985 science-fiction novel by Orson Scott Card, the movie envisions a future world ruled by a monolithic militaristic government that trains children to fight large insectlike extraterrestrials called Formics or buggers.

When the story opens, Ender (Asa Butterfield) thinks he’s just another runt with a monitor jammed in his neck that allows the authorities, personified by Colonel Graff who, because he’s played by Harrison Ford, should have been called Gruff, and a psychologist, Major Anderson (Viola Davis), to observe each potential warrior’s words, moods and tears. Graff believes that Ender may be the child to lead them a a sermon he preaches as Ender is tested first on Earth and then in the outer space battle school where the movie gets its game on.

The casting includes Harrison Ford (Colonel Graff), Asa Butterfield (Ender Wiggin), Hailee Steinfeld (Petra Arkanian), Viola Davis (Major Gwen Anderson), Abigail Breslin (Valentine Wiggin), Nonso Anozie (Sergeant Dap) and Ben Kingsley (Mazer Rackham). The movie is written and directed by Gavin Hood, based on the book by Orson Scott Card; director of photography, Donald M. McAlpine; edited by Zach Staenberg and Lee Smith; music by Steve Jablonsky. Running time is 1 hour 54 minutes.