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REVIEW: "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

Things do not get better for Katniss Everdeen in our second outing into the Hunger Games universe. More starvation, more executions, and, of course, more arena battles. The sociopolitical themes at the heart of the series are more front-and-center than in the first entry, and the result is a much smoother, more engaging sequel that hits it's mark dead-on. Easily establishing itself as one of the year's best blockbusters.

When I first started this review I was tempted to put my cynical-shades on and lament the state of current films when The Hunger Games, of all series, manages to put almost every other blockbuster this year so far to shame. But that would be selling this film far too short. No matter it's young target audience and heavily featured love-triangle subplot, The Hunger Games series has always been a rich and involving story. Some deeply thought-provoking and compelling themes run through the core of these books and films, and it really only took the right director to make all the elements click. As it turns out, Francis Lawrence (Constantine, I Am Legend) was definitely the right man for the job.

Catching Fire picks up a couple months after the first Hunger Games and features a psychologically traumatized Katniss (again played by the spectacular Jennifer Lawrence) trying to cope with the events of the previous film while simultaneously being sucked into a revolution she accidentally started. As the districts of Panem begin to revolt against the totalitarian Capitol, Katniss is unwillingly thrust into a bloody political game where the slightest wrong move could lead to the execution of herself and her family. While the first Hunger Games laid the groundwork for the post-apocalyptic society, Catching Fire builds on that groundwork exponentially. With a significantly increased budget, Francis Lawrence stays entirely true to the world that had been established, but still fills it out considerably. Panem feels like a functioning society, which makes the political chess-match taking place within all the more thrilling. 

The weakest element of the first installment was the distinct lack of emotional resonance. There was a distinct emotional remove to the first film, presumably intended to emphasize the dehumanizing brutality of the scenario at hand. Unfortunately, that style doesn't quite hit it's mark when the purportedly "savage" violence is entirely diluted by a PG-13 rating, leaving the audience emotionally removed but also thoroughly un-horrified. Catching Fire rectifies this by not only deeply involving itself in the emotions and traumas experienced by these characters, but also reaching back into the first film and delivering emotional payoff for scenes that didn't quite stick their landing in the last movie. One thing I find about the best sequels is that they not only deliver a great film, but improve the preceding films as well, and Catching Fire manages this beautifully.

Speaking of PG-13 ratings, this time around, director Francis Lawrence isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. Catching Fire regularly employs a tactic that the first Hunger Games would have been significantly better off for: imply horrible things instead of showing tame things. Unjust executions and the murder of children can be entirely emotionally provocative without the need of gore, and implying terrible acts of violence can disturb without excessive bloodletting. Catching Fire pushes the limits of it's PG-13 rating, and when the violence of the scenario exceeds what they are allowed to show onscreen, they simply cut away. The result is powerful and appropriately upsetting in ways rarely seen in a PG-13 picture, joining the likes of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy and Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, both series of films that employed their violence strategically and effectively. Graphic violence is often used as a crutch used by film makers to illicit emotion, but it's a real commendable accomplishment to move your audience without resorting to gratuitous imagery.

With a large portion of the film shot in IMAX, Catching Fire is a cinematic spectacle not to be missed. Thought-provoking and emotionally resonant without sacrificing entertainment factor, it's the sci-fi epic to beat this year. Even if you found yourself unimpressed with the first outing into Panem, this film has all the elements necessary to bring a Hunger Games skeptic into the fold. With humor, action, romance, and an engaging story, Catching Fire is a crowd-pleasing, well-rounded Hollywood blockbuster the way they used to make 'em, and is bound to delight audiences of all shapes and sizes.

5 of 5 Arnolds

Andrew Allen is a television (and occasionally film) writer for Action A Go Go. He is an aspiring screenwriter and director who is currently studying at the University of Miami. You can check him out on Tumblr @andrewballen and follow him on Twitter @A_B_Allen.

 

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Boardwalk Empire 4x12: Farewell Daddy Blues (Season Finale review)

“Since my man left me, others can't be found,
But before he left me, the other men was hangin' around”

This show does not make it easy on me.

Since the close of the season four finale last night, I have been afflicted with a deep lingering sense of ambivalence. Part of me wants to remain objective and write my usual weekly recap. The other part of me right now is a screaming fan who would love to go H.A.M. on director Tim Van Patten for killing off my favorite character and thus placing my future viewings of this program in jeopardy. I’m aware that my latter half is merely an initial reaction to watching a character in whom I had invested a substantial amount of emotional attachment get killed. You want the characters you favor to have a happy ending after an arduous ordeal. But alas, even fiction doesn’t operate to one’s specifications once a serving of reality is added. 

The lyrics above are from a song called “Farewell Daddy Blues”. The excerpt I used serves a rare function: Its theme (figuratively and literally) encapsulates the mood of both the characters and the viewers. Viewers lost a character they love; while some characters lost the seemingly dominant male figures in their lives. And then there are some characters who just lost something precious to them altogether. The season two finale episode was entitled “To the Lost”. In many ways, these two finales may have come full circle.

RECAP: Starting at Nucky Thompson’s guarded beachfront home. Inside, Nucky is having a telephone conversation with Sally Wheet. It’s starts off flirtatious with both of them talking in mediocre Spanish, but then segues into his desire to escape his business. However, before he can vocalize his actual plans, Chalky White enters the home. After having his men subdue the guards, he manages to hold Nucky at gunpoint. Despite Nucky rightly protesting his innocence in regards to Chalky and Daughter Maitland a few episodes back, Chalky does not care about any of that. His mind is fixated on one man: Dr. Valentin Narcisse. A closed-door meeting is then called between Narcisse, Nucky and Ed Bader (whom Nucky angrily dismisses for his role in Chalky’s predicament). Nucky tells Narcisse that he wants the situation between him and Chalky to be finished. He also relays to Narcisse that Chalky knows the whereabouts of Daughter.

In Chicago, Al and Ralph Capone discuss with Nelson Van Alden the attempt on Al’s life weeks back. All three men suspect that Joe Torrio may have been behind it. Almost on cue, Torrio appears and suggests that Dean O’Bannion is the mastermind behind the attempted assassination. However, O’Bannion was killed before the hit. Later, Torrio gets gunned down in front of his wife and ends up in a hospital. He admits crime is a “young man’s game” and cedes control of his empire to Al Capone.

Meanwhile, Agent Knox (aka James Tolliver) is contending with Director Hoover over his plans regarding Eli Thompson. Eli continues to have doubts even with the planning and reassurances of the FBI. Nucky has agreed to the meeting between him, Eli and east coast organized crime figures at an elegant hotel. Knox has no doubt that his sting operation will go as planned. Knox is setting up his surveillance in the room adjacent to the planned meeting as Nucky calls Eli to pick him up so as to arrive together. Eli does not tell his son, Willie Thompson, about the meeting. Upon arriving at Nucky’s near-empty home, he finds Nucky imparting two revelations: The first being that when the meeting is over, he’ll be heading to Cuba with Sally Wheet. The second is confirmation of what we all suspected: He knows of Eli’s treachery. Nucky puts a gun to his brother’s head and just when it looks like he’s about to commit fratricide, Willie abruptly enters and quells the situation. Eli confesses to his son and brother about Knox and Willie’s murder charge. Nucky leaves when Eli accuses him of looking to take away his family.

With a no-show from the Thompsons, Agent Knox’s plan is a complete failure. Agent Harold Selby tells Knox that he’s too emotionally compromised, at which point Knox dares him to take away his gun. Eli heads home after meeting with Nucky. Upon arrival, an angry and emotionally-flustered Knox is present and has revealed himself and his intentions to Eli’s family. Eli orders everyone to leave the living room, allowing Knox to pull a gun on Eli and arrest him. Eli has other plans and turns it into a street fight. While Knox gets a few hits in, it doesn’t help when Eli beats him to death.

When Nucky arrives at the train station, he is detained by the FBI who are now in search of Eli for murdering a federal agent. Near the end, Eli meets with Willie to tell him that his father is safe “out west”.  He asks if Nucky would’ve killed his father if he didn’t show up. Nucky tells him ‘no’ and then tells Willie that he’s the man of the house now.

 

Gillian Darmody is on trial facing murder charges. Richard Harrow is called in to testify against her, but his testimony is badgered and only serves to help Darmody’s defense. Knowing that if Gillian is free, she may try to take Tommy Darmody again, Harrow goes to Nucky for help. He knows Nucky killed Jimmy Darmody and asks for the location of his body. Nucky is reticent, but Harrow is relentless. “If an anonymous source disclosed a location, what would you do?”, Nucky asks the expert sharpshooter. We get our answer in the next scene when the media finds Jimmy Darmody’s body.

Richard next appears at the train station. He hugs Tommy and kisses his wife passionately in an uncharacteristic display of affection. He sends them to Wisconsin to his sister’s home and tells them he’ll be arriving there in three days. In return for Nucky’s assistance, Harrow has agreed to kill Dr. Narcisse in Club Onyx. Meeting with Narcisse, Chalky describes himself as someone with a “bankroll in one pocket, pistol in the other”. Narcisse brings out Chalky’s daughter Maybelle as leverage. Harrow is preparing to take his shot from the rafters, but it’s clear that he has lost his killer instinct. When he finally takes it, he ends up killing Maybelle in front of Narcisse and her now-grieving father. At that point, the FBI raids the club. They arrest Dr. Narcisse and his men, while Harrow escapes suffering a gunshot wound.

Narcisse is interrogated by Director Hoover. He’s offered a deal: Give up your idol Marcus Garvey or else. When Narcisse reluctantly agrees, it’s clear that he has betrayed his own beliefs and has been exposed for what he truly is.

The ending montage consists of Daughter’s rendition of “Farewell Daddy Blues” interspersed with Van Alden helping Eli disappear; Gillian Darmody in jail; Margaret Schroeder carrying her daughter into their new home as promised by Arnold Rothstein; Sally Wheet disappointedly drinking alone; and Chalky contemplating on the front porch of Oscar’s Havre de Grace manor. Lastly, Richard Harrow is on a train. Then walking on a railroad track and then to his sister’s home where everyone is waiting for him. When Julia walks toward him with a smile, Harrow’s face is whole and no longer disfigured. Then the scene shifts back to reality:

Richard Harrow, sans prosthesis, has died peacefully under the boardwalk. 

MY THOUGHTS: There were many parallels that stuck out for me in the season finale. As stated in the intro, the the theme tying these parallels together was loss. Chalky loses his daughter, Gillian loses her freedom, the Thompson household loses their patriarch, et. al. Agent Knox lost his life, but he was painfully disillusioned when FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover made their professional relationship very clear through a brutal dressing down. Hoover employs the same technique when he interrogated Narcisse. He knows Narcisse is a fraud, and with the latter's almost-painful acquiescence to Hoover's demands, Narcisse knows it to. With Willie Thompson now head of his household (again) with no patriarch, Chalky White is implied to take over Oscar's manor as per the dead man's wishes. 

While I didn't like Eli's cop-out "my big brother's always in my way!" speech, I was glad he beat Agent Knox to death. For a man who's been under considerable strain these past few episodes, the beating seemed pretty cathartic. I actually cheered for Knox's death. I have to give Brian Geraghty props for breathing a deplorable air into such a character. He made me hate his character, and that's a sign of a good actor. But still, it was great to see Eli channel his inner Ivan Drago and make Knox his Apollo Creed (go see Rocky IV if you don't get the reference).

Tommy Darmody won't have to worry about his grandmother coming for him now that she's in prison. But he lost another father as well. When Richard hugged him and told him he loved him, it was his death knell. As it was for Jimmy Darmody when he did the same with Tommy. Harrow's an expert killer and this season, we get to see the effect it's had on his conscience. When poised to kill Narcisse, he couldn't develop the composure needed for such an action. He made a mistake and gets himself shot in the process. Ironically, he died under the boardwalk, the one place where he knew peace and love with his wife, Julia. In his dying hallucination, he gets his wish: He's no longer maimed and united with her and his family. I knew someone was going to die this episode, but they should've kept Harrow around. They didn't get to fully explore the dichotomy of his nature: The gentle man vs. the killing machine. 

Overall, the season finale was satisfying. I most likely will continue viewing this program come season five. The season as a whole felt somewhat short, but I can never fault a serial drama that's so well-written and gripping. Cons notwithstanding, the finale was another job well done.

Grade: A
Written by Sy L. Shackleford (sylar10)


Sy L. Shackleford is a jack-of-all-trades columnist for Action A Go Go. A UConn graduate with a degree in both psychology and communication sciences, he is a walking encyclopedic repository for all things Marvel Comics, hip-hop, et. al. He also writes reviews for hip-hop albums which can be viewed on his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sy.shackleford

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Disc Two: B-Roll from HUNGER GAMES CATCHING FIRE

The new Hunger Games is out today. It's not my thing, but everyone deserves to see Jennifer Lawrence's baby fat in IMAX...so let's just go with it.

Over the summer, I watched the first Hunger Games. While the concept behind it is a time-tested one, I couldn't help but feel like the film version is doomed to undermine its larger point. Unlike the R-rated Battle Royale or Series 7, the PG-13  violence of Hunger Games has to shy away from the nastiness that should unfold in a kill or be killed scenario. Ultimately, these types of films are (or should be) a commentary on our culture. A commentary that would be better served by showing the consequences of violent actions.  Instead, you're kind of just allowing the bloodlessness to be acceptable to an enthusiastic YA crowd. It kind of echoes the carnage-thirsty audience within the film itself.

At least, that was my impression of the first film. Maybe this time around, incoming director Francis Lawrence (Constantine) can discover unique ways to get around the restrictions of the MPAA. Creating an emotional experience that will force flocks of tweens to reassess their reality TV and GTA V addiction. Maybe.

CLIKCITY-CLICK...



Also, this was amusing...

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Trailer Park: ALL CHEERLEADERS DIE!

Yes, all of them.

Honest question: What is the obsession with murdering cheerleaders? I mean, it's been the focus of everything from Cheerleader Camp to The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom. Is it sexual frustration? Repressed high school hostility? Or maybe --just maybe...they deserve it.

Anyway, All Cheerleaders Die is directed and written by Lucky McKee and Chris Siverston. I'm not familiar with Siverston's body of work (apparently he directed Lindsay Lohan's I Know Who Killed Me) but Lucky McKee directed The Woman, which is pretty damn disturbing and should never be watched around squeamish girlfriends.

All Cheerleaders Die seems to be a turn in the direction of comedy for both filmmakers, but something tells me that the gags will be met equally with...well, gags. 

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Tunesday: Akira The Don Gives Us THE STREET FIGHTER MIXTAPE

The console wars are here. It has become apparent that some of you will go to insane lengths when it comes to picking a side in this battle for gaming supremacy...so how about some fight music?

Britain's Akira: The Don has taken some of the classic BGMs from the Street Fighter game series and re-purposed them for your listening pleasure. Nostalgic nerds should be able to appreciate the samples and Easter eggs found throughout. Fickle Hip Hop heads can marvel at the infectious enthusiasm of Akira's delivery. Hell...in my experience, the two camps are not always exclusive. So a good time will be had by all.

CLICKITY-CLICK...

Akira The Don - ATD23: The Street Fighter Mixtape by Akira The Don

Troy-Jeffrey Allen writes about action/adventure for Action A Go Go. He is a comic book writer whose works include Bamn, The Magic Bullet, and the Harvey Award nominated District Comics. His work has been featured in the City Paper, The Baltimore Sun, Bethesda Magazine, The Examiner, and The Washington Post.

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Boardwalk Empire 4x11: Havre de Grace (review)

I have to admit: For the first half-hour of season four's penultimate episode, I felt bored.


Bored of the progression of the storylines in the week's episode. The characters and the atmosphere they inhabit carried a cerain staleness for this viewer. I was honestly about to change channels and catch the re-run on On-Demand the next day. Thankfully, and to my pleasant surprise, the last 10 minutes proved to be satisfying. More than that, it left me with eager anticipation for next week's season finale.

RECAP: After escaping the Bader/Narcisse ambush from last week's episode, Chalky White calls in a favor from an old friend. With Daughter Maitland in tow, they're driven to what appears to be a plantation owner's mansion in Havre de Grace, Maryland. The owner of the house, Oscar (Louis Gossett, Jr.), is the mentor of Albert 'Chalky' White. He speaks highly of Oscar: "Man taught me everything I know".


Oscar is a wise, but crotchety old man. He's blind and apparently has no filter. Chalky has come to him for help, but his mentor is reluctant despite their history. Oscar knew the Commodore and helped Chalky gain his clout in Atlantic City's Black community.  His nephew Winston is among his caregivers, but he doesn't seem to think much of him. He also insults Daughter's cooking while also telling Chalky to leave her. He tells Chalky that he wants him to be his heir.

Later, Chalky speaks to Daughter and tells her that he wants to run away with her and never look back. Prior to that, she discusses his desire for revenge against Dr. Narcisse and Nucky (who was actually not privy to Chalky's ambush).

Days later, at night, Oscar is waiting on the porch with a cocked shotgun. Chalky comes out and is promptly informed that Daughter has left. When she left, he became suspicious after hearing a strange noise outside and armed himself. Naturally, Chalky thinks his old mentor is crazy until bullets courtesy of Narcisse's assassins mow him down. Chalky, Winston and others kill all three of Narcisse's men. My theory: Daughter Maitland told them of their whereabouts somehow.

"There's a skunk in yo' cella". That is the phrase (courtesy of Gaston Means) that leads off Nucky Thompson's storyline this week. Means calls Nucky and offers him information about a leak in his circle. He makes an asking price of $50K before frantically moving it up to $500K. Right then and there, before Nucky can even inquire, the U.S. Capitol Police raid Means' home and arrest him for perjury.

Speaking of which, Agent Knox has gotten Eli Thompson to spill the beans about his brother and his criminal connections. We wants to have Nucky in a room with crime figures up and down the east coast. That way, they all go down for certain. Eli doesn't want to betray his brother, but he doesn't want to lose his son either. When Eli and family arrive on Nucky's well-guarded beachfront Albatross compound, they immediately discuss Means' offer. Then Eli appeals to Nucky's lust for money and power. By doing so, he initiates the set-up discussed with Agent Knox. This weighs clearly on Eli's mind as he gets very upset at dinner when his wife is teasing his reaction towards the "insurance agent" from last week's episode. Nucky asks his nephew, Willie Thompson, about the insurance agent (who we know is Agent Knox). They're interrupted by Eli's wife before Nucky can get an accurate description. Before he bids his family farewell, he tells Eli to set up the meeting. In the final scene, Nucky calls Sally Wheet and gives her three ominous words: "I WANT OUT".

The last storyline was extremely gratifying because it was the end of a mystery and the beginning of one character's long-overdue comeuppance. Gillian Darmody discusses her options with her lawyer Leander Whitlock. She wants custody of her grandson, but then appears to zone out mentally. Next time we see her, she goes to the Sagorsky household and to meet Tommy. She wants some sign of affection from him, but the boy is very reluctant. Then Richard Harrow appears and sternly tells her to back off. Seeing the ring on Harrow's finger, this time Gillian has no ammunition. All she has is her fear. Knowing that she's been defeated, she gives Tommy some personal effects that belonged to his father, Jimmy. She then tells Richard to take good care of him before leaving. She goes home to Roy Phillips and declares how she's finally free. No longer pursuing a custody battle, they go out and have dinner. Roy informs her that he has completed his business deal and will soon be leaving Atlantic City. At first, things seem to be crashing down for Gillian until Roy makes a marriage proposal to her and an invitation to leave with him. In a parking lot, Roy shoots a man dead who was angry with him about the aforementioned business deal. Gillian and him then drive away to her brothel. Distraught that he killed a man, Gillian encourages him to "let it go and get away with it". To clarify, she confesses about that man named Roger (the stand-in for her son, Jimmy) last season whom she killed. She tearfully pleads for Roy to stay with her. That's when his mood changes. Leander and some men appear and Roy reveals to a confused Gillian that he's actually an agent for the Pinkerton Detective Agency. Leander hired him to find proof of Gillian's criminal activities after she killed the Commodore. She tries to run, but they hold her down and arrest her.



MY THOUGHTS: Having Chalky White's storyline was a two-fold nod: It took place in my home state (albeit in the 1920's Prohibition era) and its proximity to Baltimore was a reference to the HBO series The Wire (of which Michael Kenneth Williams portrayed arguably the most popular character). It's always a pleasure to see Louis Gossett, Jr., but his time was cut too short. I think Oscar's death would've had more impact if they waited to do it for the season finale. Though Narcisse did not appear this week, it's clear just how far his reach for vengeance can extend. With his mentor dead, Nucky may be Chalky's only (potential) ally remaining. 

Nucky suspects that Eli may be the skunk that Gaston referred to. Nucky's reaction to Eli's outburst at the dinner and his subsequent questioning of his nephew puts Eli's future in jeopardy. He's already been to jail, so scratch that. I think his treachery will be brought out into the open. As a result, Nucky may kill him just as he did Jimmy Darmody. I don't care what Nucky claims about how he wants out. He likes the power that he had in the first three seasons. He wants at least a small sliver of it back.

As for Gillian Darmody. She's had the worst deal of anyone in the show, but I feel no pity for her. Though she doesn't exactly have it all together, she represents the kind of woman that no man would respect. Even her grandson doesn't seem to like her. It was great to see Richard Harrow stand up to her and make her leave. She underestimated him and rudely condescended to Richard last season because of his facial handicap. Now she sees just how wrong and how stupid she was for that. With the startling revelation of Roy Phillips, her world has shattered completely. Personally, I hope they lock her up under the jail. And Ron Livingston played his part as an undercover very well. We all knew he was involved in something shady, but I didn't think that it would've been law enforcement. With the revelations bestowed upon us this week, this viewer cannot wait for the finale.


Grade: A
Written by: Sy L. Shackleford (sylar10)


Sy L. Shackleford is a jack-of-all-trades columnist for Action A Go Go. A UConn graduate with a degree in both psychology and communication sciences, he is a walking encyclopedic repository for all things Marvel Comics, hip-hop, et. al. He also writes reviews for hip-hop albums which can be viewed on his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sy.shackleford

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