Review Category: Movie

Review: The Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug / Cert: 12A / Director: Peter Jackson / Screenplay: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro / Starring: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Richard Armitage, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly / Release Date: December 13th

Is it churlish, ungrateful even, to admit to enjoying something immensely but then go on to have a good old moan about how much better you think it could have been? It’s a question for others to answer but despite all the hugely entertaining sequences and welcome additions in this, the second instalment of the Hobbit trilogy, you’re left with a sense of what might have been. A sense that had the original objective of adapting the novel into two films prevailed then we might well have been reflecting on a pair of films every bit as breathlessly thrilling and emotionally involving as the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Instead we’re stuck with something that, although frequently exciting and never anything less than visually dazzling, is still hamstrung by overly protracted diversions and some needless padding that sees the final third of the film in danger of losing its narrative focus.

The Desolation of Smaug finds our Hobbit hero Bilbo Baggins (Freeman) and his Dwarf cohorts still pursued by the Orcs from whom they’d made a narrow escape at the conclusion of An Unexpected Journey, the eagles presumably not being willing to drop them off at the Lonely Mountain and thereby solve a whole heap of problems. Soon they’re involved in a wonderful sequence of chase scenes that see them embroiled in a fight to the death with giant spiders in Mirkwood and (the film’s highlight) a superb set-piece in which they escape the Wood-elves’ domain hidden in wooden barrels that then career dangerously down river rapids as they’re assailed on all sides by Elves and Orcs. Throughout scenes such as these, the technical accomplishments are astounding, reminding us just how good Jackson is at delivering moments that seamlessly meld live action with cutting edge CGI (the spider attack is as good as anything he has put on screen in this regard). At the heart of most of this is Freeman’s Bilbo and it is when the narrative focuses on him and his journey that the film works best. Freeman is once more tremendously engaging as the reluctant hero of the tale, emerging as the driving force on the quest to reclaim the Dwarves’ gold, even as we begin to see the first subtle seductions being wrought on him by the prize he claimed from Gollum.

During these early travails, we’re reacquainted with Legolas (Bloom), who at this point is a long way from the kinder, more benevolent Elf we got to know in the earlier films. Here Legolas, like the Wood-elves themselves, is a lot less Enya and a bit more Bowie, the evident sense of superiority the Elves feel over other races and their unashamed self-interest combining to produce a threat to our heroes that is an interesting twist on what we’ve come to expect. Into the mix is thrown Tauriel (Lilly), a She-elf, who kicks more Orc arse than any other character in the film. Considering the paucity of female characters in the original story, Tauriel is a very welcome addition, and Lost’s Evangeline Lilly delivers a performance of real verve and charisma.

Then of course there’s Smaug himself (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch), the great dragon whose appearance has been anticipated perhaps more than any character in Middle-earth (with the possible exception of Sméagol). Smaug is the villain whose shadow casts a pall over everything preceding his arrival on screen and when we finally get to see him he doesn’t disappoint. Emerging gradually from underneath a mountain of gold coins and jewels, the gradual reveal is the dragon equivalent of the first time you see that Star Destroyer on screen in Star Wars, and his game of cat and mouse with Bilbo is the highlight of the final act. It’s a shame then that it all goes a bit Super Mario when the Dwarves arrive on the scene, with diminutive figures leaping off ledges and swinging off ropes and chains in order to activate a series of massive mechanical constructs designed to defeat the final level boss. To paraphrase Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park, filmmakers like Jackson are perhaps now so preoccupied with what they can do that they don’t stop to think if they should. Less is sometimes more.

Thankfully, Starburst saw this preview in the lower frame rate, meaning we were spared the merciless exposure that 48 frames per second wreaks on the sets and props of a movie like this. Consequently the slower frame rate means that, by and large, this world looks like the Middle-earth we know and love from the Rings films. However, we still have the additional narrative insertions designed to link these events explicitly with the saga that is to follow, as well as some sub-plots that drag on concerning the Dwarves who have been left behind in Lake Town. So we have Gandalf going off to Dol Guldur to face a resurgent Sauron with lots of portentous talk of ‘The Nine’ and the end of the world, and a love story that seems designed purely to give Tauriel a reason to be where she is (it’s a shame they couldn’t find a different motivation for the character). Much of this feels like padding designed to stretch the story out over three movies but worse still, it often occurs at moments in the film where you feel like you’re being dragged away from the events that you really want to see. Almost everything that doesn’t concern Bilbo and his quest feels like a great big foot coming down hard on the brakes, and it’s at times like that (my lad) you really do start to notice that your bum is starting to get quite numb.

The decision to make three films may ultimately be the reason why these movies fail to stand alongside The Fellowship et al. Which is a shame because the ingredients for something truly exceptional are all there. Ultimately though, the things that are good about this instalment are abundant enough to make most people overlook its flaws and oh heck, perhaps we’re just being a particularly grumpy Christmas Grinch with a dash of Veruca Salt thrown in. There is a lot here to love, enough to leave us looking forward to the final instalment next year. It’s just that we can’t escape the feeling that, wonderful though it is to still be on it, the journey really should have come to an end by now.

Expected rating: 8 out of 10

Actual Rating:

Review: Young Detective Dee – Rise of the Sea Dragon / Cert: MPAA (US)/ Director: Tsui Hark / Screenplay: Chia-lu Chang, Kuo-fu Chen, Tsui Hark / Starring: Mark Chao, Feng Shaofeng, Lin Gengxin, Angelababy / Release Date: Out Now (US)

Rarely does a sequel – or in this case, a prequel – surpass the original, but Young Detective Dee – Rise of the Sea Dragon is one of those exceptional moments in cinema.

It’s 665 A.D. during the Tang Dynasty and there is big trouble in big China. A fleet of ships is mysteriously wiped out by an unseen underwater menace, a war rages, a beautiful courtesan (Angelababy) – due to be sacrificed to the sea dragon – is kidnapped by sinister Dongdoer islanders, then rescued by a humanoid reptilian creature and this is just the beginning of  the problems to solve for Detective Dee (Chao).

As Detective Dee, the newly appointed magistrate, begins to put the pieces of this mysterious puzzle together, he gets thrown in jail for interfering in an investigation by his sometimes friendly adversary and intellectual equal, the blonde albino and head of the Dalisi, Chief Commissioner Yuchi (Feng Shaofeng).

Here Sherlock Dee meets his future Dr Watson: Shalou Zhong (Lin Gengxin), who is the prison’s physician. Devising a clever escape, Zhong is reluctantly pressed into Dee’s service along with Yuchi and the game is afoot to solve this mystery before the three of them end up with their heads on the chopping block.

Hark’s direction is fast paced, but also expertly draws the viewer into the complex conundrum. Mark Chao is a worthy predecessor to Andy Lau’s characterization of Detective Dee from the first film. He makes mistakes, he’s not the best fighter, but this is the charm of young Detective Dee as we get to know him in his early days.

Suspension of belief is part of the fun with these movies. Whereas in the first film there was a talking magic deer, here we have a swimming war horse who’s more at home in the sea than on land. On top of that, there are enough physics-defying fights to please any martial arts fan, and the 3D is the best we’ve ever seen, with vibrant colours that pop on the screen. You have to stay for the end credits too as the story continues with some tongue-in-cheek humour along with beautiful, pre-production artwork and sketches for future Detective Dee films. 

Expected Rating: 8 out of 10

Review: Big Bad Wolves / Cert: 18 / Director: Aharon Keshales, Navot Papushado / Screenplay: Aharon Keshales, Navot Papushado / Starring: Lior Ashkenazi, Rotem Keinan, Tazhi Grad, Dvir Benedek / Release Date: Out Now

Big Bad Wolves is the latest film from Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado, the pair behind 2010’s Rabies, and it’s a cracker. Dark, sinister, twisted, tense, yet humorous and well thought-out, Big Bad Wolves is one of those films that not everyone will know about but that everyone should know about. Israeli cinema isn’t necessarily the first thing that comes to mind when you think of fantastic horrors and thrillers. The masterfully delivered Asian horrors of the past two decades; glossy, stylised American affairs; gritty, feral and raw French cinema? They all instantly spring to mind. Keshales and Papushado are doing their very best to change that though.

The basic premise of Big Bad Wolves centres on a sadistic child-killer who is tormenting Israel. We’re introduced to Miki (Ashkenazi), a determined, hard-hitting, uncompromising cop who is initially assigned to the case. When Miki’s heavy-handed actions threaten to make a mockery of the case against the prime suspect, he finds himself suspended. Hell-bent on forcing mild-mannered Dror (Keinan) to confess to the vile crimes, Miki has to form an unlikely partnership. Unassuming and ominously looming in the background of this main story arc, we have Gidi (Grad), the father of a young girl who was tortured by the still-at-large serial killer. With torture and truth the order of the day, just who is the real victim in all of this?

From the moment that you hear the first note of the score to Big Bad Wolves – not to mention the early kick to the balls – it has you gripped. The balance of the film is beautifully managed, with scenes of extreme violence being intertwined with moments of light relief. The result keeps you on the edge of your seat and never allows you to get too comfortable in your surroundings. That said, don’t expect the movie to just be violence and dark humour. No, no, no. There are some very real, serious and visceral angles to Big Bad Wolves, and the movie poses various questions in regards to morality, justice, guilt, and truth.

Keshales and Papushado deliver a very minimalistic and raw feature, yet it also manages to be very sleek, smooth and sophisticated at the same time. Beautifully shot and edited, Big Bad Wolves is one of the best constructed thrillers in recent memory. Not content with merely looking great, the film is brilliantly brutal in its delivery and execution, and you will find yourself deeply immersed in the often-changing dynamic of the three principal characters. From the calm, composed and calculated menace of Grad’s Gidi, to Ashkenazi’s truth-seeking hard-ass Miki, to Keinan’s mild-mannered would-be killer, Dror, Big Bad Wolves serves up some brilliant performances for its audience.

Big Bad Wolves is one of those rare gems that creeps on you. It may not be on everyone’s radar, but, after seeing it, you’ll be dying to spread the word. The only downer for us is that the worldwide release date of the film seems to be uncertain at this point, so it’s a case of just keeping your eyes and ears to the ground and catching the film when you can. Trust us, though: if you get the chance to see Big Bad Wolves, eat it up.

Expected Rating: 7 out of 10

Actual Rating:

Review: Free Birds / Cert: U / Director: Jimmy Hayward / Screenplay: Various / Starring: Owen Wilson, Woody Harrelson, George Takei / Release Date: Out Now

As the holidays creep up on us, so does the holiday movie season. Like the summer blockbuster season, the holidays provide the opportunity for many films to either attract or repel millions of viewers. Unfortunately, this year’s Thanksgiving-themed animated flick, Free Birds, accomplishes the latter. Soulless and dull, Free Birds is bland Thanksgiving fare that will fly out of viewers’ memories the instant the credits roll.

Reggie, a down on his luck, oddly coloured turkey, has been ostracised his entire life. He longs for someone to accept him, a wish that comes true when the President of the United States somehow ends up on his farm and grants him the honour of being the “pardon turkey”. Soon after, he meets the strange, dramatic turkey Jake, who informs Reggie of his plan to travel back in time to the first Thanksgiving and save turkeys from the tradition. Can Reggie and Jake save turkeykind, or will turkey be forever on the menu?

Owen Wilson leads a largely uninspired cast that includes Woody Harrelson, Amy Poehler, and George Takei, all of whom deliver half-hearted performances that border on reluctance. With such great talent squandered, it’s next to impossible to connect with or even like any of the characters.

The film’s concept is inventive and had potential to be hilariously ridiculous, but the execution disappoints and may induce yawning. As the film heads toward an underwhelming and incredibly stupid conclusion, the characters still suck and the emotion is still absent. The film functions as a quick holiday cash grab, and the final product suffers greatly because of that.

After seeing this abysmal, lazy piece of cinema, we’ve never been happier to say, “Pass the turkey.”

Expected Rating: 6 out of 10

Actual Rating:

Review: Her / Cert: TBC / Director: Spike Jonze / Screenplay: Spike Jonze / Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson / Release Date: Out Now

Theodore Twombly (Phoenix) is a sensitive, lonely man in the midst of divorce proceedings. He lives in a futuristic Los Angeles (parts of the movie were filmed in Shanghai) and one day falls head over heels with his computer’s operating system, Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson).

The title of Spike Jonze’s excellent fourth feature refers not only to ‘Samantha’, but also Catherine (Rooney Mara), the soon-to-be ex-wife who haunts Theo’s daily thoughts. The viewer is led to initially perceive Catherine as a woman that cruelly broke her husband’s heart into a thousand pieces. Slowly, however, we come to realise this very real but simultaneously romanticised heartache masks a conservative and emotionally repressed personality. There’s a difference between being old-school and being recalcitrant. The retro 1950s middle-class pop outfits signify this, too. A scene in which Theo and Catherine share lunch – meeting up to finalise their separation – is the film’s most revealing moment, as we get to hear Catherine’s side of things, as well as her own issues, troubled personal history and Theo’s overly idealistic view of love and cohabitation. He wants the rosy glow of love to last and to be unencumbered by human complications and miseries.

Jonze’s application of sci-fi iconography and tropes is minimalist and playful. The twinkling neon lights of the city, the gigantic buildings and swathes of hazy golden fog appear like a sunnier vision of L.A. as depicted in Blade Runner. Mostly, Sponze has fun imagining what the future of home entertainment technology holds. Mobile phones become little transmitters in our ears hooked up to a small device carried in our shirt or trouser pockets and are voice-activated. Video game consoles project in massive 3D – covering entire rooms to create a virtual gaming cube/world, where Theo can work his way around some endless maze and meet various foul-mouthed online gamers and their avatars. The games are controlled by hand movements reacting to sensors. Computer operating systems not only have winning personalities, but can fall in love and grow ever more sophisticated in their consciousness.

Johansson has created a compelling and believable character: all vulnerability, girl-next-door charm and often quite simply adorable. Who wouldn’t fall for ‘Samantha’? Neither is the couple’s relationship unique: all across the world, people are getting entangled in RAMances with their hard drives. And no, we don’t see Theo humping his computer tower. Jonze, very coyly, even chastely, fades to black as the loved up duo ‘get it on’.

Scored by Arcade Fire, brilliantly directed by Jonze and with top performances from the cast, including a kooky turn by Amy Adams as Theo’s college buddy and neighbour, Her is a very touching sci-fi drama with bytes of melancholia running throughout its circuitry.

Expected Rating: 8 out of 10

Actual Rating:

Review: Carrie / Cert: 15 / Director: Kimberly Peirce / Screenplay: Lawrence D. Cohen, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa / Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Julianne Moore, Judy Greer, Portia Doubleday, Gabriella Wilde, Alex Russell / Release Date: Out Now

Remakes here, remakes there, remakes everywhere. Many remakes come branded as tosh before ever hitting screens, but we should not forget successful revisits can happen. So comes this newer, glossier, gorier version of Brian de Palma’s classic 1976 horror Carrie, adapted from the Stephen King novel of the same name. A film many were not asking to be remade, although essentially it has twice already with samey (and terrible) “sequel” The Rage: Carrie 2 and the 2002 TV movie, yet here it is and on its own merits it is not that bad.

Sticking to the formula, this film sees outcast Carrie White (Moretz) bullied at home by her religiously fanatical mother Margaret (Moore) and at high school by her peers. During one embarrassing incident, Carrie is pushed further than she can handle, awakening her dormant and destructive telekinesis. The story is infamous, Carrie’s torturous prom date is a lingering image in cinema and the good news is that this film does not tarnish that. The bad news is that the movie, while perfectly watchable and well made, does not quite meet its full potential.

This new Carrie hits the same beats as the old, only tinkering with particular elements to bring things up to the here and now. For example, whereas before Carrie was a tortured soul unable to control her life, her abilities and ultimately her rage, here she is more like Magneto, masterfully using her abilities on occasion. All in line with a modern message of female empowerment, no doubt, but it takes away some of the character’s vulnerability.

Peirce’s remake is far more bombastic in style, packed full of CGI, and with head bully Chris (Doubleday) portrayed less as a spoilt brat and more as a deeply evil villain. Making her so sadistic and uncaring robs Carrie’s revenge of its tragic dimension; in fact, you root her on!

Moretz is occasionally a bit too strong as Carrie (this is Hit-Girl after all), but she is good in the part and gives an emotional performance in the leading role made famous by Sissy Spacek. Moore as her fanatic (even more so than in 1976) mother is also a decent casting choice and her performance is one of the film’s more successful aspects.

Despite admirably building an anti-bullying message, this remake is less haunting, less assured and less effective than the original. On the other hand, this ain’t no Prom Night either. It’s a functional remake, forgettable and lacking in freshness but at least respectful of its source material.

Expected Rating: 7 out of 1o

Actual Rating:

Review: Frozen / Cert: PG / Director: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee / Screenplay: Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck, Shane Morris / Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana, Alan Tudyk / Release Date: December 6th

Despite a marketing campaign that has focused on “cute” (read “horrifying”) living snowman Olaf and portrayed the film as a remix of some art assets from 2010’s Tangled, Frozen is actually an enjoyable fairy tale romp with some clever plot twists thrown in and positive messages for young girls that subvert those usually provided by traditional Disney princesses.

Extremely loosely inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s tale The Snow Queen, Frozen tells the tale of two princesses in the fairy tale realm of Arendelle, Elsa (Menzel) and Anna (Bell). Like a medieval version of Iceman from the X-Men, Elsa can control the cold, creating flurries of snow in an instant and turning castle floors into ice rinks, to Anna’s delight, before a childhood mishap grievously hurts Anna and compels Elsa’s parents to hide her power from the world and isolate her from her sister, until she can control her gift.

While trying to follow the warnings of some cute, helpful trolls that fear will be Elsa’s undoing, her parents start down a path that does nothing but instil fear in her, both of her powers and herself, while traumatising Anna in the process!

Skipping ahead many years later to Elsa’s coronation as queen, the sisters finally get to meet each other and their subjects again, but a minor argument results in a display of Elsa’s powers and she flees the town in fear to the surrounding countryside and finally lets her powers run free. Of course, Anna goes after her to try sort things out and stop Elsa from inadvertently freezing the whole kingdom. However, fairy tale adventures are never so straightforward.

Elsa is not quite the evil presence hinted at in the trailers and the film ends up being rather empowering for the princesses. There is some love interest in the form of a couple of princes, but the heroines are not defined by them, don’t quite need saving and are perfectly capable of sorting out their own problems, thank you very much. The Disney tradition of talking animals is turned on its head by ice farmer Kristoff and his reindeer friend Sven, who hold a few “conversations”, with Sven providing the facial expressions and Kristoff the voice over for his animal companion. The filmmakers even manage to subvert the trope of an act of true love saving the day.

The film is frequently funny, the songs catchy and well thought out and as in a good musical they truly illustrate the character’s inner thoughts in a way that isn’t annoying. Due to the amount of action and drama in the second half, the film is a little front loaded with musical numbers, but they don’t prove to be as incessant as one might at first fear. Even the nightmarishly cute Olaf is never too distracting from the main story of two sisters and their crippling psychological issues. In fact his existence makes sense within the context of the film, as an outgrowth of Elsa’s psyche and avatar of a simpler time shared by the two girls.

It looks like Disney’s own movies are taking a leaf or two from their Marvel Studios and Pixar stable mates, with a small but amusing scene sting after the main credits (as well as a disclaimer that Kristoff’s assertion that “all men eat their boogers” may not be factually true) and a pre-show cartoon featuring Mickey Mouse diving between 2D and 3D that tries too hard and lacks the charm of the cartoons that inspired it.

Kids should love Frozen (and Olaf and those trolls), parents won’t go out of their minds with boredom and little girls everywhere should learn a number of empowering, non-condescending messages about growing up and dealing with your problems.

Expected Rating: 4 out of 10

Actual Rating:

Review: The Congress / Cert: TBC / Director: Ari Folman / Screenplay: Ari Folman / Starring: Robin Wright, Harvey Keitel, Paul Giamatti, Danny Huston, Jon Hamm, Kodi Smith-McPhee, Sami Gayle / Release date: TBC

The Congress is a bold sci-fi film and one of the most original in years. It’s part live action and part animation and directed by Ari Folman, who gave us Waltz with Bashir. Robin Wright stars as herself, a despairing actress agreeing to sell her image and become ‘digitalised’, effectively retiring as the studios age her out of the market.

What starts as something quite interesting in the vein of The Player, a satirical take on cynical Hollywood, starts to change into something rather bizarre. The animated part of the film takes us far into the future after a terrorist attack, plunging Robin and her digital avatar into animated worlds sitting somewhere between a Beatles movie and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Whilst not quite as good as its ambition suggests, with the animated sequence dragging on just slightly too long, yet with eerie acting, sound and dialogue that M. Night Shyamalan or even Shane Carruth might be proud of, The Congress is a welcome addition to both sci-fi and animation and is not easily forgettable.

Expected Rating: 6 out of 10

Actual Rating:

Review: The Reef 2 – High Tide / Cert: U / Director: Mark A.Z. Dippe, Taedong Park / Screenplay: Chris Denk, Johnny Hartman / Starring: Drake Bell, Andy Dick, Fran Drescher, Frankie Jonas / Release Date: Out Now

This is a bit complicated. The Reef 2 isn’t, in fact, a sequel to the routine-but-fun 2010 Australian horror movie about a bunch of capsized kids terrorised in the water by a giant shark, but rather a sequel to a cheerful 2006 South Korean CGI animated feature originally entitled Shark Bait (but retitled The Reef in North America and Europe, possibly to avoid confusion with DreamWorks’ 2004 stinker A Shark’s Tale). Aimed at a much younger audience than more sophisticated Pixar fare, The Reef 2: High Tide, screening in selected cinemas around the UK before arriving on DVD next February, is likely to keep the nippers happy for eighty minutes or so with its cheerful blend of primary colours, simplistic humour and mild peril.

In the first Reef movie (we’ve done our homework), nasty shark Troy was banished from the reef thanks to the efforts of plucky underdog (underfish?) Pi (now voiced by Drake Bell rather than Freddie Prinze, Jr from the original). But Troy is not downhearted in defeat; he escapes from his human captors who have bulked him up with drugs (seriously) but he can’t return to the reef during low tide. While he waits for the high tide in four days which will allow him access to the reef, he sends in eager shark Ronny to distract Pi and the denizens of the reef by staging an elaborate and, frankly, quite insane variety show, in an attempt to put them off their guard before Troy makes his vengeful return.

Although The Reef 2 is clearly one for the kids with its bright colours and endless knockabout humour, there are a few sly gags and references which might amuse patient adults who are along for the ride and who might otherwise be spending their time glancing at their wristwatches and waiting for the end credits to roll. The animation is rarely better than cheap and cheerful and the voice talent not exactly A-list but The Reef 2’s intended audience will too busy being swept along by the madness of the predictable storyline and the inevitable fart gags to despair that it isn’t a patch on the likes of Finding Nemo.

Expected Rating: 5 out of 10

Actual Rating:

Review: The Hunger Games – Catching Fire / Cert: 12A / Director: Francis Lawrence / Screenplay: Simon Beaufoy, Michael deBruyn / Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Stanley Tucci, Jeffrey Wright, Amanda Plummer, Lenny Kravitz / Release Date: November 21st

Catching Fire is a perfect subtitle for The Hunger Games’ sequel. While many found the first entry a little bit bloodless and damp, Catching Fire burns at a much higher temperature. Though it begins out in the cold wilderness of District 12, the heat of revolution gradually builds before it all ends in a baking hot tropical arena. New director Francis Lawrence torches any criticisms of the first film and rises from the ashes with a superior blockbuster thriller.

When we catch up with Katniss (Lawrence), she is suffering from PTSD after her traumatic experiences in the arena and to make matters worse, things are increasingly icy between her and moping lover boy Peeta (Hutcherson). Donald Sutherland’s President Snow turns up early to deliver exposition about the rising revolt and positively seethes with menace in the chilly opening. Things look completely glum for much of the first half; the only bursts of colour reserved for the flames of revolution and the Capitol’s excesses.

After defying the President and surviving the games, Katniss and Peeta are sent on a victory tour to prove their love to the world and help stop the budding revolution. The victory tour takes in 12 districts in 12 days, finding little except fierce faces and growing unrest. They smile and wave and read scripted words in order to douse the flames but revolution is nonetheless cooking. It is in the slogans, the graffiti and the defiance of the people that come to see their victors speak.

Incoming director Francis Lawrence (replacing Gary Ross) creates a mournful tone from the very first frames. The snow-covered landscapes and static camera (phew!) captures District 12 in dull colours that ooze misery. Capturing his stars in silhouettes, the director is transforming Katniss into the icon she must become. The flaming dresses may still raise as many chuckles as dazzled gasps, but they were always going to work better on the page than on the screen. Nevertheless Jennifer Lawrence sizzles sensationally throughout.

The mood extends to countless genuinely emotional moments. Faced by Rue’s family, Katniss’ tribute to the dead girl is heart-wrenching and is followed by one of the most brutal moments of the franchise so far. All of this is aided no end by the newly crowned young queen of Hollywood who is ready to soar as the Mockingjay. Lawrence the director trusts Jennifer Lawrence the star implicitly and finds plenty of time for close-ups that leave little to the imagination and demonstrate why she is currently one of the very best in the business. Just wait for the closing shot as her expression changes in the final frames. It is worth the price of admission alone.

Plenty of characters return with Woody Harrelson’s Haymitch still mainly battling alcoholism for comic effect and Elizabeth Banks’ Effie as equally effervescent/annoying as she was in the first film. Stanley Tucci’s teeth steal scenes, even outshining Effie’s ever more ludicrous outfits. Liam Hemsworth’s Gale gets slightly more to do this time but is still on the sidelines when it comes to the games while Peeta continues to be the sympathetic sweetheart of the story in opposition to Katniss’ feisty hero.

The film is littered with brooding contemporary relevance. From what looks like District 11’s black power salute to Haymitch’s warning to Katniss and Peeta that they are celebrities designed to distract the ordinary people from the hardships of their lives, it is dripping with the bread and circuses subtext of Suzanne Collins’ book. 

Catching Fire takes plenty of time getting to the main event but it never drags. Every second counts and the scenes outside the new arena are as riveting as those inside. However, when the games begin, it is absolutely exhilarating. There are new tributes, all ex-winners and experienced killers, and a new and improved battleground with new wildlife, new threats and plenty of new ways to die. The tributes range from the forgettable and completely underwritten to those who will be increasingly important as the franchise continues. From Sam Claflin’s smirking but soft Finnick Odair to Jena Malone’s hilarious hard ass Joanna, the world of The Hunger Games opens up wide with plenty of new characters. Most intriguingly of all is Philip Seymour Hoffman’s new Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee. Treading a fine line between sinister and mysterious, Hoffman plays it perfectly.

Simon Beaufoy and Michael deBruyn’s screenplay is gripping and James Newton Howard’s emotive score may not be groundbreaking but works brilliantly in the heart-wrenching moments. The romance is starved of oxygen by the grim mood of the first half but finally sparks begin to fly until it positively crackles by the end. Building to an electrifying climax, this is one of the best science fiction sequels since The Empire Strikes Back. Burn, baby, burn.

Expected Rating: 8 out of 10

Actual Rating: