Mockingjay - The Hunger Games Book 3

I have so much to say about Mockingjay that I'm not quite sure where to start.  I have already shared some of my reservations or misgivings about this series in my post on The Hunger Games and I have raved about how much I liked Catching Fire.  So, what do I share about Mockingjay?  I supposed I shall start by summarizing and go from there.


***SPOILER ALERT*** In this post I am assuming 1) that you have already read these books and 2) that you have already read my previous posts on this series. If you haven't read the book, consider yourself warned, if you haven't read my previous posts, go here.


Mockingjay picks up a few days after Catching Fire ended.  Katniss is with her mom and sister in District 13, but she is still very distraught.  Peeta is in the hands of the Capitol.  The president of district 13 wants her to become the face of the rebellion, but Katniss is unsure if she supports it.  She doesn't like the Capitol, but the rebels did lie to her and leave Peeta in the arena to be captured.  That doesn't really endear them to her.  Then she sees Peeta on Capitol TV telling the rebels to stop fighting and give up.  Katniss knows that he is saying this because he is being forced to, but

Catching Fire - The Hunger Games Book 2

So, building on my last post, today we shall be talking about book two of the Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire.  By far, this was my favorite book in the series.  I feel like the first one set the stage and the second one was the climax of everything and then the third.... well, we'll talk about that one later.  I'm going to focus on analyzing the story and talking about what I think about style, character development, etc.  I already spent a decent amount of time digging into the deeper meanings and such in my post on the first book.  If you haven't already, I highly suggest reading it before you jump into this one, as this one will build on the other a little bit.


***SPOILER ALERT*** I will be discussing the book as if I am talking to someone who has already read it, thus I might give away important plot points, so if you haven't read it yet, consider yourself warned.


Picking up right where the Hunger Games left off, with Peeta and Katniss returning home as victors, we watch as new drama and difficulties unfold for Katniss.  She and Peeta are barely speaking since he found out that her lovey-dovey act in the arena was just that - an act.  She and Gale rarely see each other since she still has to keep up the idea that she and Peeta are in love and Gale is now working in the coal mines.  In short, Katniss' life is now pretty miserable.  Before the hunger games, Gale was her

The Hunger Games - Book

So, back in '10 I saw The Hunger Games at the library and put it on my list of books to read.  But I had about 20 other books on the list, so it was pretty far down on the bottom.  Then more and more people I know started reading it, and then I found out it was being made into a movie, so I figured I should probably bump it up a couple notches on the list so I would know what all these people are talking about. So I went and checked it out of the library, and spent all day one Wednesday reading it.  I couldn't put it down.

***SPOILER ALERT*** I will be discussing things that happen in the book that may give away certain plot points, so if you don't want to know, stop now.

The Hunger Games is a well written book and to be completely honest I enjoyed it very much, but it was also rather disturbing.  The government takes
a bunch of kids, throws them into an arena and has them fight to the death on television and the whole country is forced to watch.  If you've read the books or watched the movie, detach yourself from the fact that the books are very well written and interesting and that the movie was pretty faithful and well made and think about that premise for a minute.  A group of

Gulliver's Travels

So, for my Critical Thinking class, we had to read Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift.  Quite honestly, I'm not even sure where to start when it comes to reviewing it.  It was interesting I guess and I did learn a lot about thinking critically, but the book itself was so crass and gross that I had a hard time reading it.  I mean really, do we need to read about Gulliver's bodily functions and how many times he was "raped"?  Seriously!  Those things are not important to the storyline, nor did they serve much of a purpose when it came to critical thinking.  Man, I am so glad that book is over!
As far as ratings go, I give it 1 for language, 1 for violence and a 3 for sexual content.
Contrary to the connotation that our culture has given to this story, it is not for children.

Ella Enchanted

Supposedly based on a book of the same name by Gail Carson Levine, this whimsical romantic comedy is a delight to watch. But, before all of the Levine fans get excited, let's clarify one thing. The ONLY things this the movie has in common with the book is (1) Names and (2) the fact that Ella has the "gift" of having no choice but to obey. Other than that, there is no comparison. The stories are SO different. If you read the book first and loved it, you will probably hate the movie, unless you can accept the fact that it is nothing like the book.
The story gets a 4. I thought it was very original, but I did like the book better.
How well its made gets a 5. It was well made.
Language gets 1. There wasn't any.
Sexual content gets a 2. There was some kissing and a couple of girls who were ridiculously enamored with Prince Char.
Violence gets 2. There was some random slap-stick violence that was more comedy than painful.
Overall, I'm giving this movie a 5. It was a fun, family friendly video.

Charlie St. Cloud

Zac Efron proves that despite the fact that he started out as a Disney actor, he actually has some amazing talent.
In this moving teen drama, Efron plays Charlie St. Cloud, a young man who was a rising star with and amazing future. But that all changed one day when he was in a car crash that killed his little brother. Fast forward 5 years. Now Charlie is still in the little coastal town where he grew up, working in the graveyard. Most people would find working in a graveyard creepy, but not Charlie. Because Charlie's close brush with death left him with a unique ability. He can see dead people. Every day he meets his little brother to play catch.
Then enters Tess, a beautiful young woman who went to high school with Charlie. With her comes an opportunity to break free of the chains that have been keeping Charlie a recluse. But when the door is opened, will Charlie have the courage to walk through it?
The story is amazing. I found it original and entertaining. So, I'm giving it a 5.
And it was incredibly well made. So that gets a 5 as well.
Language gets a 3. Charlie's little brother has quite the attitude and a mouth to go with it.
Sexual content gets 3. There is some suggestiveness and sensuality.
Violence gets a 4. There wasn't much, but there was a little.
Overall, I'm giving this movie a 4. This was an amazing movie. Emotional, well-made and thought-provoking. But, because of some inappropriate content and mature themes, I would not suggest anyone under the age of 16 watching it.

17 Again

Zac Efron takes his first steps away from Disney and the world of "High School Musical" in this delightful teen comedy. Of course he still has to bust out a dance move or two, but then, this is his first *real* movie.
17 Again is very much like "It's a Wonderful Life". This guy things his life sucks, he falls in with some angelic being who changes his perspective, and viola! His life is great again. Of course there are some differences, most significant being that the main character, instead of never being born, is transformed into a 17 year old and given the chance to choose a different life then he did the first time.
I have to give the story a 3. It really is not that original.
How well it is made gets a 5.
Language gets a 3, there was some swearing and crude joking.
Sexual content gets a 3, there were some innuendos and inappropriate joking. But! I have to mention, the main character's (Zac Efron) view of intimacy is a good message: save it for marriage.
Violence gets a 4. There was a well-choreographed fight scene that was more funny than violent, and a couple other random things.
Overall, I'm giving this movie a 4. I personally absolutely LOVE this movie, it's in my top ten, but because of the content, I have to say that I do not think that anyone under the age of 15 should watch it.

The Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

To be completely honest, when I heard that they were making another Pirates movie, I was a little skeptical. Alright, very skeptical. They've already made three, and that was pushing it, but a fourth? How much longer can Hollywood beat a dead horse?
BUT! I am happy to say that I was very wrong in my expectations. "The Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" just might be the best Pirates movie yet. Mermaids, ships, swords, swashbuckling pirates, and even a missionary. There were two things that I really loved about this movie. The first one was that they portrayed the *Christian* missionary in a complimentary light. He was good, and had character, integrity and honor. He was NOT hypocritical, nor did he walk away from his faith. Such a portrayal of missionaries or Christian characters in movies is rare. The second thing that I loved was that they were able to re-invent the story in such a way that one doesn't miss Will and Elizabeth. We all know that we watched "The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" the first time to see Orlando Bloom, but we watched it a second time, and all the subsequent movies for Johnny Depp. Now, this Pirates movie is all about Jack. Which is fine with me. I have really enjoyed watching Jack's character develop over the course of these movies, and this one was no exception.
Overall, I'm giving the story a 5. I think that is was highly original, and did a great job of building on the first movies, while at the same time re-inventing the story in such a way that they can continue the series.
How well it's made gets a 4. The effects were great, but there were some times when it just seemed obviously CG'd.
Sexual content gets a 3 1/2. There were a lot of innuendos and sexual jokes, and there were some inappropriate outfits. And the mermaids are very risque.
Language gets a 4. There were a handful of swear words scattered here and there.
Violence gets a 3 1/2. There was some fighting.
Overall, the movie gets a 4. It is very well made, interesting and fun. However, due to the violence and innuendos, I would not suggest anyone under the age of 15 watching it.