THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 (2015)

Genre: Science Fiction / Action
Running Length: 2:16
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Sam Claflin, Mahershala Ali, Natalie Dormer
Director: Francis Lawrence

Screenplay: Peter Craig and Danny Strong, based on the novel “Mockingjay” by Suzanne Collins

Dramatic irony is a powerful tool in literature and films. When used correctly, it connects so deeply into the very core of the audience one literally feels like they were punched in the gut. MOCKINGJAY PART 2 had so much potential to do so but in order to attract a wider audience, the filmmakers compromised and never went "all in". There were at least two major ironies which they could have focused on to redeem the franchise (which started off with so much shock and promise) but instead, they chose the safe path of highlighting the characters running around in abandoned tunnels and buildings chased by zombie-like creatures aka Maze Runner or Divergent series.

The film begins exactly were Part 1 ended. Distressed about what happened to Hurtcherson's character, Jennifer Lawrence's Katniss decides to join the front line of the Resistance with a personal agenda of assassinating President Snow (Sutherland). And so begins her dangerous mission which she later learns that she could just be a pawn in a bigger game.

I think one of the key problems of the Mockingjay movies is dividing it into two movies. It could have been one epic satisfying major movie to conclude the series. But instead, to justify more box office money the need to develop more three dimensional characters and deeper plots, the results were counter intuitive. Both films felt bloated with uneven pacing. I didn't care enough when major characters were killed off.

There's no doubting that the Hunger Game series has high aspirations and is meant to provoke the irony of war, but it ended lukewarm - neither a satisfying sci-fi adventure movie nor a deeper exploration into the grim side of human nature.

Rating: 5.5/10

SPECTRE (2015)

Genre: Action / Thriller
Running Length: 2:28
Cast: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Monica Bellucci, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Dave Bautista, Andrew Scott
Director: Sam Mendes
Screenplay: John Logan and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Jez Butterworth

SPECTRE is one technically accomplished and sleek Bond film. However, the screenplay pales in comparison to Skyfall, its immediate predecessor (also directed by Sam Mendes). The screenwriters tried to tie-in all the previous Daniel Craig's Bond into this film and as a result, it felt forced and patchy. Also, it gave me the vibe that Sam Mendes and team were not terribly motivated to make this film. To be fair, perhaps my expectations of Spectre was so high because Skyfall was just too good.

It starts off big with an engaging tracking shot of Bond working his way through a Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City. But it goes downhill and bloated thereafter where Bond's agenda this round is to follow the cookie crumbs left behind by his former boss. It kinda picked up towards the end when the big baddie revealed his masterplan but unfortunately, it just didn't redeem the entire movie. And the last 20 minutes which involved M vs. C was unnecessary. (Side note: "C" played by Andrew Scott is extremely distracting here. Those who watched BBC's Sherlock will get what I mean).

To me, Daniel Craig's Bond has always been more gritty and real for eg. he uses more hand-to-hand and fist fights. In summary, he "bleeds". But this round, the filmmakers seem to go back to the classic Bond where he seems invincible, overly suave and can fly a plane (and two helicopters) without breaking a sweat. Yes, even the corny, "'So James, what should we do now?' whispers the girl seductively" is present in this movie. The dude sitting next to me in the cinema hall couldn't helped but chuckled when the obvious happened thereafter.

As the main villain, Christoph Waltz is criminally underused. He is menacing in a somewhat cool demeanour. But compared to Javier Bardem's Silva, Waltz's baddie seems tame. Thankfully, the action set pieces are very well executed and the cinematography is breathtaking. And the score is exhilarating (however, that can't be said of Sam Smith's theme song; it was only marginally improved when coupled with the credit sequence visual feast).

Although Spectre is flawed, it's still an above average 007-outing.

Rating: 6.5/10

THE WALK (2015)

Genre: Thriller/Drama

Running Length: 2:03

Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Charlotte Le Bon, Ben Kingsley, Clément Sibony, Cesar Domboy, Steve Valentine, James Badge Dale

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Screenplay: Robert Zemeckis & Christopher Browne

If you have a severe fear of heights, I would suggest you walk away from THE WALK. The exceptional CGI effects, 3D rendering and camera work of our lead character risking his life to high-wire walk across THE 110-story Twin Towers (of the World Trade Center in NYC) will guarantee to give audiences sweaty palms and dizziness. Every step he takes on that steel cable across the 140 ft gap between the towers is a heart stopper - no net and no harness, just death beneath him. 

Robert Zemeckis has done an impressive job of recreating Frenchman Philippe Petit walk, giving audiences today a taste of what happened in 1974. What's more impressive is the surprising amount of tension it still generates when you already know the outcome.  

However, that can't be said with the narrative leading to "the walk". The movie is clearly divided into three segments. The first provides a background of Petit and his early influences, which turned out to be boring and surprisingly cartoonish. Act Two picks up the pace a little and showcases Petit's preparation for his grand anarchist artistic act, which plays out like a heist film. This is no Ocean's Eleven but yet it plays out more realistically compared to Ocean films thanks to Murphy's Law. And of the course, the third segment is "the walk" itself. 

Although Joseph Gordon-Levitt is both energetic and entertaining portraying Philippe Petit, the one that deserves any award is the people from the technical department for its triumphant special effects wizardry. For those looking for a more intricate and factual representation of the daredevil's life leading to "the walk", go watch the award winning documentary Man On Wire. Those looking for a more cinematic and sheer spectacle experience, this movie is a better option. 

Rating: 8/10