New Job, First Night Shift!

Howdy ladies and gents, time for me to divulge another chapter from my life and luckily it is one of the happier variety. Recently I just got a new job and it was honestly one my favourite first-day-on-the-job experiences I’ve ever had.

This is honestly how I felt after I got my new job. New job, new possibilities! 😀

For those who have followed this blog for a while, you may remember that I had a job back at the late side of summer, it was a hard job, but the staff and atmosphere was incredible, but I got let go in early September. To be honest it was my fault because I blogged about my workplace and used visual examples (idiot). So yeah I’ve been without a proper job for a while now, but after drifting through the ocean of unemployment, someone threw me a lifeline and now I’m back in the game with consistent work up until New Year’s.

Now for obvious reasons I’m not gonna disclose any information relating to my job in case someone’s watching me from the shadows (and waiting to try and mess me up). So all I will tell you that the job is similar to stuff I’ve done before and the location I work at is proper fancy and cool.

Last night I started my first shift there and it was first of many night shifts! Now I’ve always heard a lot about night shifts and had been curious to try it out myself one day just to see if I’d survive. My dad had been doing it for years and I always thought he was hardcore for doing so, I think he was my inspiration for taking on this type of work. So let’s just say that my job requires me to continuously keep moving and help out of people, it is crazy, busy, chaotic and can get messy. However once you get into the groove of things, it’s actually pretty fun and I had a good session. It helped that the music was varied, cool, nostalgic and got some oft he other staff dancing. And speaking of the staff they’re some of the most helpful, funny and coolest people I’ve come across in any job for a while. They were great and to be honest I couldn’t have asked for better people to work with.

My work hours was initially meant to be from 7.30pm to 6am! That scared the life out of my at first, but it wasn’t that bad, plus I got left got slightly early at 4am which was wicked. I pretty much slept like a brick until around 4pm today, so I obviously haven’t been up for that long haha.

The only thing that worries me about this job is how it clashes with my 3rd year uni work. My animation module is getting proper crazy with the deadlines and presentation at the moment and in all honesty I’m not sure how I’m gonna juggle it all, but hell imma try. Gotta survive and rise above! 🙂

 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Repairs” Review

Howdy ladies and gents, time for my review of episode 9 of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. entitled “Repairs”. After that horrible speed bump with the last episode review, we’re finally back on track and ready to review the latest episode of AoS, I’ve actually heard some good things on some websites about the show critically and even the viewer ratings have gone up. So is this episode good or not? Read on and find out!

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

In this episode the agents investigate the strange occurrences of a woman who, they believe, has telekinetic powers.

What I Liked

Well firstly one of the more interesting parts of the episode was the scene early on where we find out that not only DID Agent Ward and May sleep together after the last episode, but that they’ve hooked up more than once! Jesus Christ. Gotta hand it to Ward, he’s got good taste. I’m glad this show doesn’t stick to the whole opposites attract or natural developed relationship stuff. Some co-workers/friends/people just hook up and I’m glad and surprised that it would be these two, but I’m down with it! And speaking of May we got to learn a lot more about her, that she was a lot different in personality to how she is now. We hear from Coulson himself, who was there, about how things went down, how things went tits up and how May tried to fix a problem and how whatever went down changed her forever. May is one of my favourite characters and when we learn more about her, the more I start to like her.

Also the intro to this episode was interesting, Hannah Hutchins (Laura Seay) is a person blamed for an accident that killed several people is being hassled by a man at  gas station shop, then it looks like she’s throwing stuff at him with her mind, and then the whole gas station blows up. BAM! That’s cool. So yeah a potential telekinetic on the show? Cool. Then as the episode went on and the true enemy was revealed, that’s when things started to pick up and get interesting.

So yeah the team had to deal with not a girl with telekinetic abilities but a ghost! Nah, he was actually a dude passing through dimensions slowly de-materializing over time by the name of Tobias Ford (Robert Baker). This dude’s disappearing acts lead to some really creepy, tension-filled and horror-like scenes. People were scared, the power got cut and the lights went out, members of the team were attacked, it was like watching a light horror film. This was aspect was helped but some great visual imagery with dark shadows, low-lit lighting, haunting colour schemes and some good camera work. My favourite scene by a mile was the moment when May noticed that the shifting man was in the room, the lights flickered on and off as he got closer, only for her to outwit him and escape, frigging badass!

Outside of that, my only other favourite parts would be the fights with the teleporting man, Tobias who made for an interesting enemy with his crazy shift abilities. The creativity and choreography involved was pretty slick and nice to watch. Oh and Fitz and Simmons trying to play pranks on Skye was so cute, mischievous and childish, haha I loved it.

What I Disliked

Now for the stuff I didn’t like. Even though we learnt more about May, I’m still curious to know exactly went down in her past. I know a lot was divulged and some things are better left to the imagination but I will wanna know so much more. Also Skye, why the hell can she get around, spreading that personality of hers without someone just shutting her up or someone just telling her off. Bloody hell, sometimes her insistent behaviour is kind of annoying.

In conclusion “Repairs” is one of my favourite episodes so far and in my opinion was WAY better than last week’s episode that loads of people seemed to love so much. The focus on May, the crazy shifting man and the interesting visual imagery that felt more like a horror film was totally cool and so much different from what we’ve seen before. The episode wasn’t perfect, but for me I was entertained a lot.

Rating: 8.5/10 (Some cool twists and turns, and a great focus on Melinda May make for cool episode)

So what did you think of “Repairs“? Whatever your thoughts drop them in the comments below and I’ll see ya again for episode 10! 😀

 

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “The Well” SUPER LATE Review

Howdy ladies and gents, time for my late review of episode 8 of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. entitled “The Well”  Before we begin this review I wish to again apologize for my lateness. I actually planned ahead and got all my reviews ready in advance, I was SO ready. But since I had uni stuff to take care of and a funeral to attend everything just went backwards. Anyways now its time to review the AoS episode that ties-in with Thor: The Dark World. So it is any good? Read on to hear my thoughts yo.

As usual in these reviews I’m just gonna present the plot and then say what I liked and what I didn’t like. Cool? Okay let’s keep going.

The Plot

In this episode Ward becomes exposed to a piece of an Asgardian staff, which causes his worst memory to resurface.

What I Liked

The main focus in this episode was Agent Grant Ward as we finally got to see inside that questionable head of his and finally see what makes his character so cold. Because of the Asgardian weapon known as the Berserker Staff, Ward got aggressive and that made him way more fun to watch. There have been episodes before where it’s highlighted Ward’s past in conversation, but in this episode we got to see what the deal was with his brother and how he couldn’t save him. It was a powerful and quite disturbing memory sequence. While I’m not sure if it makes his character any better, for me it made him a little more relatable. Also there was the conversation between Ward and Melinda May, where May reveals that she too saw something but the reason she was in control is because she sees her worst memory all the time. Not only is she scarred but she’s so in control of her emotions that she can fight through them. Hardcore.

The big major find this week was the Berserker Staff, an Asgardian weapon with immense power, but dangerous mental implications when you touch it. I liked the mythology behind it and what it did to people. And then there was the effects of what happens when you use it, man people get messed up! My favourite uses of it would be when Ward went all out took on all of those underground cult guys and then when May when one-on-one with that blonde chick and kicked her ass! While the choreography wasn’t anything too special, I love a good fight.

I also liked the addition of Peter MacNicol as Dr. Elliot Randolph, the first Asgardian outside of Thor to show up in the MCU! I thought his character was pretty interesting, funny and his backstory was cool too. We also got to move about a bit from London to Spain and it was a nice change of scenery. I liked the some of the dialogue in the episode as well, my favourite moment was when Skye and Melinda May are talking about how dreamy Thor was to Coulson, well Chris Hemsworth is handsome and I’ll admit that haha.

The last two scenes in the episode were pretty interesting and leaves a lot to think about like:

1. May leaves the door open: As Ward and May go into their hotel rooms, May leaves hers open and after thinking for a bit Ward follows her in. Now obviously these two after work mates and they seem to respect each from what I’ve seen, however this scene suggests something much more than friends sharing a drink. I could be wrong, but I’ve seen enough films to see where scenes like that end up.
2. Coulson’s nightmare: This is the first time we get to see part of Coulson’s recuperation in Tahiti. Seems like he recalls actually being there, but that line he’s been repeating came from the people there and the way the woman said it there, it went a little distorted and computerized. Bloody hell the way it ends is creepy

What I Disliked

As for the stuff I didn’t like, and man there was a lot. Firstly the tie-in with Thor: The Dark World and the Berserker Staff was SO wasted. I loved the mythology behind the staff and what it did to people and I feel that wasn’t properly delved into as much as I would have hoped. Also outside of the history behind Dr. Elliot Randolph, Grant Ward’s rage moments and the fight scenes, everything else in the episode was really boring. I didn’t care much for anyone else in this episode. The new cast members in that underground cult failed to make any form of an impression, they were bland and generic as hell.

In conclusion “The Well” was a decent episode with the highlights including Agents Ward’s haunting memories, his and May’s fight scenes and Peter MacNicol as the hidden Asgardian. I feel like this episode could have been so much better and loads of material was wasted, but it wasn’t a complete loss.

Rating: 7.5/10 (Had some interesting Asgard stuff and some cool moments with Agents Ward and May, but ultimately it was nothing special)

So what did you think of “The Well“? Whatever your thoughts drop them in the comments below and I’ll see ya again for episode 9! 😀

 

I Got a Sunshine Blog Award, Alright!

Howdy people, it has been brought to my attention that I’ve gotten nominated for another award in the form of the Sunshine Blog Award. I always feel so delightful when someone takes the time to consider my blog worthy of such goodness, and the amazing person is Kastiyo at http://kastiyos.com/. Her site is totally awesome with a lot of important and intriguing blog posts, I urge you all to have a look when you have the time.

This is the first time I’ve been nominated for this award, and all in all I’m feeling pretty cool about it.

So here’s the rules for the Sunshine Blog Award:

1. Post a picture of the Sunshine Award in the blog post
2. Post 11 random facts about yourself
3. Answer the 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you
4. Nominate 11 bloggers
5. Write 11 questions for them to answer
6. Let the nominated blogger(s) know you have nominated them

Okay so here’s 11 Random Facts about myself:

1. I am a Will Smith-obsessed fan!
2. I’ve wanted to be famous since I was a child
3. I long to have one of these 3 animals on my shoulder; a sloth, koala or red panda
4. Procrastination is something I know how to do very well
5. I can’t normally go to bed without falling asleep in front of my laptop
6. I despise the winter season, it’s too cold, too dark and too damn long!
7. Even though I’m black, I’m not stereotypical in any way shape or form
8. I miss 90’s TV
9. My longest friendship with someone is 19 years
10. Back in college I was known as “The Fresh Prince of Barnfield College”
11. I think Patrick Stewart is one of the most amazing people in the world!

Here’s the 11 questions I received:

1. What’s your favourite part about blogging? I love the creation part, just letting your thoughts become words.
2. If you could change something about blogging, what would it be? I dunno, right now its fine at the moment.
3. If you could have any animal as a pet, what would you choose and why? Mine would be a red panda by a mile, they’re my favourite animal in the world, their dead cute and unique, I just need one!
4. If you could live in any country in the world, where would you choose and why? Canada, why? Because my uncle lives there and it is a pretty kick ass, clean and fun place to hang.
5. What is your dream career, if you had the ability to choose any one you like? To be an animator, its been my dream since I was 7 years old. I’ve been chasing the dream since I was a kid and I won’t stop until I get there.
6. What motivated you to start a blog? I’d done blogging for a while beforehand, but this seemed like a much better place to promote myself and try out blogging seriously.
7. What kinds of blogs do you like to follow the most? Mainly review types of blogs because I love reading other people’s opinions, especially if they’re the same as my own.
8. What is your favourite thing about writing? Like anything creative I like the concept of making things happen and being proud of what you’ve done when you’ve finished.
9. If you could invent something that hasn’t been invented before, what would it be? A real life time machine, damn I’d be rich! 😀
10. Someone that you truly admire? (Famous or non-famous) My uncle (currently in Canada), he is my inspiration, besides being very similar, he has the kind of life I wish to live and aspire to have for myself. He really is one of the best people in existence.
11. Do you believe in fairy tales? Nah, as cool as some of that stuff is, if any of it would be real I feel like the world would be in trouble.

My 10 nominees (That’s the most I could come up with) are:

1. http://myreelpov.wordpress.com/
2. http://timsfilmreviews.com/
3. http://mikesfilmtalk.com/
4. http://natashaharmeryear1.wordpress.com/
5. http://mykindofmovie.wordpress.com
6. http://whataboutthetwinkie.wordpress.com/
7. http://sidekickreviews.wordpress.com/
8. http://guysfilmquest.wordpress.com
9. http://fogsmoviereviews.com/
10. http://todayiwatchedamovie.com/

My 11 questions for the nominees are:

1. What made you want to be a blogger?
2. What do you aspire to be in life?
3. If you could change any moment in history, be it your own or not, what would it be?
4. What’s your favourite TV show?
5. Do you like junk food?
6. What kind of music are you into?
7. What celebrity/famous person would you like to meet dead or alive?
8. What’s your favourite time of day?
9. Do you like nature?
10. How tall are you?
11. If you could invent a new day in the week what would you call it?

Alrighty then, that’s this post done for today, thank you to all who read this post and thanks again to Kastiyos for the nomination. I’ll see you all around, laters! 😀

 

Favourite Songs #26: Blur – Coffee & TV

Howdy people of the interweb, and welcome to the 26th edition of my series of blog posts dedicated to some of my favourite songs ever in life. Today we’re talking about one of my ALL-TIME FAVOURITE SONGS EVER! I know that’s an overused statement here on this blog, but its is so true with this one. This is nostalgic awesomeness, I am of course talking about “Coffee & TV” by Blur.

Yes, yes, yes! This is one of my most nostalgic songs and I am surprised that it has stayed with me this song, however that should be a pretty good indication of how bloody awesome the song is and believe me it is BLOODY AWESOME YO! 😀

Just have a listen to this tune below:

This music video is so weird, but is still pretty entertaining.

Now the strange thing is that when I first came across this song, I never knew it was a Blur song. I just randomly heard it on the odd occasion on the radio around the age of 9 or 10, possibly 11 and I thought it was a pretty darn good. However then I never listened to the song again for years, but I never got it. Then around the age of 16/17 I started listening to music properly and then I came across this song and then nostalgia hit me!

“Coffee & TV” is a song that is very calm and mellow and yet has a sort of melancholy sound to it too, but for some reason it has a very good sound and is addictive. The music is gorgeous and I really like the vocals and lyrics too, but the key thing that I love about the song is the chorus. It was the single most memorable aspect of this song and it is really awesome with the both Graham Coxon and Damon Albarn singing together. And speaking of Coxon, he’s the frigging lead vocalist! Now bare in mind before, in the past I preferred Albarn leading the vocals of the band because I liked his voice a lot more and it felt like a proper way the band should sound. However over the years I grown to like Coxon a lot more and in this song I couldn’t imagine this song without his vocals. Coxon sings almost effortlessly and yet it still sounds good and the way he sings the lyrics feels kind of sad but at the same time incredibly relatable.

If you couldn’t tell already, I love this band, may they never end, EVER! 😀 😀

So to conclude “Coffee & TV” by Blur is just a great sound from the past that hits me with nostalgia every time and makes me feel so satisfied with life each time I listen. I feel like it is one of the most under-appreciated songs in Blur’s discography and I urge you to have a listen, it is really good. 🙂

Well that’s another song review done, what do you think of my song choice today? Whatever your thoughts are leave me a comment below and be sure to come back next time for another song review yo! 😀

 

Favourite Songs #25: Calvin Harris – I’m Not Alone

Howdy people of the interweb, and welcome to the 25th edition of my series of blog posts dedicated to some of my favourite songs ever in life. Today I’m going to be talking about one of those songs that has been in and out of my life for almost 5 years, but it’s definitely one that I can never get tired of. Today I’ll be talking about “I’m Not Alone” by Calvin Harris.

Ah Calvin Harris, he’s a man who can almost do no wrong. His music making skills are damn good and I pretty much enjoyed his singles off of his first album, but when this single dropped my world changed yo.

Just have a listen to this tune below:

I recall hearing this on BBC Radio 1 back in 2009 for the first time and literally falling in love on first listen. The entire song is just simply infectious from the beginning. The intro is so calm with the music and lyrics and then it builds up as the main music part kicks in and that’s when the song blows up! XD

I feel like this song came out at a time when dance music still had credibility, when all forms of EDM was fresh, new and exciting. When I listen to this song it reminds me of a time when I still loved this genre of music, I listened to it in the clubs, on the radio and on my MP3 player too. “I’m Not Alone” in a lot ways symbolizes the best aspects of dance music, that feel-good factor that comes with it and the fact that it sounds good also helps too.

In my opinion unfortunately these days we live in a world where music now has no meaning, where most songs are just noise, made up of annoying electronic sounds, poorly executed and repetitive lyrics and music that just lacks a soul. I feel like we’ll never have EDM music as good as it was 4 or 5 years ago, but hey we can always like and hope.

So to conclude “I’m Not Alone” by Calvin Harris is a bloody good song. It captures everything that is good about the EDM genre in one wonderfully crafted song. While Harris’ more recent work doesn’t really hold a candle to his previous work, at least we still have his classics like this to look back on fondly. Of course I highly recommend that you have a session to this song! 😀

Well that’s another song review done, what do you think of my song choice today? Whatever your thoughts are leave me a comment below and be sure to come back next time for another song review yo! 😀

 

The Family Review

Alrighty then time for my review of The Family, a film I had heard a little bit about but had no intention of watching, but then was told to watch after my sister insisted on it. So after watching The Hunger Games: Catching Fire I just into the next screening for this film with my whole family (it felt so random), so was it worth the watch? Read on and find out.

The story of the film involves the Manzonis, a Mafia family who is relocated to Normandy, France under the witness protection program, where they wish to change their lives and fit. However as they begin to try and integrate themselves into their new town things soon become challenging as their old habits die hard, then add to that there’s an old enemy tailing them wanting to exact revenge.

This story had a really interesting premise, anything to do with the Mafia is a story worth telling especially when you have conflict and family involved. Unfortunately the execution of the story isn’t as good. The story for the most part is okay but is kind of generic and leaves a lot to be desired and there’s not too many points in the film where it is unique enough to separate itself from other films that have done similar stories before. The film is funny though and stuff goes down it is great, but sometimes it takes too long to get to those points.

The cast is what really saves this film from being a complete disaster and while the performances aren’t anything overly memorable, they make certain characters worth watching and caring about to a degree.

Robert De Niro was pretty good as Fred Blake/Giovanni Manzoni, I thought his character was interesting considering his background and crazy temper. Michelle Pfeiffer was great as Maggie Blake, as the mother she was the voice of reason and probably the most level-headed of the family, however she did have her moments of frustration that made her a force to be reckoned with. I’m not sure if it’s wrong for me saying this, but there’s still part of me that finds Pfeiffer pretty hot. I think it might have something to do with her character’s personality being so fiery, sassy and aggressive when provoked. Loved it, so good. Tommy Lee Jones was fun as Robert Stansfield, Jones was pretty much doing his Jones like thing and to be honest it didn’t bother me, his role was good.

Then there’s Dianna Agron as Belle Blake. Firstly let me just say that this woman is gorgeous. Okay moving on. Argon as the daughter was a lady that acting pretty and innocent but when needed put people in their place. If I’m honest her character was the least interesting because of this annoying little subplot with her that goes on for a little too long and doesn’t have a very satisfying conclusion. John D’Leo as Warren Blake was my favourite of the children, as the son he played this foul-mouthed, super calculated dude who knew how to do big operations and plan ahead to get what he wanted. I loved D’Leo, his acting was fab and I loved how funny and smart he was. And besides some decent stuff from Jimmy Palumbo as Di Cicco and Domenick Lombardozzi as Caputo, the rest of the cast don’t really do that much to be memorable.

In conclusion The Family is a decent film with a lot of good humour and fun performances from the cast involved. However the film I don’t think could find the balance between seriousness and humour and since the plot moves at a slow pace at times its hard to be fully invested in without getting a bit bored. This film could have been so much more considering the premise involved but unfortunately its a bit lacklustre.

Rating: 6/10 (It’s fun but not as good as it should be)

So what did you think of The Family? Whatever your thoughts, stick them in the comments section below and I’ll see ya on the next film review yo. 😀

 

Sabotage Trailer #1 Review

Hey people of the internet, time to review a trailer again! Today I’m having a look one I’ve been meaning to review for a few days now, it is the review for the next Arnold Schwarzenegger film, Sabotage. So besides having the same name as one of my favourite Beastie Boys songs, this next Arnie picture looks pretty decent and has my attention as another film I may be excited for in 2014.

But before I get into all the details check out the trailer below yo:

Well this looks interesting. Now I am a sucker for a good action thriller, but I am genuinely interested in see what this film has to say. The first thing that sounds out is Arnie and how he has changed his psychical appearance for a role which makes him look a lot more active and interesting than in say films like Expendables 2 or The Last Stand, here it looks like he’s just continuing the roles he did back in the 90’s but with newer faces around him which is cool. I also like the cast involved too. Besides having Arnie which is a huge selling point for me, you also got Terrence Howard, Joe Manganiello and Olivia Williams to name a few. It just seems like an interesting collection of people in one place, I just hope they all have a chance to stand out.

I like the whole family unit idea of this team, how they’ve been through a lot together and have a good bond, but then I’m also down with the idea of conspiracies and inside jobs, and this film seems to have that covered. I hope that the action hold up too with some good film work and choreography because of I’m tired of this films not having some unique visual flair yo.

Now the only worries I have about this film is the fact that a lot of what I’m seeing in this trailer feels familiar. the whole “someone on your team is a traitor” and the whole “hey main character, they’ve got your wife” kind of thing, that and other things haves all been done before. It seems like the trailer has shown me that film has the thriller/crime and action elements down, but I just hope that the story is smart and interesting enough to hold the audience or we’ll just end up with something that is all style and no substance. But luckily we do have David Ayer behind the film, he’s done good work before so let’s hope he does well here too.

In conclusion Sabotage looks like it could be a lot of fun, I mean sure it’s gotten several plot elements that we’ve seen in action thriller films before, but I think the cast and premise looks cool and interesting enough to warrant a watch. Plus we’re in an age where Arnie is back on the big screen after almost a decade away, I’m gonna stick around and see what he’s up to.

What do you think of Sabotage? Are you interested or excited for this film our are you just not bothered? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below and I’ll see on the next review yo! 😀

 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Review

Okay, time to talk The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, a film I’ve been both excited for and not overly interested in at the same time! Now the first film was decent, wasn’t terrible, but wasn’t amazing either. It did rather well, and after X-Men: First Class it made Jennifer Lawrence come across as not only a bankable star, but an actress who had talent. For all its success the film had its criticisms. some thought the film was too long, others said the violence wasn’t enough, some just called it a Battle Royale rip-off and other fans of the book just slated the film for the changes made to the books. Anyways that was last year, Catching Fire is now. Does this sequel entertain or not?  Read on and find out!

The storyline for this film is as follows:

“Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. 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 prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever.”

I thought the story in that film was pretty good and had a lot of depth to it. There was a lot more fleshing out of the world that these characters reside in, we saw more of the other districts and see how the events of the last Hunger Games affected everyone. Nothing gets easier and complications begin for not only the main characters but for everyone. There’s a difference in the air and themes of love, sacrifice, revolution and war are explored in a great way. What I really liked was how Katniss’ actions in the last film carried over into this one, where she has become a symbol of hope and the people from the other districts and cause them to slowly revolt which in turn creates problems for President Snow who sees her progress and wants her to be eliminated. Overall the story was just much more involving, dramatic, believable and cohesive than the first film.

When it comes to the cast they’re all very good at bringing life to these characters and their definitely the film’s highlight. Firstly Jennifer Lawrence returns as Katniss Everdeen and Lawrence is just so good as the character now. This time Katniss has to deal with the events of the last film which have taken their toll on her mentally and emotionally and you get to see that through Lawrence’s fabulous acting skills which are easily the highlight of the film. Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark is a lot better in this film than before, the material the actor is given makes his character a little more interesting and less of a weakling. Donald Sutherland is once again is wonderful as President Coriolanus Snow, I like how his outward persona is so calm and authoritative, however behind the scenes he is quite sinister and really wants to control everyone with an iron fist. Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne is back and is given more to do which has made his character more likeable and fleshed out, Hemsworth’s moments are more interesting this time around.

Woody Harrelson is totally awesome as Haymitch Abernathy, he was one of my favourite characters in the last film and here he returns with that mixture of seriousness mixed in with dry humour. Elizabeth Banks is still as kooky, high-spirited and fancy as ever as Effie Trinket, she gets a little more screen time and actually feels a lot more developed as we see more sides of her personality. Lenny Kravitz is still as cool as ever as Cinna, the man who stood by Katniss’s side, makes amazing clothing and looks at things from a realistic perspective. Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee is the new dude who overseas the games and is in alliance with President Snow to take out Katniss. He has new tactics and plans that make him a person to look out for and Hoffman as ever is great to watch on-screen. I also liked performances from Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair and Jena Malone as Johanna Mason, and Jeffrey Wright as Beetee Latier is great, he plays this interesting returning winner and I liked his smart and funny personality and it makes a MASSIVE change from the douchebag character he’s playing in Boardwalk Empire. And lastly Stanley Tucci is still amazing as Caesar Flickerman, the charismatic TV presenter that covers all the major happenings related to the Hunger Games.

As for the presentation it is notably better. First and foremost the most immediate difference is the lack of shaky cam in the action scenes. I watched the previous film the night before and the lack of shaky cam was incredibly noticeable and to be honest the film is a hell of a lot better for it. Action in general is just shot and staged a lot better with more convincing GCI too, it was delightful. Just wish there was a bit more violence (I am a junky for violence lol). Also the soundtrack by James Newton Howard is also a lot better too, it had a better emotional connection and better presence and the good themes that were used in the last one have returned too.

In conclusion The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was a lot of fun and a lot better than the previous film. There is a better direction in place than before and the story, characters and action was much deeper, dramatic and better executed than before. Unlike the first film which was just decent for me,  I just felt more invested in this one and I really liked it. While it wasn’t by any means one of my favourite films of the year and I had hoped for a bit more action, otherwise this is a film I would recommend highly.

Rating: 7.5/10 (A much better and dramatic sequel)

So what did you think of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire? Did you find it better than the first or did you like the last one better? Whatever your thoughts, drop them below and I’ll see ya on the next review yo! 😀

 

I Hear Talk of Snow, And I Don’t Like It.

Hello there people of the internet, I wasn’t even planning on doing any blogging today, but recently something has been brought to my attention in the last 30 mins that I feel that I should address. It is something I have talked about on this blog countless times before and again I have to bring it up… It’s here again, THE BLOODY SNOW! GODDAMMIT!

While this isn’t the scene that’s playing outside my window thankfully, I can only imagine the terrors taking place outside.

So check it out, there I am just chilling doing some work on Photoshop while also hanging around on Facebook and then I see a friend post about snow. I’m just like, “I hope that’s not in the Sheffield area.” Then I see several other people on my news feed talking about it and it becomes a frigging epidemic. And my mood goes from chilled out to totally grumpy,

And those of you who have been following this blog for a while know all too well that I HATE SNOW!

This might as well be me when the snow falls, I fall apart, and then get very angry.

While I haven’t seen nay of the supposed snow that was falling earlier, I have seen the aftermath with the small fallen segments and slush in the street. *Grumble* If this is what is coming up through the rest of November and December then I don’t wanna be on the outside for a long time. 😦