REVIEW: “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2” – Finale on film mirrors lackluster climax in the novels

November 19, 2015

For those who enjoyed Mockingjay, the final novel in Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games” series, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2, which completes the adaptation of that novel started in last year’s Part 1, should be everything they hoped it would be, as it seems to follow the novel’s progression almost page-by-page, event by event, and works hard to incorporate as many of the final book’s twists and turns as possible.

On the other hand, for those who were let down by Collins’ climactic volume after the emotional highs and intensity of the first two novels in the series, this film will be every bit the scattered and uneven viewing experience they expected it to be, and just as unsatisfying a conclusion to the film series as the final book was to the novels. It does feature some of the finest acting in the series to date, particularly from series lead Jennifer Lawrence, but even her strong work here isn’t enough to lift the leaden portions of the movie that drag down the proceedings and rob them of much potential impact.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 picks up where Part 1 left off, with Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) recovering from the attempt on her life at the end of the last film that left her arguably more shaken and terrified than anything she’d experienced during the Games. The rebellion of the 13 Districts of Panem against the Capitol, meanwhile, is now in full swing, and the rebellion’s leader, President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), along with former Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman), prepares her military forces to join with rebels from the other districts to take the battle right to the doorstep of Capitol President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland). In order to enter the Capitol, however, they must first capture or at least subdue the loyalists’ vast military presence within a mountain stronghold in District 2; then, with no remaining threat outside the Capitol to their efforts, they can focus on defeating the Capitol’s remaining Peacekeepers and bring Snow to the justice he so rightly deserves.

Though she’s far from at her best, Katniss, motivated greatly by what Snow and the Capitol’s torturers did to her one-time partner in the Games, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), still wants to be part of the final push. Coin has reservations about putting her in harm’s way again, but Plutarch convinces her of the Mockingjay’s continued value as a symbol and a rallying figure, especially if she’s in the field fighting by the rebels’ side. She’s assigned to Squad 451, the “Star Squad”, led by Coin’s trusted field commander, Boggs (Mahershala Ali), seasoned District 13 soldiers Jackson (Michelle Forbes) and Homes (Omid Abtahi), sharpshooting twins the Leegs (Misty and Kim Ormiston), Katniss’s fellow Games Victor Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin), and her lifelong friend Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth). Meant to be the faces of the final battle, as caught on film by Cressida (Natalie Dormer) and her loyal camera crew, the Star Squad is meant to stay behind the front lines, as the approach to Snow’s presidential palace through the Capitol has been made far more dangerous thanks to the planting of hundreds of “pods”, unique deathtraps conceived by the gamesmakers to make lethal sport of the rebels’ insurrection.

Despite her squad’s orders, the pods, and the additional danger they represent, Katniss has other plans besides being the figurehead of the attack. She means to end Snow once and for all, so when things start to go wrong and the Star Squad finds itself cornered and fighting to survive within the Capitol, she sees her chance. But the closer that chance gets, the more another potential danger to the liberty the people of Panem have bled to achieve starts to reveal itself. Katniss soon sees that the endgame simply won’t be as simple as killing Snow, and exacting revenge for all the pain and loss he and the war with him has caused her may cost her everything remaining that she loves and holds dear.

The fatal flaw in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 lies in its surprisingly sluggish pacing. With everything that last year’s Part 1 set into motion and left hanging at its conclusion — the introduction of District 13 and their role in the revolution, the ongoing propaganda war between Snow and Plutarch to sway the people of Panem either toward obedience or rebellion, and the rescue of those taken hostage by the Capitol at the end of Catching Fire — it might seem to those coming into Part 2 that there could be nothing but action remaining to resolve all those plot threads and bring the story to a rousing, thrilling conclusion. But in execution, the film starts very quietly and slowly, once again setting the scene and the stakes, once again reacquainting audiences with the characters and their roles, as though that’s necessary at this point after four films. It takes a good hour before the film really gets rolling in terms of action and intensity, and by then, arguably, all opportunity to get audiences as fully invested as possible is lost.

Then, after maybe forty minutes of breakneck sequences that come close to reaching the levels of suspense reached by the first two films, it all comes to a crashing halt, leaving the film’s intended cathartic denouement and resolution feeling needlessly drawn out and drained of life. Does it follow the novel’s progression of events? For the most part, yes. But this is one occasion where screenwriters Peter Craig and Danny Strong could and should have taken some liberties with the source material in order to craft a tighter, more emotionally visceral conclusion. The hardcore fans of the books might have been displeased by that move, yes, but for the rest of the film’s audience, it might have provided a far better payoff for all that was built up in the preceding films.

In terms of positives, as stated earlier, Jennifer Lawrence seems to have saved her best turn as Katniss Everdeen for last. Here she’s called upon to display depths of fear, despair, and determined resolve the likes of which had only been hinted at earlier in the series, and she delivers every moment with credible passion and conviction. The other standout performer here, though his screen time is, as it has been throughout, somewhat limited, is Donald Sutherland, who simply oozes malice with his every look, word, and calculated gesture as President Snow. Even when playing the villain laid low and defeated, Sutherland instills in Snow a lethal air, as though simply being in the room with him and exchanging a word or two might cost any character their lives. Through his work in this series, Sutherland has brought to life one of the 21st Century’s first truly memorable screen villains, as it is quite unlikely that anyone whose seen these films will ever look at a white rose clipped to someone’s lapel quite the same way ever again.

All in all, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 is on its own a mixed bag. It might prove interesting to watch Parts 1 and 2 back-to-back in order to gauge whether or not the film as a whole is a more evenly paced and satisfying film experience, and to compare that final product to other instances such as in the Harry Potter series or the recent Hobbit series of films where a story that was contained and effectively told in a single volume in print was divided into multiple volumes in film in order to incorporate more elements of the print version into the adaptation. Regardless of the fact that one might be working with adapting source material that is beloved by fans around the world, the “less really is more” cliché is a cliché for a reason — it’s often true. What’s ironic is that the producers and creative minds behind The Hunger Games series seemed to know and grasp that idea in the first two films, which many agree were superior entertainment experiences to reading the books, only to toss that idea aside in order to bring to life the story’s finale in a form as true to the book as possible, a book fans often argue was the weakest in the series. Quite frankly, this film franchise and its fans deserved a better ending, even if it ended up being something entirely different from what took place in the final novel’s pages. By playing it safe and sticking to the book, they basically assured that in terms of delivering the best final product possible, the odds would never be in their favor.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2
Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Willow Shields, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Natalie Dormer, with Stanley Tucci, and Donald Sutherland. Directed by Francis Lawrence.
Running Time: 137 minutes
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, and for some thematic material.

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Review: Sakurako-san Episode 7 – Another Disapointment

GJ Corban

November 19, 2015

I have to admit, I was kind of looking forward to Sakurako-san Episode 7. In the roller-coaster of quality this show has offered, the first episode of two parters have been the strongest (though my only evidence was Episode 4). So I was hoping this episode, Sakurako-san Episode 7, would reach another peak for the show. However, I was more than a little disappointed by this episode… you’ll see.

Review of Sakurako-san Episode 7

Sakurako-san Episode 7 Body 1 — Shoutaro, dear, those glasses do not suit you

Immediately I was shocked at just how predictable those show is. During the OP (Opening) I decided to make a prediction: Our teacher friend is featured in the opening and was introduced last episode, so this arc must be his right? Well… kinda. I was right (Wow, it’s like I’m Nostradamus or something!), but so far there doesn’t seem to be much development, like at all.

Now, we all know one of the rules of anime, “Thou shalt have either a onsen, beach, festival, or school festival episode.” But, Sakurako-san seems to be ahead of the curve on this one, we get a festival and a school festival episode back-to-back! Yay…

Before we get to the story itself, allow me to nitpick a few things.

Shoutaro mentions that until ten years ago the school was an all-girls school, thus the girls in this school are really assertive. But, none of the students were there ten years ago, ten years is multiple high-school generations, in no way should the girls have this confidence due to the schools previous identity.

While defending the sanctity of bones and why they are set up, Sakurako says “It’s to teach others how they support and move the body!” But this is incorrect, for a bone expert, you’d think she’d know that bones don’t actually move the body. It’s the muscles that attach to the bones that do the moving. Get your anatomy together Sakurako.

Shoutaro’s class should really be pissed at him for completely ditching them. He didn’t even let them know, just leaves to clean a room full of bones. Considering how sensitive they were about time earlier, he should be dead meat.

The police should be way more suspicious of Sakurako considering just how many murdered corpses she’s found. Like seriously, we know Utsumi is incompetent but the entire police force?

For a show that claim’s it’s “Dedicated to those stuck in the past” this show is pretty sentimental. Sakurako with this Soutaro character, her cat, and so man other things. It’s kinda ironic, but I wonder if it’s intentional.

Whew, sorry, I just had to get that off my chest, I had a lot to cover, and this is after filtering some out. Geez. As for the rest of this article, I’ll cover the story itself, reveal the reason I’ve discovered as to why I don’t like Sakurako, and reveal a secret I found in the ending song.

The majority of the story given to us in Sakurako-san Episode 7, the story about this old teacher and Natsuko, is not really worth talking about. What information has been presented is not enough to discus in a satisfactory manner, nor is this show worth speculating on. However, the character moments can be discussed plenty.

The largest is when Shoutaro confronts Sakurako about turning her pet into a specimen. I may just be heartless, but I don’t quite understand why Shoutaro is so offended by it. Ulna had already died, and many people immortalize their loved ones. What’s wrong with someone who is obsessed with bones doing this to immortalize Ulna?

While Shoutaro is pitying himself after this confrontation he says, “I thought we had a connection, but I guess we really are different people.” He implies that being differing people with differing opinions is a bad thing. But that is not true in the least, it’s actually very beneficial to surround yourself with different people, helps you become a well-rounded person.

At the end of the episode we see Sakurako have a ‘chat’ with her uncle. First of all, it’s really hard not to make a probably offensive joke right here, but… I think I have the self-control. Also, it seems like Sakurako’s personal vice, as hinted at by the opening and episode 2, will become relevant. Perhaps this Soutaro kid, probably her brother, was murdered?

Now, I haven’t been the biggest fan of Sakurako as a character. Many other people, of similar opinion, have cited her obvious archetype as the flaw. But, I don’t believe this to be the issue, you can have stereotypes that are great, it’s all in the execution. That’s Sakurako’s problem, her character isn’t executed well at all. It seems like her character is all over the place.

She’s supposed to be obsessed with bones, but she supposedly knows everything, like about knots and jewels. And yet she often gets these wrong, and she even gets basic things about bones wrong! Sometime’s she hates everything, other times she’s squealing at the prospect of cake. Sakurako is supposed to be this antisocial genius (by the show’s own words too), yet other than preferring to be alone she’s perfectly social (trust me, I’m ACTUALLY antisocial). Not to mention just how convenient she is. “Oh, good think I can tell a real diamond from a synthetic one.” “Thank goodness I just so happen to be an expert on knot tying.” “I’ll just pick this lock with a skill I never referred to ever having before.” Sakurako Ex Machina. Basically, people don’t like Sakurako because there is no consistency, she’s all over the place. Sakurako does not feel like a real character. Even Shoutaro manages that, but he’s still annoying.

Now, as for that secret in the ending. Notice that more than a few shots in this ending feature naked Sakurako groping a skull. Just think about that… that’s actually creepy.

Now we know that Sakurako loves bones, but perhaps it extends farther than anticipated? Maybe this mysterious fiance that’s been referred to throughout the show is really just a human skeleton. Is Sakurako a necrophiliac? I’ll let you decide that one, but I wouldn’t put it past her.

Sakurako-san Episode 7 was terrible, and if this level of quality continues, so will the show.

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Midnight Special Trailer: Michael Shannon Protects His Super-Powered Son

Larry Taylor - Managing Editor

November 19, 2015

Michael Shannon teams up once again with Take Shelter director Jeff Nichols for Midnight Special, a sci-fi thriller where Shannon must protect his super-powered son. Along with Shannon, Midnight Special shows off its impressive cast in this new trailer, including Joel Egerton, Adam Driver, and Kirsten Dunst.

Here is the trailer:

And here is the official synopsis:

In the sci-fi thriller “Midnight Special,” writer/director Jeff Nichols proves again that he is one of the most compelling storytellers of our time, as a father (Michael Shannon), goes on the run to protect his young son, Alton (Jaeden Lieberher), and uncover the truth behind the boy’s special powers.

What starts as a race from religious extremists and local law enforcement quickly escalates to a nationwide manhunt involving the highest levels of the Federal Government. Ultimately his father risks everything to protect Alton and help fulfill a destiny that could change the world forever, in this genre–defying film as supernatural as it is intimately human.

Take Shelter, the first pairing of Michael Shannon and Jeff Nichols (who also directed the wonderful drama Mud), was a brilliantly intimate thriller, and this looks to be more of the same with a little sci-fi flourish. The film hits theaters March 18 next year.

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Into The Badlands Episode 1: “The Fort”

Mat Douglas

November 19, 2015

Into the Badlands is the newest offering from AMC Networks and it’s different from anything else you are watching on television right now. This is not an opinion or some haughty brag. This show is decidedly different in look, concept, and character.

Very loosely based on the Chinese fable “Journey To the West”, Badlands opening narration by MK gives you the outline of the world you are about to see. Set in the distant future after a war – there’s always a war – the world has changed considerably. What is left of the world (referred to as the Badlands) is now ruled by Barons. The normal folk, referred to as Cogs, serve the Barons in exchange for protection in what was assumed to be a dangerous world to live in. This is also a world where guns have been outlawed or no longer exist, but in this first episode, not one firearm is seen.

The Barons also have their own protection in the form of the Clippers. The Clippers act as enforcers, hitmen, and pretty much anything else a Baron may need done. Beginning with a look at the shows lead, a Clipper known as Sunny, who serves Quinn, a Baron who has control of poppy, all of the poppy by the looks of his fields.

Sunny (played by Daniel Wu) has a presence and gravitas, not something a lot of leads in shows of this nature have these days. After dispatching a number of bandits working for The Widow (another Baron), in a fight scene that is way too good for TV, and what may be the calling card of this series, he discovers a young boy, MK, locked in a trunk.

Sunny - Daniel Wu - Into The Badlands — Sunny played by Daniel Wu
photo by AMC Networks

MKs origins are unclear.

The Widow wants him, he has a pendant with a city of sorts on it, and when he bleeds, he goes into a trance and develops super strength. So in the first 20 minutes, a great fight scene, feudalism, and what appears to be mystical blood powers. See? Very different from anything else on television right now.

MK Aramis Knight Into The Badlands AMC — MK played by Aramis Knight (photo AMC Networks)

This first episode does a lot of world building. The Barons run everything, but seem to not coexist all that peacefully. One Baron controls poppy, the other controls all the oil needed to process the poppy. Clippers are trained from what looks to be a very young age, and being a Clipper seems to be a welcome alternative from toiling away in poppy fields for a lifetime of servitude.

Marton Csokas (Triple X, Kingdom of Heaven) plays Baron Quinn, the first Baron we meet, married to an ice queen, with an entitled teenage son, and about to take a very young bride as Barons can take all the wives they want, but it is Daniel Wu who grabs your attention and is very clearly the star of this show.

His origins are unknown, he was found by Quinn at a young age, but he does possess a compass that matches the medal that MK has. This show has built an intriguing world and provided intriguing mysteries. Hopefully the show garners enough attention so we can get those answers.

Into The Badlands airs on AMC, Sundays at 10pm, and will be on right after The Walking Dead for the next 2 weeks, with a 6 episode order

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Countdown to CREED: ROCKY V Returns Us Our Hero

Curtis Waugh

November 19, 2015

In anticipation of the November 25th release of CREED, we’ll be taking a look back at the ROCKY franchise and discussing why these characters and this world are still relevant and necessary forty years later.

Rocky V effectively killed the Rocky series. Sylvester Stallone considers the movie the series’ true nadir and one he made out of greed. Director, John G. Avildsen, who was nominated for an Oscar for directing the original Rocky says the movie isn’t what he wanted it to be. At one point, Rocky was supposed to actually die at the end of the movie, really ending the series, but Stallone reworked the script so he came out victorious. To put it bluntly, many people really hate this movie. Those people clearly haven’t seen Rocky IV, because while Rocky V is an aesthetically unappealing film with poor writing and a strange finale, it also features the purest continuation of the character since Rocky II.

Rocky V picks up immediately after Rocky IV and cleverly uses the events of that movie for exactly what they are: PTSD-inducing trauma. Rocky isn’t the same after his fight with Ivan Drago. We first come upon Rocky in the shower, hardly able to breathe and shaking, calling out for Adrian to help him. Drago knocked Rocky so silly that he’s permanently brain-damaged and is no longer allowed to fight. He returns to a country which, despite having stopped the entire Cold War, is displeased with his unwillingness to jump back in the ring and defend his title. Enter George Washington Duke (Richard Gant), an overt Don King reference who will stop at nothing to profit from Rocky’s name.

To make matters worse, it looks like Paulie has been up to his old tricks being a pile of human garbage and has wasted the entirety of the Balboas’ fortune on a bad investment deal. Rocky, Adrian, Robert Jr. (having strangely aged years in what has only been just a few months) and Paulie have to move back to the slums of Philly where Rocky dusts off the old black jacket and hat. Rocky takes up training fighters in Mickey’s old gym and is introduced to young brute, Tommy Gunn (Tommy Morrison). Tommy represents everything that Rocky thinks he used to be. He’s a bruiser with nothing but his punch in his pocket, looking to get his chance.

The only problem here is that Rocky was never Tommy Gunn. Sure, Rocky Balboa comes from nothing and is known for being a punching bag with a steel jaw and brutal left hook but he was never a guy looking to conquer the world. He had goals but he also had fears. Rocky was selected by Apollo Creed to fight for the championship and all he wanted was to last against the champion and hold his own. Rocky was never greedy.

Nonetheless, Rocky takes Tommy Gunn under his wing, training him and thusly ignoring the needs of his son. Robert Jr. is getting bullied at school and is in desperate need of fatherly attention after a short lifetime without Rocky. He isn’t wrong in his anger at Rocky, but Rocky isn’t displacing Robert for a new son like he thinks. Tommy represents Rocky’s skewed version of his mirror image. The movie is smart in letting Rocky just be Rocky, not forcing him into a corner where he’s purposefully hurtful toward his son because of his physical inadequacies. Rocky just doesn’t know how to handle that relationship, as evidenced by his awkward interactions with Robert Jr. before the family is kicked out of their mansion. Robert Jr. learns to fight on his own (with lame help from Paulie) and eventually becomes leader of his own pack, resentful of his dad for not helping him get to where he is.

Rocky, being the sweet soul that he is, can’t see that Tommy is slowly being poached by Duke who offers Tommy his chance at the title. Tommy, being the lump of stupid that he is, falls for the facade of women, cars and money and leaves Rocky for the title fight. The public, quite unbelievably, rejects Tommy Gunn as their champion after he wins his fight which prompts Tommy into confronting Rocky once and for all, demanding a fight so he can be crowned the true champion. The film resolves in a brutal street bout between Rocky and Tommy. Rocky is seemingly the great fighter he always has been (and totally unfazed by all the further brain damage he racks up here) and knocks Tommy onto his ungrateful ass. Rocky also gives Duke the what-for despite Duke’s constant threats of, “You touch me, I sue.”

The neighborhood, the Balboas and even the law enforcement hovering around to see the illegal street brawl shuffle their champion into an ambulance and, for at least 16 years, off into that good night.

If this had really been the last we saw of Rocky Balboa, I don’t believe this movie would hold as high esteem for me as it does. Judged on its own merits, it is a welcome return to the truest version of this character that falls into disappointment. Tommy Gunn, while being a compelling villain, is written too broadly and portrayed by an out-of-his-league actor. Ending the film in an all-out street fight also feels wrong as this was once the guy who refused to break someone’s thumbs in the shipyard even though he probably deserved it. The film is lit poorly, giving it the feel of an early ’80s indie flick and replaces the iconic score for ill-fitting pop/rap.

There are blemishes all over this movie, but it isn’t the disaster history has made it out to be and is often quite entertaining. After what became a parody of the character in parts III and IV, we finally have our Rocky back. We get him back even more some sixteen years later, with Rocky’s fully-formed triumph movie, Rocky Balboa. Bring some tissues for that one, folks. It’s going to hurt.

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Review: iZombie ‘Abra Cadaver’ – Imperfect Fun

GJ Corban

November 19, 2015

iZombie‘s Abra Cadaver is a wonderful episode. Fun, different, and fully entertaining, but, when compared to last week’s episode, it doesn’t quite stack up.

Review of iZombie Season 2 ‘Abra Cadaver’

This shouldn’t remove the value of this episode at all. ‘Abra Cadaver’ a fantastic episode, but last week was more fantastic episode. But enough comparison between episodes, let’s discuss this one.

This episode was the first in a while to really focus on the murder at hand, Season 2 seems to enjoy spending more time with our season long arcs than the individual stories, so to see the focus, at least temporarily, shifted back to crime was a nice change of pace. iZombie also picked the right episode to do it, the mystery behind ‘Abra Cadaver’ was full of both twists and interesting characters.

But, let’s cover our major plots first. In an unexpected twist (though in hindsight it seems obvious), Liv and Blaine have teamed up to hunt the zombie-hunter, in order to save both their lives and Blaine’s business. Their investigations significantly affected both sides of this plot. First Liv and Blaine were led to Dale’s house, first revealing the progress of Clive’s ‘relations’ with Dale, and letting us know just how much Dale knows about the whole situation.

We also have a bit of interaction between the two, with Liv falsifying the brain report and all. The really scary moment for any fan paying attention though, was when Blaine saw the missing dog report. It is almost certain that this is what will reveal the true nature of Major’s job, and if Liv had seen it, that moment would have arrived a lot sooner. Major has also found out that Liv is on to him, unknowingly of course, this is sure to cause some tension in the newly resurrected (Heh, zombie puns) relationship between Liv and Major.

We also have the ‘pleasure’ of seeing Ravi and Steph’s relationship wither out, fizzle down, just die. It wasn’t a fun moment at all, but you can’t blame Ravi, Peyton’s back, Peyton’s hot, and Steph never really seemed that interesting to begin with.

Speaking of Peyton, she was, rightfully, on edge throughout the entire episode, but the creepiest moment of the episode was not related to Mr. Boss. Instead it was when Peyton and Blaine seemed to almost… flirt with each other. No, no thank you, we don’t need anything like that.

But the real meat of the episode was definitely Mr. Sid Wicked and his rivals. The magician brain was lots of fun, watching Liv become obsessed with magic while surrounded by it was nothing short of entertaining.

The premise was nothing short of brilliant. It perfectly set up a scene, lots of suspects, and an easy reason why all these people are gathered there, although, you could argue that a death due to the Prestofest should have had some sort of reaction (postponement, cancellation, ETC).

What is really interesting though, was that of the three suspects, the one (or two) with the least amount of history with Sid Wicked was the most guilty. Houdina was his ex-fiance, but was guilty of nothing other than a pretty boring magic show. I mean come on, throwing cards at celery? I’ve seen ten-year-olds do that! Magicus was his kind of his mentor, but the only thing he could be charged with is naiveté. Come on, you should have known that hot girl didn’t really want, as Clive would say, “Do the nasty” with you.

iZombie Abra Cadaver Body 1 — Don’t worry, your dissapearing was still (kinda) impressive.

Instead, it was Smoak and Meers. They were great, in particular their name and the fact that they were obviously a rip on Penn and Teller. However, one thing didn’t really make all that much sense. It’s revealed that Meers is actually a woman and temporarily worked as a maid for the hotel in order to kill Sid (so he doesn’t reveal their big trick). However, Meers pretending to be a man has no real benefit whatsoever. The only reason Meers pretends to be a man is so the reveal at the end of the episode is more surprising. But Smoak and Meers have been in the magic business for a while now, so why did Meers hide her gender then? To what benefit? Why did Meers decide, “You know what? I think I’ll pretend to be a man from now on, Mulan style.” It just doesn’t add up.

There a couple other things that bugged me about this episode. The first being everyone’s reluctance to accept Wicked’s death. I can understand a bit, being in that industry and all, but it was brought up just a few too many times for nothing to come of it. The episode is called ‘Abra Cadaver’ for a reason after all.

It’s also pretty obvious that Clive has a history with magic… and not a good one. Multiple times he expressed his disinterest, and even hatred, in magic. He saw through that card game every time, and seemed familiar with sleight-of-hand. But this also had no relevance to the episode, and thus felt like a waste of time.

Additionally, in spite of just how much fun Liv’s persona was this week, it felt like almost a waste. We’re dealing with a goth magician here, it could have easily been split into two separate personas for two separate episodes. Don’t get me wrong, Wicked was a fun brain, but if iZombie ever tries a goth teen, or a more traditional magician, it’ll feel too similar.

All in all, ‘Abra Cadaver’ is just a plain enjoyable episode. It may have had a few more plotholes and unfinished ideas than usual, but the sheer amount of fun more than makes up for it. So while it might not compare to ‘Max Wager’, I still love this episode.

Also, “Zombie-wan Kenobi”, that was the best line… ever.

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REVIEW: “The Night Before” – Rogen’s latest is hilariously sweet R-rated holiday fun

Felix Albuerne

November 19, 2015

Time to add another selection to the list of “watch-them-every-year” holiday movies in your collection, but only if that collection is PG-13 and up. The Night Before is exactly what it looks like in its marketing: a buddy comedy adventure a la The Hangover from the folks that brought you This is the End and Knocked Up, all dressed up in tinsel and Santa colors, waiting under the mistletoe to give you a holiday kiss of laughter. But just because it is exactly what it looks like doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable. On the contrary, it’s among Seth Rogen’s funniest comedic offerings in years, as it does what his best films have always done: make you laugh to the point where your face and belly hurt, while at the same time examining in a light and funny way very real and relatable truths about adult life.

For the past 10 years since his parents died in a car accident, Ethan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has spent Christmas with his two best buds, Isaac (Rogen) and Chris (Anthony Mackie), honoring a very specific set of madcap holiday traditions. But the trio now find themselves faced with the end of an era as each of their lives face big changes: Isaac and his wife Betsy (Jillian Bell, 22 Jump Street) are expecting their first child, while Chris has found success and fame as a pro football star, and so they recognize this as their ‘last hurrah’, the last time they will hit the streets of New York City on Christmas Eve and do their particular brand of Christmas crazy.

Part of that crazy has been seeking out the “Holy Grail” of NYC Christmas Parties, the legendary “Nutcracka Ball”, which every year is held in a secret location that has for the past decade eluded the intrepid trio’s every attempt to locate and crash it. But not so this time: With tickets to the party that he “happened upon” in hand, Ethan sets out with his fellow musketeers to fulfill the promise of their decade-long quest and thus make this Christmas the most memorable of them all. But what Ethan doesn’t know is that Isaac and Chris have thoughts of their own about what needs to happen that night aside from karaoke, toy store hijinks, and party crashing: an intervention of sorts for their friend, who they see as having gotten stuck at a point in the past and not able to move forward in life. Not an easy conversation to have, as they discover, especially when caught up in good times, holiday nostalgia, and all the unexpected mayhem that invariably finds them on this one night every year.

But with a little help from their high school pot dealer, Mr. Green (Michael Shannon), and run-ins with an ex-girlfriend, a scam artist, and a few celebrities, a Christmas miracle for the three friends begins to unfold, one that will help them begin a whole new Christmas tradition that will last for years to come … or result in Isaac divorced, Chris ostracized from his new bunch of football teammate buddies, and Ethan brokenhearted and beaten up by a pair of drunken Santas, among other less-than-ideal outcomes, or perhaps even all of the above.

If The Night Before establishes anything, it’s that Seth Rogen can be really, REALLY funny when he’s allowed to truly cut loose, as he is here. The freak-out Isaac experiences in the course of the evening thanks to intaking a variety of illicit substances, which director Jonathan Levine (50/50) helps audiences experience right along with Isaac through some truly inspired camera effects, easily earns the film’s biggest laughs, only a few of which are hinted in the film’s trailers. Watch for Isaac shooting a cell phone video for his future child shortly after inhaling far too much Bolivian Marching Powder, a very awkward text message and photo exchange that occurs due to his having gotten a hold of the wrong phone, and the vision of the future he glimpses after taking a toke from a very special joint provided by Mr. Green — those moments and quite a few others should very shortly be counted by fans as among Rogen’s funniest scenes on film to date.

But the drugged-out silliness is only about half of what makes The Night Before so enjoyable. There’s genuine warmth and heart here, thanks to Gordon-Levitt’s capable and credible delivery of an everyman stuck in a very familiar place in life for Millennials and many others: watching cherished friends move on with their lives in different directions, happy for them, yes, but also sad at the change and unsure of what direction, if any, their own lives might be headed in. Mackie, who has been a solid and welcome presence in a variety of films this past year, also brings depth and charisma to his work here, while also showing some serious comedic chops. The three leads together have an undeniable chemistry that powers the film through both its lighter and more serious moments, keeping you laughing while also also emotionally invested as the film progresses.

The supporting cast in The Night Before also deserves quite a bit of love, starting with Jillian Bell as Isaac’s loving, patient, and VERY understanding wife Betsy, who in her own way is responsible for sending Isaac out into the Christmas Eve night primed for debauchery. Also very funny here, although not departing too far from her sitcom persona, is “The Mindy Project“‘s Mindy Kaling, whose character bears the brunt of Isaac’s more out-of-control episodes while attempting to get her own holiday party groove on. And then there’s Michael Shannon, who after all the serious bad-guy and dramatic work he’s turned in over past few years perhaps was truly in need of working on something silly, and makes the most of the opportunity of the enigmatic and eccentric dope dealer Mr. Green. Shannon simply steals every one of the scenes he appears in by playing the intensity he’s become known for as a performer for laughs, and like almost everything else here, it just works.

So is The Night Before one of the year’s best? No, of course not. But it’s one of the best, if not THE best, comedic offerings of the season in theaters thus far, and in the years to come should prove pretty timeless as a grown-ups only holiday favorite. See it for yourself — if you’re not in the holiday spirit yet, you’ll most likely find yourself afterward a whole lot closer to it by the end, in addition to being slightly achy from laughing.

The Night Before
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anthony Mackie, Lizzy Caplan, Jillian Bell, Mindy Kaling, and Michael Shannon. Directed by Jonathan Levine.
Running Time: 101 minutes
Rated R for drug use and language throughout, some strong sexual content and graphic nudity.

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Review: ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’ An Unbalanced Finale

Dewey Singleton - Film Critic

November 19, 2015

Leaving the press screening of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2, a feeling of bewilderment overcame me. It seemed that the audience was beyond thrilled after trudging through the one hundred and thirty-seven minutes of monotonous pacing. As we were exiting the theater, I heard things like, “ I loved it” … “Greatest Ever” … “Best in the series,” even my wife gushed about this film. The moment that I began to question parts of the movie, a collection of negative looks were directed my way and my wife proceeded to call me a “Grump.” Have we become so entranced with the exploits of Katniss Everdeen, that the merits of The Hunger Games films have now become distorted?

The good news, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 has far fewer scenes involving people sitting around and for waiting for things to happen that Mockingjay- Part 1. The bad news, Part 2 has a plethora of scenes involving people just waiting for things to happen.

Fans of the books were hoping the decision to split the final film into two would result in an action packed non-stop finale. Well, prepare yourself to be disappointed. Even though Mockingjay- Part 1 seemed to set the table for the grand finale, Part 2 has all the pacing of a snail on Ambien.

Once again Jennifer Lawrence takes center stage as Katniss Everdeen, the symbolic head of the rebellion against Donald Sutherland (President Snow), the dictator of the future world of Panem. Katniss nearly meet her end in Part 1 when Josh Hutcherson (Peeta) tried to kill her. The beginning of the film reveals that Peeta’s brain was infected with Tracker Jacker Venom, and the venom has now turned Peeta into an assassin. Because of this, Katniss is enraged and wants to charge right into the capital and assassinate President Snow. Julianne Moore (President Coin) has other ideas and wants Katniss to stay in District 13 away from the fight so she can be used for propaganda against the capital. We all know that Mrs. Everdeen will throw caution to the wind, she sneaks onto a medical ship and heads to fight on the frontlines as the rebels march into a heavily booby-trapped capital. You are probably reading this and saying to yourself “That sounds like a pretty fantastic movie, I’m starting to see why your wife called you a grump”, but imagine all those juicy bits spread out unevenly over one-hundred and thirty-seven minutes.

One thing that should be noted is how much focus was placed on the powerful female characters. Katniss, Coin, and numerous other supporting cast mates were seen as way more with it and a lot more charismatic than the male counterparts. Probably the one scene that gave me a glimmer of hope in this film was in Panem sewers, it popped with tension and horror. Other than that, Mockingjay – Part 2 was boring. The fact that the blockbuster film is boring truly didn’t add up at first. The production design was top-notch, the dystopian costumes were ravishing, and director Francis Lawrence knows how to use properly large-scale computer visuals The movie has an all-star cast. So what went wrong with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2, the editing.

Must every single part of Mockingjay transpire on screen? It would seem that the easiest job on this set was the script writers because all they had to do was transcribe the book. The first Hunger Games is considered to be the best of the four movies because it adapted for the screen. Only after the “super-fans” were up in arms about what was left out the film, that the studio seemed to be considerate about whether or not they forgot a part of the book and not about whether or not the adaptation translates well on screen.

Mockingjay-Part 2 is as rambling and schizophrenic as the Part 1. One minute they are discussing the horrors of war and then the next page the film seems to be reveling in it. Essentially, the flow of the film is choppy at best.

The biggest frustration in all of this is that Mockingjay-Part 2 could have been a fantastic movie. The source material is so rich with action and political intrigue that if they had edited the frivolity from Mockingjay-Part 2; we would have had quite a film to discuss.

Unfortunately, the movie ends up being just another example of Hollywood just streamlining a series of books into a series of films in an attempt to squeeze every last dollar out of us.

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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. “Many Heads, One Tale” The Season’s Best Yet

Chris Massari

November 19, 2015

It only took eight episodes into season three for Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. to finally hit its stride in a cohesive fashion and in doing so, had possibly the best episode of their season thus far. From beginning to the end, AoS moved seamlessly in presenting all of its various plot points, along with twists and turns without getting confusing. It also brought to a head, what will probably be the driving story motivation or premise, moving forward this season and what will culminate into the Secret Warriors.

“Many Heads, One Tale” involved multiple story threads but, they all came to a neat intersecting common ground, in which the series can move forwar. With last week presenting Rosalind as another HYDRA agent under Gideon Malick, Coulson sets his team up to infiltrate the ATCU and find out exactly what the organization is doing with Inhumans while simultaneously questioning Rosalind about her intentions and loyalties. Coulson uses Lance and Bobbi to physically infiltrate the ATCU, while Daisy and Mack feed them information and access, to various parts of the base. On the HYDRA side, Gideon Malick tries to assassinate Ward, who survives this attempt and tracks down a secret vault used by the Struckers. Malick is surprised Ward was able to survive the assassination and find the vault as well. Malick then decides it is best to have Ward as an ally, then revealing to him the secret of HYDRA’s history. These are the two biggest plot threads, with two smaller ones involving Melinda and Lincoln, who both must reconcile with the events that Andrew caused. While the other involves Fitz and Simmons, who are still trying to work through the current bump in their relationship, which finally reaches a turning point many have been waiting for since season one.

To start, I think the misdirect of Rosalind was a great decision on the writer’s part and it pushed the relationship between Coulson and Rosalind, in an interesting direction, both in their personal lives, as well as with their teams or agencies. Coulson’s mistrust, allowed for SHIELD to infiltrate the ATCU, helping to reveal Malick’s involvement in trying to create his own team of Inhumans. While at the same time, it really brought to a head what this season has been about since the beginning, as the Secret Warriors. With what will most likely happen at some point, is Malick and Ward’s team of Inhumans or “super people”, going head to head against SHIELD’s. This could mean anything from guest roles or introductions of more prominent Marvel heroes and villains, plus something closer to the comic counterpart. And since Rosalind is not HYDRA, it also reopens my theory about her having a bigger role in the MCU’s future as the director of SWORD, maybe.

Another huge plus of this episode is the growth and change of the character’s themselves. Ward season one, was largely boring and pretty plain, without many defining or interesting character traits. To then becoming a fascinating villain over the past two seasons, who’s not only badass but, is someone you can love to hate. When Ward has screen time now, you know something big is about to happen.

There’s also, of course, the big kiss between Fitz and Simmons, which many have been waiting for since season one and it finally happened. But what made this moment even more crucial, is what brought them to this point. Simmons was upset that Fitz was being too perfect and too helpful, trying to work through her own feelings about him, as well as with Will. The entire set up to the kiss had emotional weight and will have massive complications in the future for the two characters. Another big change in character over time is Melinda. Who in this episode apologizes to Lincoln for what Andrew did, feeling she should have known beforehand about what he’d become before Andrew killed all of those people and Andrew’s friends as Lash. The way AoS has brought Melinda through the emotional ringer throughout the series thus far and the decisions she’s had to make, bring her to such a vulnerable position now.

“Many Heads, One Tale” is the best episode of SHIELD so far this season and it seems the best is yet to come.

While these next points are not as heavy as the others, it always a treat to watch Bobbi and Lance interact with one another, when they’re in the field. It’s so Whedon-esque in how he’s written Marvel characters in the movies, it just happens to be the same now with a couple. I hope they don’t end up overdoing these two in the future, because right now it’s the perfect amount of exposure without oversaturating them. Also, seeing Daisy go from the loner hacker, to essentially a commanding officer of sorts within SHIELD, is something that you probably didn’t expect at the beginning of the series. She’s come a long way, and I look forward to seeing her continue this trend.

To conclude, this is by far AoS’s best episode, as well as its most SHIELD liked episode this season. They focused heavily on espionage action, Marvel style, while heavily developing their characters in the process. Everything about this episode is what AoS does best. Sold storylines, involving misdirects and unexpected revelations but, still relying heavily on the characters they have been developing throughout the series. AoS should pick up from this point onward.

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