21 Jump Street/ The Hunger Games/The raid: redemption

21 Jump Street

For those who want a plot description (not that it matters). Anyway, I liked it. Its not anything more than its tries to be (which is an irreverent take-off of an eighties TV show that I've never seen), and is generally funny. Plus its the first time I've really enjoyed Channing Tatum in a featured role (Step Up excepted of course) so there's that. I wouldn't necessarily go out of my to see it again, but if it's showing on a plane (which is doubtful in its current form), I'd watch it.

The Hunger Games

Plot Points

This is a difficult film for me to review with any objectivity since I've already read, and enjoyed, the books its based on. I can say that I thought the acting was decent, the special effects a little cheap looking, and that it was generally entertaining. However I think if I hadn't read the books I'd have found it a little long, and a lot of the 'significant' moments would have felt perfunctory and rushed. In particular, I think I would have missed much of the subtext (to be fair I was strung out on heroin while watching) and just shrugged at some of the more emotional moments. However even in its more watered form its 10,000 times more interesting than twilight.

The Raid: Redemption

I really wanted to like The Raid. Advance word was all super positive, and made it sound like a balls-to-the-wall, super intense, actioner. Well there is a lot of action but the whole thing ultimately fell flat. It has two big problems. First, other than a few perfunctory nods, it gives you very little reason to care about any of the characters. Its just 'fight-break-fight' for 100 minutes. This isn't in itself a fatal flaw, bit the film needs to give you some way to feel the stakes and that all the carnage matters, rather than just giving the impression that you're watching a video game. This leads me to my second problem, with is with the fights themselves. They're cool in a sort of bunch of guys sitting around a tv saying 'Damn' way, and as a twenty minute demo reel of fight choreography they'd be really effective. However in a film that's trying to portray a super intense fight to the death they come of as cartoony, and eventually, tedious. They go on forever, and the film is so self-serious it eventually becomes a slog. I was obviously in the minority as there was a lot cheering at the end of my screening so I guess I'm just a precious little flower who can't handle bad-assery.