Saw 'The Avengers' and 'The Hunger Games'.....

[FAST FRED]

.....in 3-D, but without the vibrating seats, and thought this offering from Joss Whedon was the best and most entertaining action hero/sci fi movie I've ever seen.

The Link

Good special effects, well-delivered dialog, appropriate super hero acting, exciting action sequences and strong direction easily saved a fairly non-innovative storyline, despite a lengthy 2 hour and 22 minute running time.

You certainly get your money's worth.

Lots and lots of collateral destruction, but no sex acts, real gore or much bad language.

Just the Marvel Comics' good guys and gals teaming up to save Manhattan Island.

Heck, I thought it would have even been suitable if supervised, fun to watch and shock free, movie fare for my older grandsons, who are ages 6, 5 and 3.

I also recently saw "The Hunger Games" and thought it was lame and largely a waste of my time.

Hand-held cameras and poorly filmed action sequences quickly helped me lose interest, despite the decent efforts of Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Toby Jones, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz and Donald Sutherland.

The Link

Not even as good as the "Twilight" series, IMO.

If you read the book and loved it, then you are in the target audience for this movie.

And I hope you enjoy it.

Most other moviegoers should, IMHO, beware and probably spend their cinema cash on a better flick.

JMO.

 

[Knoxville-Horn]

Well dang. My wife and I have been trying to make it to The Hunger Games for weeks. Kids and jobs have kept us from having the time. We both loved the book so, perhaps, it won't be so bad.

 

[The Eyes of Texas]

Agree on The Avengers. It was well worth the money, even at today's prices.

My wife and i really enjoyed the Hunger Games too, and we haven't read the books.

 

[RomaVicta]

I haven't read the Hunger Games, but enjoyed the movie. Not a memorable film but a nice diversion.

As always, I enjoy Fast Fred's movie reviews even when I disagree.

 

[FAST FRED]

I thought "The Avengers" was really good and is highly recommended for casual or devoted fans of that genre (and of great movie making) of all ages.

I didn't review "The Hunger Games" initially, simply because I was so underwhelmed.

However, I knew many, many, many folks would enjoy it, even though it just wasn't my cup of tea.

Considering it's stellar cast and the exciting possibilities in the storyline, I personally had hoped for more movie making excellence; less use of the unstable hand-held camera and better staging of the action scenes would have been a big plus for me.

After enjoying everything in and about "The Avengers" so darn much, I thought I would mention precisely where I felt "The Hunger Games" fell short.

Maybe "The Hunger Games" movies that are sure to follow will improve, as even the later "Twilight" flicks did.

Thanks for reading, tolerating/enjoying and commenting on my reviews.

 

[Statalyzer]

In reply to:

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[FAST FRED]

I hope you enjoy it more.

I expected more from "The Hunger Games'" cast and was disappointed.

I expected much less from the "Twilight" series, so it didn't fall as short for me.

Different strokes......

But "The Avengers" is over the top.

I took my young grandkids to see it yesterday, along with my wife, and we all had a big time.

 

[TNLonghorn]

I saw "The Avengers" this past Friday. I went in with low expectations, mainly because it's pretty difficult to make a decent movie with so many different story lines in play, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. FAST FRED is spot on with his review of the movie. It's definitely worth seeing on the big screen!

 

[Burnt Orange Bevo]

Wife and I saw 'The Hunger Games' a few weeks ago. It's certainly not a flash-bang-wow kind of movie, but the plot was certainly thought provoking (i.e. Rome + Orwell + Survivor + Truman Show). And in that regards, I give the movie/story very high marks.

 

[ProdigalHorn]

I haven't seen Hunger Games but I can tell you it wasn't as good as the Avengers. Just got back from the 3D IMAX showing. Wow...

 

[Clean]

I saw The Avengers yesterday. Good, nonsensical summer fun. I enjoyed it, but it drug in the middle for me (on the flying, invisible aircraft carrier). The beginning and the climatic battle rocked.

Lots of big names in this one; Scarlett Johanssen, Jeremy Renner, Robert Downey, Jr., Samuel L. Jackson, Gwyneth Paltrow, etc. They must have been paying premo dollars.

I thought Cobie Smulders, Agent Maria Hill, was the hottest chick in the movie and that Loki, Tom Hiddleston, stole the show.