Movie Review: The Hunger Games - Catching Fire

I contemplated sleeping... then I decided I just HAD to blog about this movie I caught over the weekend.

Before you say anything, I did not manage to catch the movie in its opening week because of my finals, and I did not read the books, so I'm not exactly a biased source when it comes to this review considering how I am was not joining the craze back when the first movie came out.

The Hunger Games was good. Hell, it was one of the movies that brought Jennifer Lawrence into the arena of devastatingly charming and beautiful stars we can't ignore and simply adore. However, Catching Fire is really the movie that sold me on the entire Hunger Games Trilogy. The movie is THAT good.

Some notable moments that really left a big impression on me:

This outfit. I simply adore Jennifer Lawrence (or Katniss Everdeen) in this outfit. When I saw it, I was immediately in lust with it. Then the fire came on. Damn, I loved how the fire started from her chest and trailed to the ends of the dress. It was really good work with the effects, and I absolutely loved it. Plus the reason why the fire came on at the specific moment.

While everyone was falling in love with Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth, I was totally digging how hot Sam Claflin looked as he played Finnick Odair in Catching Fire. Who wouldn't? Good looks, devastating bod...

I mean, tell me if you can resist such delicious hotness? I know I can't.

Another scene that really caught my attention is when this dress appeared. To save you from me and my bad behavior of giving spoilers, I'm going to let those of you who haven't seen it go figure it out yourselves. Hint: There's a reason why she's called the Girl on Fire

Amazing scenes aside, Catching Fire adds a lot more depth and meaning into the story, drawing you to the multiple dimensions of the film, providing you more insight into some characters, as well as giving you so much more room to think of the depth and meanings of the various scenes both during and after the film. (but it may just be my movie buff self who's so intrigued)

I particularly like how the movie emphasized so much on hope of the people, and how it can ultimately lead to great things, as well as the part where you see the tributes of such different personalities work together to eliminate the competition. These things just add so much more meaning to the film, and its really up to you how you decide to interpret these aspects. I know I have been thinking all weekend and I still feel as if I am only scratching the surface of it. Thank god I'm on holiday so I do have the luxury of spending my days thinking.

Seeing that I've said quite a bit, here's what I think of Catching Fire:

Never thought I'd rate a movie as high as this, but I really just did. (I just checked. I rated Oz a 5, but considering so much time has passed, I'd say this rating means more of a 'YOU NEED TO WATCH IT 10 TIMES MORE THAN OZ' kind of rating. Not that I don't love Oz, but... times change)

If you do decide to watch Catching Fire, I'd say the best part comes at the end. Which is probably why I have not been finding pictures to justify it, because you just have to see it for yourself. And for those book fans who are afraid of disappointment (that always seems to happen), my friend did say he wasn't disappointed with the film and he really liked it.

Well, for all of you who have caught this movie, do tell me what you think! I know I absolutely loved loved LOVED it, and I'm definitely sold on the Hunger Games now that I've watched Catching Fire!

xoxo pamela

Movie Review: Oz The Great and Powerful

I have an interview tomorrow and I really should be studying, but I seriously think everyone needs to read this review ASAP.

It's only been hours since I watched this and I can't seem to stop talking about it. I promise I'll try to give my review with as few spoilers as I can. Hahaha.

The story (starts out in black and white) revolves around Oscar Diggs, a charismatic and charming magician, whose circus made a stop in Kansas. Upon escaping a 'life-threatening' danger in a hot air balloon, he finds himself thrown into a hurricane where he eventually ends up in Oz.

Once in Oz, the people identified him as the prophesied 'Wizard of Oz' who would bring about peace to Oz from the Wicked Witch.

See the trailer here:


If you haven't heard of my love for Disney films, well, now you know. My love for Disney aside, Oz The Great and Powerful kept me on the edge of my seat with its witty lines and unexpected scenes throughout the entire movie, and before I knew it, the movie was ending.

When it comes to specific characters, I must say the interactions between Oz and Finley the Flying Monkey has got to be my favorite. As their relationship bloomed from servant to friend, I was treated to numerous instances that left me laughing in the theater. What instances, you say? Well, you'll have to find out for yourself.

Something, or someone, that really impressed me in this movie would definitely be Mila Kunis (as Theodora). I'm gonna admit, I only knew Mila Kunis from Friends with Benefits, and it was interesting to see her take on the role of Theodora. What really got to me was Mila Kunis' acting skills. She managed to make me believe the transformation of Theodora throughout the movie, and clearly, plays her role of Theodora exceptionally well. I'm truly impressed.

Disney always has some moral that we can all learn from, and in Oz The Great and Powerful, I'd say I learnt that sometimes, pretending to be someone you're not isn't going to be the best choice you make. That sometimes, being yourself is the ONE thing that will let you make that difference you want to make in the world. It's that ONE THING to allow you to do what you want to do for others.

AND, men should never leave a woman scorned. NEVER. (Watch it and you'll see)

My take on this movie:

Firstly, this is Disney we're talking about. Secondly, the feeling I get that we should always be ourselves and not somebody else really resonates in me. It's what I just preached in my previous post, and it's what I really want to achieve for myself.

I'd say, this movie is definitely a MUST WATCH with the charming James Franco (as Oz), Mila Kunis' incredible acting skills (the rest are good too, just she stood out for me) and the crazy amount of scenes that will leave you at the edge of your seats wanting more.

xoxo pamela

Oz The Great and Powerful

I'm a movie fanatic. I love watching movies, and since this week is Recess Week, there is ONE movie that I've been dying to watch since I first saw the trailer:




I've always loved the Spiderman Trilogy (although it veered away from the original) and I got really psyched when I heard that Sam Raimi (Director of the Spiderman Trilogy) directed Oz The Great and Powerful as well!

The best reason I can have for wanting to watch this is probably because it's by Disney. Yes, I'm doing the Disney talk again. Disney has been the producer of a lot of my favorite films that have accompanied me throughout the years. From Jungle Book, to The Little Mermaid, to The Lion King and more recently, Wreck-It Ralph, Disney has never disappointed me when it comes to the movie department.

I'm a Disney girl. What more reason do I need to watch this movie?!

In fact, I'm so inspired by Oz The Great and Powerful that I did a (mini) outfit post to suit this movie! (as you can see from the start of the post)

The Oscar Diggs Outfit:
Mini Briefcase from Dionne (Birthday Gift, so I have no clue where to get it!)
Long Blazer from Forever 21
Spaghetti Strap from Forever 21
Black Polka-Dot Bowtie from Forever 21
Round Sunglasses from ASOS

The quirky dressing in the movie really prompted me to give a twist on my own version of Oz The Great and Poweful. Since I've never really been a girly girl, I decided to take on the role of Oscar Digs (the female version), completing the look with a bowtie and briefcase.

I couldn't find a top hat at home when I was shooting, so I tried out the 'sock' bun to give my head a boost in place of Oscar Diggs' (Wizard of Oz) hat. 

PLUS, I really noticed how Oscar Diggs helped this brave doll (called China Doll) and she started following him around, so I used my Joker Teddy to substitute to China Doll! I think my Teddy adds a bit of an eerie-feel and more of the movie into my outfit! Hm. Seems like Teddy's a good fashion accessory...

Aww. I love you Teddy. You're not just a prop.

As for how much I want to watch this movie:

It's off the charts!

With its Alice in Wonderland-like graphics and snippets of action scenes, the trailer already did a great job of trapping me in the version of Oz they created, and I can't wait to immerse myself in Oz and Oscar Diggs' journey once the movie hits theaters!

If you're living on a little red dot like I am, Oz The Great and Powerful will be in cinemas 7 MARCH. Mark the date on your calender NOW! This movie is a MUST-WATCH.

Remember to check out Oz The Great and Powerful's official pages in Singapore here:
Official Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/disneystudiosSG
Official YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/disneystudiosSG
Official Twitter Account: http://www.twitter.com/disneystudiosSG

In the meantime, I'm flying in my balloon to Oz.
xoxo pamela

Jack Sparrow Resurfacing!

School started, and as usual, I hate almost everything there is about school. The early mornings, the readings, the classes and the forever dreaded homework. For the first week of school, I'd say this one thing brought a smile to my face now that it's almost the end of the week.

JOHNNY DEPP IS COMING BACK AS CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW!

It has been announced not too long ago that Johnny Depp has confirmed that he will be playing his famous role, Jack Sparrow in the fifth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean that is due to hit our theaters July 2015.

Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the few movie franchises that I follow very closely, especially because of the witty and gorgeous looking Jack Sparrow. (Nope. I don't care if Johnny Depp is old enough to be my dad. He's still hot, and hot dudes don't age. For now.)

When I initially thought of a Pirates of the Caribbean movie without Depp, it's unimaginable. In fact, if they DID produce a movie without him, chances are I'd boycott the entire chain and I don't care if it's under Disney.

Come on, anyone who follows this movie franchise would know that Jack Sparrow is the life of the movie, and Johnny Depp is THAT GUY who managed to turn a stinky, obnoxious pirate into something so utterly sexy, witty and irresistible. He's the one who breathes life into Pirates of the Caribbean and it simply WILL NOT do without him. (Mind my caps, this is touchy.)

Back to topic. This next film will be produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, who has produced the all four movies in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, along with other notable movies such as Pearl Harbor, Prince of Persia and the National Treasure franchise.

Along with Bruckheimer is Jeff Nathanson who has been hired by Bruckheimer as the screenwriter for the next installment. Jeff Nathanson has been known for his works with his most notable one being co-writing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull alongside George Lucas.

As of now, the script for this fifth installment has yet to be written and filming is set to commence in 2014. (Which is SOOOO LONGGG by fangirl standards!)

However, with Bruckheimer and Nathanson having such spectacular resumes and the fact that Bruckheimer has never disappointed me when it comes to a Pirates of the Caribbean movie, I'd give this movie a Worth Waiting For rating of:

I'm a fan, don't judge, but I AM fair when it comes to rating. (Like how I said I wasn't enjoying Timberlake's new song even though I'm a fan of his.)

What do you think of a fifth installment in this series? Is it going to be worth the wait? Would you wait it out to catch this movie in theaters come 2015?
I WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU THINK!
Drop your comments right below this post, or tweet me what you think @PamelaAvery_ !

Disclaimer: All picture credits in this post goes to Disney and I hold no copyrights to these materials. (PS. Isn't Johnny Depp so f-ing HOT?!!)

xoxo pamela

Jurassic Park 4! Yay or Nay?

It's been announced a while ago that Spielberg's Jurassic Park sequel will have a FOURTH movie in #D.
Although the Director hasn't been set in stone yet, the movie is already set to release June 13, 2014.

I remember watching Jurassic Park as a kid (because my brother was obsessed with dinosaurs), and Spielberg has to be one of the best directors/producers on this planet right now. Plus, Steven Spielberg is my inspiration to reach for my dreams. Although Spielberg isn't directing this next installment, he will putting his two cents in by producing it.

The screenwriters for this installment are currently rumored to be Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (writers of Rise of the Planet of the Apes) since they were hired as of last June to produce a new script for the movie, but no word has been released as to whether they are the final writers for this movie.

Since so much has not been set in stone and fossilized yet (pun intended), Jurassic Park fanatics can look forward to Jurassic Park being re-released in 3D (as is every other movie nowadays) that will be coming to you this April (Rumoured to be April 4, celebrating the chain's 20th anniversary).

My take:
While I'm looking forward to another blockbuster by one of my favorite producers of all time, I sure hope this fourth movie will take on a dynamic appeal like that of the first movie. (In my opinion, the second movie was a bit of a disappointment)

I'm praying that Spielberg will not veto any dino mutants that makes it like every other movie from a Hollywood franchise nowadays, and that he'll produce something that shows Hollywood how much they have degraded from the quality blockbusters.

I'm sick of generic plots and lots of explosions from the recent Hollywood blockbusters that are then stamped with a big, fat 3D to appeal to the public and then disappoint everyone with the lack of actual 3D scenes as they earn the profits.
I'm not awaiting the re-release because the only reason it'll appeal to me is because it'll look clearer on my tv screen, but God do I hope the fourth movie is something worth waiting for.

What I think Jurassic 4 should be about:
Governments worrying about the presence of Jurassic Park as a hazard towards mankind. With the rate of reproduction of dinosaurs being unknown to anyone, the Park poses as a threat to the authorities. However, with the park being an area of scientific interest, a group of people is then sent to Jurassic Park to analyze the possibility of the threat.

Of course, in the group, someone is trying to find something about the dinosaurs for personal gains... (I'll stop here. PS. EVERYTHING is from my own imagination, conjured only when I'm writing this post)

In fact, if this is the last movie Spielberg wants to produce from the Jurassic Park franchise, I think it's time to get rid of the dinosaurs on the island once and for all. It's time to keep them fossilized and not running wild on an island nobody supervises.

MY REVIEW:

To Jurassic Park 4, Worth the wait?

4 because it's a Spielberg production, and this is the guy who had the word 'BLOCKBUSTER' created to describe movies. It's got to be worth it. I'm giving this a good start, but I'm withholding full judgement until more information of this sequel is released.

To Jurassic Park's re-release:

I've watched Jurassic Park, loved it, but movies when re-released in 3D usually aren't all that fantastic (especially if the movie's from relatively long ago). I may watch it on 3D if I can, but I'm just saying, I'm not spending my time waiting around for it.

I know this is a boring, long ass post, but if you stayed to here, I just want to tell you, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

xoxo pamela

Movie Review: Wreck-It Ralph

My first movie review here! hehe.

Wreck-It Ralph is a cartoon produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios that features a 'bad guy' (Wreck-It Ralph) who longs to be accepted by the community in his game, Fix It Felix Junior. It only dawns on Wreck-It Ralph when he crashes Felix's party celebrating the 30th anniversary of the game that he would never be accepted by the community and a 'bad guy' like him will never be able to win a medal from Fix It Felix Junior no matter how hard he works (at wrecking). With that in mind, Wreck-It Ralph sets out on a journey to obtain his medal to prove himself via joining another arcade game, leaving the characters of Fix It Felix Junior to fend for themselves in the meantime.

I've got to admit. I first saw the title in Disneyland California but didn't think much of it. I mean, how could a story about an arcade game be any good? With this mindset I started the movie without even reading the synopsis.

By the time the credits scrolled, I was once again moved by Disney and amazed at how they managed to turn an arcade-full of games into the land of arcade game characters. In this show, Disney managed to bring out the values of friendship, where we learn we may end up good friends with people we never thought we'd be friends with, and emphasized the fact that our impressions of others may not always be accurate.


It is no secret that I love practically all of the Disney movies I've watched and I've got to say, Wreck-It Ralph is taking up one of the top spots in my list. Knowing that children tend to watch cartoons, I'd say that Disney managed to advocate a couple of values that are important for us to know/remember. The cartoon never has a single dull moment and keeps you entertained throughout the film. I'd give it 4.5 out of 5! But since it's all rounded up...

It's a great show for the family (and friends), and if you have the time, you should definitely catch it before it leaves the theatres!

xoxo
pamela