This weekend’s release of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has predictably set the box office ablaze. Based on author Suzanne Collin’s phenomenally successful young adult trilogy, the sequel sees Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence return as badass heroine Katniss Everdeen and director Francis Lawrence (Constantine, I Am Legend) taking over behind the camera for Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, Pleasantville).
While the first film earned nearly $700 million worldwide, it was not without its critics, leading some to believe that The Hunger Games film franchise would fail to keep the momentum going and deliver on the promise of Collins’ novels. However, it appears that Catching Fire has managed to avoid the unfortunate fate that befalls many science fiction franchises and has successfully built upon the foundation of its predecessor. Over the years, many sci-fi franchises have struggled to sustain their freshness and creativity over the course of several films. To that end, here are five sci-fi film franchises that couldn’t help but disappoint. Continue reading 5 Most Disappointing Sci-Fi Film Franchises→
Now that the autumn leaves have officially fallen, it’s the perfect time to reflect on this summer’s movie season. This year’s crop of blockbuster releases (or wanna-be blockbusters – looking at you, The Lone Ranger) feels like a mixed bag of quality. Some films proved themselves worthy of the hype (This Is the End, Star Trek Into Darkness) while others were more lackluster affairs that failed to match the significant pre-release buzz (World War Z, Elysium). Still, few films managed to capture the essence of what made summer films so popular to begin with.
The birth of the crowd-pleasing, popcorn-munching summer film arguably took place in May 1977 with a little film called Star Wars (though a case could be made for Jaws, which predates it by two years). George Lucas’ space opera took audiences by surprise, transporting them to a world they’ve never seen and providing what still stands as one of the most unabashedly fun films of all time. The Avengers unquestionably owned that title last year, and while Man of Steel may perhaps be my personal favorite Hollywood blockbuster of the season, no film released in summer 2013 embodies that sense of escapist entertainment as well as Guillermo del Toro’s Pacific Rim. Here’s why. Continue reading Why ‘Pacific Rim’ Was the Event Film of Summer 2013 (Sorry, ‘Man of Steel’)→
As a film fanatic in general, I’m usually open to checking out releases of any genre, but today’s cinematic landscape is so polluted to senseless remakes and sequels that it makes any whiff of originality even stronger by comparison. Very rarely do I come across a film that truly attempts to do something truly creative and, in many ways, innovative with its storytelling.
Worse still, these gems often go overlooked, under-appreciated and lacking in the recognition they deserve. This, I assume, is how films first began earning cult followings, as some releases are perhaps too ahead of their time and think too “outside the box” to capture the affection of the general movie-going public. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is one such film.
