Today, I have two exciting movies to review. I will be reviewing "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2" which is the conclusion to one of the biggest recent blockbuster franchises and "The Night Before" which is a holiday themed comedy from Seth Rogen who has been on fire with comedies lately. Before I get started, I'd like to give a shoutout to the Free Gamer's Alliance YouTube channel. Their videos cover everything from walkthroughs, glitches, easter eggs, and various amusing video game related content, all of which is delivered with some colorful commentary while they have buckets of fun doing it. Here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/user/FreeGamersAlliance/
Lets start this off with "The Night Before." Here is the trailer:
- The characters in this movie are insanely flawed and likeable. This allows the audience to relate to them as well as root for them.
- The cast really delivers here. They manage to be very charismatic and have great comedic timing.
- There are some truly fantastic jokes in this movie that had me laughing hard. They jokes are raunchy, well timed, and at times quite clever.
- Finally, there are some wonderful cameos.
- The plot of this movie is a bit too ambitious for it's own good. It tries to juggle way too many plot lines for a movie of this nature and I feel that it would have been a lot better off by keeping things a bit simpler.
- There are some parts of the movie that overly rely on some major cliches which may cause some eye rolling.
"The Night Before" may not be the most polished movie but it delivers the laughs and is an overall good time at the movies. If you are looking for some lighthearted fun, I would highly recommend it.
Lets move on to "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2." Here is the trailer:
- As usual, the cast is (mostly) fantastic. Jennifer Lawrence has really grown as an actress since the first "Hunger Games" movie and it shows.
- There are some killer action sequences in this movie that will have you on the edge of your seat.
- There are some really good heartfelt moments in this movie that will make you feel things.
- The sets and costumes are absolutely stunning. This franchise has been very good at making the world that it takes place in feel authentic and movie is no exception.
- The villains of this movie really come off as absolute bastards which is what good villains do.
- There are some unavoidable pacing issues that come with splitting a book into two movies. While the pacing is definitely better than in part 1, there are still some points where it becomes an issue.
- As usual, Liam Hemsworth's performance contains all the personality and charisma of a rock.
- The ending is done "Return of the King" style. By that I mean, there are so many points where it would have ended perfectly but then it just keeps going to a point where it is almost comical.
"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2" is a good send off for the franchise but it isn't as strong as one would hope for. I would still say that it is worth seeing in theaters, especially if you have been invested in the franchise from the beginning but it definitely could have been stronger.
Thanks for reading everyone!! As usual, feel free to leave a comment but please be advised that if you read any potential comments that spoilers may be present.