My rating: 

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victory Tour” of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) – a competition that could change Panem forever.

I saw this movie this week with my friend. We both really enjoyed it, even though it was really long and slower than the first film. The costume design and soundtrack are both great. Jennifer Lawrence pulls off an amazing performance as Katniss, but the rest of the casting is okay. For example, the actress who played Wiress looked a little too old to have the role. But overall, the movie was great. I think it was even better than the first film. I think any fan of the book series (like me) will enjoy the movie. But if you haven’t read the books, I still think you will enjoy the movie. I would recommend this movie for kids 12 and up, because their is some action in the movie, but it isn’t bloody, except for one scene when Gale (Katniss’ childhood BFF) is being whipped in public because he tackled a Peacekeeper to save an old lady, and lots of blood is shown on his back after getting whipped.

Here is the film’s site and trailer.

My rating: 

In the future, Earth barely survived an alien invasion, and 50 years later, the planet’s military commanders, led by Colonel Graff (Harrison Ford), are expecting another attack any day. To prepare, they’ve recruited child-soldiers whose minds are especially agile and suited for a new brand of warfare. Andrew “Ender” Wiggin (Hugo’s Asa Butterfield) is one of those kids, who attends a school where students learn about the aliens and play strategy games, and the best students are chosen by Colonel Graff and his colleague, Major Anderson (Viola Davis), to go to train at Battle School, a space station where students train to battle against the aliens. Ender is chosen by Graff to go to Battle School and train. In Battle School, he makes some friends, including Petra (Academy Award Nominee Hailee Steinfeld) and Bean (Aramis Knight), and some enemies as well, mainly Bonzo (Hannah Montana‘s Moises Arias). Eventually, Ender is promoted to Command School, where he must lead his own army, which includes Petra, Bean, and his former enemy Bernard, to defeat the aliens once and for all. This movie also stars Ben Kingsley and Abigail Breslin.

This film, which is directed by Gavin Hood (the director of X-Men Origins: Wolverine), was very enjoyable, especially for someone like me, who has read the novel that the movie is based on. I did, though, notice a few changes the filmmakers made. One of them is that Viola Davis’ character, Major Anderson, is a male in the book but for no reason at all, Anderson was changed to a female! Also, in the book, the aliens are known as the Buggers, but in the movie, they are known as the Formics. But overall, for someone like me who has read the book, I was pretty satisfied. The film was better than I expected. The visual effects and music are great! So, in conclusion, if you have or haven’t read the book Ender’s Game, then you will definetley enjoy the movie! I would recommend this movie for kids 12 and up, because there are some violent scenes.

Here is the film’s trailer.