first reactions

The Hunger Games post-apocalyptic trailer is finally here and we've got chills

Early this morning, Lionsgate Films premiered the first full-length trailer for the highly anticipated film adaptation of The Hunger Games.

Based on the trilogy of books by Suzanne Collins, this post-apocalyptic young adult series tells a story of violence and survival and has caused a stir in both the YA and adult literary worlds for its dark focus.

The books have been monstrously popular — even garnering a rave review from the master of horror himself, Stephen King, who said, "[The Hunger Games] is a violent, jarring, speed-rap of a novel that generates nearly constant suspense... I couldn't stop reading."

If you're new to The Hunger Games, here's the official synopsis:

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains.

Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she's ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Did Jennifer Lawrence bring the strength and vulnerability we want from Katniss Everdeen? As she screams a gut wrenching “I volunteer, I volunteer!” and races after the countdown into the forest, I can see why director Gary Ross chose her to portray main character Katniss.

I’m not 100 percent sold on Josh Hutcherson’s Peeta; he’ll have to work to convince us of the sweet-faced baker who turns into a selfless warrior. Dressed in a pink frothy costume and nearly unrecognizable makeup, Elizabeth Banks plays Effie Trinket in an unfamiliar and terrifying way.

When I originally heard of the casting, I wasn’t totally convinced of Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, the stylist in charge of making the tributes from District 12 shine, but after hearing his bass voice croon “I’m here to help you to make an impression,” I get it. And Woody Harrelson is not how I was picturing Haymitch Abernathy at all (I imagined him older, grayer and more stout), but once you get over his ridiculous hair, he does evoke that tortured out-of-it vibe with moments of brilliance.

Noticeably missing from the trailer: the actual Hunger Games. The fighting, the injuries, the deaths and the monsters that help kill off the tributes inside the arena. No doubt director Gary Ross is keeping that under wraps to build suspense on what the actual Hunger Games will look like and if they will take it as far as they do in the book.

So the question is: Will the movies live up to the books' hype? Tell us what you think.

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Movie Review

Supergirl fails to take flight in a movie weighed down by grief

Photo courtesy of DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures

Milly Alcock in Supergirl.

Last year's Superman reboot brought a renewed sense of optimism for, if not the concept of the comic book movie, then at least the DC Comics universe. After more than a decade of DC films that felt mostly creatively bankrupt, the leadership of James Gunn gave the story a sense of fun. That included the brief introduction of Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, who’s now getting her own showcase in, naturally, Supergirl.

When we first met her in Superman, Supergirl was in rough shape, arriving at the Fortress of Solitude visibly inebriated. Nothing has changed at the beginning of this film, save for her aimlessly traveling around the universe with her rambunctious dog, Krypto. One of her random stops puts her in the same bar as Ruthye (Eve Ridley), who is looking for help tracking down Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts) and a group known as the Brigands after they brutally murdered her family.

Kara is initially loath to offer aid, but when Krem shoots a poison dart into Krypto while escaping, her motivation goes way up, especially since Krem holds the antidote. Kara, with Ruthye doggedly following her, uses every means available to her to find Krem, a journey that is hampered by galaxies having different colored suns than the one that gives her powers, the yellow sun.

Directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Ana Nogueira, the film is a big step back in the fun category, not least because Supergirl is deep in her feelings for much of the film. Her personal trauma, which is detailed in occasional flashbacks, gives a reason for her depression, but fails to land fully. The story seems to want everyone to be sad, as it includes a child trafficking ring and multiple instances of families being murdered.

Milly Alcock and Krypto in Supergirl.Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

To try to counteract that downer material, the filmmakers give Supergirl many opportunities to show off her fighting skills. While still CGI-heavy, the action scenes contain enough of a semblance of reality that they feel exciting. Unfortunately, this is undercut by the inclusion of several slow-motion sequences, giving the impression that the filmmakers didn’t trust the actors to deliver the goods on a consistent basis.

Superman (David Corenswet) makes a handful of appearances in the film, and while his presence is welcome given how well the character came across in the previous movie, it also doesn’t allow Supergirl to become her own person. Almost everything she does is colored by either her cousin or her parents, and since her powers are identical to those of Superman, there is very little that makes her story unique aside from how she’s dealing with the fallout.

Alcock (House of the Dragon, Sirens) gives an appealing performance despite her character being drunk and/or moody most of the time. She definitely sells what Supergirl is going through, so if given a better story in a future film, she’s proven her capability. Schoenaerts makes for a pretty good villain, although he’s aided by a look that includes a face full of studs. Jason Momoa has a memorable supporting role as the bounty hunter Lobo, even if his character doesn’t add much to the story.

While not a full-on disaster, Supergirl does not continue the momentum that Superman started. With a story that’s more concerned with showing audiences death scenes than a hero saving people, the film doesn’t seem to understand the appeal of a character like Supergirl or how to make her someone audiences will return to over and over again.

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Supergirl is now playing in theaters.

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