Double Review Spectacular- Steve Jobs and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 2

Man, it's been a while since I've done one of these. For those who don't know, this is basically a normal, topical review but there are two in one post. It's double the content so stop complaining. Anyway, I've gone for two polar opposite films this time in the fast paced, dialogue heavy Steve Jobs and the action packed, young adult oriented Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. As someone who isn't a fan of Apple and has grown tired of The Hunger Games, it'll be interesting to see how I feel about these films. Right, let's get going with Steve Jobs!

Steve Jobs is a movie literally of three parts. It's all about the backstage drama in three separate events: the launch of the Macintosh in 1984, the NeXT computer in 1988 and ends with the iMac in 1998. On paper, I admit that that sounds pretty dull but it all comes together to form what is a genuinely fantastic film. From what I've heard (not being an expert) while these events are genuine, the drama backstage is largely fictionalised which leaves the need for realism behind and allows Sorkin's script to stretch it's legs and give an insight into the mind of one of the greatest minds of the 20th century.

What was apparent almost the instant the film begun was how incredible the acting is in this film. Michael Fassbender plays Jobs and is in almost every single scene and in each and every one of these scenes, he kills it. At multiple times, his performance made me forget that I was just watching a film, it's that immersive. While I'm not an expert on Jobs, from what I've seen and heard of it, he captured the kind of manic genius the man had, as well as the perfectionist nature he applied to every product. The other members of the cast are equally fantastic. Kate Winslet manages to give a very impressive Polish accent that I kept forgetting wasn't actually her accent. Jeff Daniels was also good for the moments when  he was around, displaying a wide and incredibly impressive array of emotions. Most impressive is Seth Rogen's performance as he makes his first dramatic performance with ease. Fans of Rogen know that when it gets to some of the more emotional bitws of his movies, he can really deliver. The whole cast, Fassbender especially, shine as bright, if not brighter, than they've ever shone before.

I can't ignore talking about it anymore. The script in this film, written by Aaron Sorkin of The Social Network fame, is phenomenal and one of the best I've ever seen. Each and every snippet of dialogue has been finely crafted unlike any other script out there. Be it a witty put down or a fascinating analogy that relates to how badly someone programmed something, the script soars. And Danny Boyle's usually unmissable directing is still wonderful but in a different way. He has had to adapt his style to be able to showcase Sorkin's script and does that perfectly, as well as getting a fair few moments to showcase how gorgeous a film can be. It's so impressive.

So really, this film is just incredible. There isn't really a flaw in it or though if I had to find one, I guess I'd say that I wanted more of Jobs and his story. It also was just missing a certain something that makes it perfect. Regardless, Steve Jobs is a wonderful film and one I won't forget for a while which is why I give it a

So, we've seen the story of a man creating a tech revolution but now, let's finish the revolution that's been raging since 2012. Only this one is a literal revolution and has teenage girls everywhere trying to whistle and do the three finger symbol thing, while holding their Starbucks in their other hand. I am of course talking about the final Hunger Games film, Mockingjay: Part 2. And as a warning, there are spoilers here for the other Huger Games films, if you haven't seen those yet.

Mockingjay (as I'm going to refer to it from now on for ease) is the final film in the Hunger Games franchise that should have been a trilogy. After a great first film, a dragging second film and a third film that was dead on arrival, I can't say I expected a whole lot from this film. It picks off pretty much right where the last film ended with Katniss recovering from Peeta's attack on her. The difference is that this time, the rebels are actually getting ready to perform an attack on the Capitol, meaning that this film has action! I'll get to that in a second but basically, the city is full of traps and it's an excuse for what is effectively another Hunger Games. The plot is not wonderful but it's based off the book and I can't really blame it for not wanting to disappoint the die hard fans.

Acting isn't typically a strong point to films like this and with Jennifer Lawrence at the helm, I feel like it should be here. Unfortunately, it's just not the case. As an audience, the closest we ever got to caring about her was using her as a pair of naive eyes through which we could view the world of Panem. We know J Law can act but it's just not on display here. The other actors in this movie are also talented but for the side characters, it becomes more of an ensemble film. We see them off into the side or say hi to Katniss about once and then get a moving send off. Oh no, wait, they don't. Because apart from the main characters and any characters who die, there aren't any send offs for any characters. It's annoying and even the ones who do die feel like their moment is rushed.

My favourite bit of this whole movie is the action. The last movie had none at all but this one really makes up for it with the best action in the series since the first film. All of the scenes in the Capitol in which the rebels run from the various traps are genuinely thrilling. The best scene of the whole film is a walk underground through a sewer system that is soaked in tension. It feels a hell of a lot like Alien, from the motion detector and flame weapons to the fetish for pipes. It manages to stay tense and not just trade in for a jump scare at the first opportunity and this moment seems to really understand something that most horror films don't, which is that sometimes waiting for something to pop out is scarier than an immediate reveal. It impressed me a hell of a lot as a moment I didn't expect at all to be well done but this section of the film and the action as a whole was great.

Mockingjay is an uneven film although I guess this is to be expected from half a movie. It's the more entertaining half however, even if it doesn't pack the emotional punch many fans expected in multiple areas. In my eyes though, it's somewhat of a redemption for the series after what I consider to be two disappointing movies. If you've seen the series up to now, you're in too deep to quit but know that it's not a bad ending. To those of you who haven't started the series yet, it's not an end that justifies the other movies. This said, I still enjoyed the movie and would give it a 

So hey, that was fun. Haven't done one of these in a while so maybe we should do this again soon. I mean, not too soon. Christmas fever hits the blog next week so actual originality takes a back seat for a month or so. Sorry for all the Scrooges among you but for anyone who loves Christmas, you're welcome.