YA/MG movie review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

From Fandango:

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 "Victor's 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.

My thoughts:

It had been a while since I read the book, so some of the story came back to me as I watched the movie. There were only minor differences as far as I could tell... And I loved it! Great action, good archery stuff from Katniss--I forgot to be critical, to tell you the truth. I liked that Effie got a bit of depth in this one.

The ending was very much a to-be-continued. I wonder if the movie works for people who didn't see the first one, or have read the book(s). I'll be interested to hear what others think of it.

An aside:

This is one of those book series (and movie series, too) that works very well for both the YA and MG crowd. I can't put my finger on exactly why... Anyone have ideas?

Tween movie review: Percy Jackson: Sea Of Monsters

Is there anything better than catching a matinee movie on a Wednesday afternoon? I felt like I was playing hooky, but I went to give you a review, honest.

Here's the official synopsis:

Percy Jackson has had an unnervingly quiet school year. But then he discovers that the magical borders protecting Half Blood Hill are failing. Unless something is done, the camp will be attacked by demons and monsters.

The only way to restore power to the camp's borders and to save their home is to find the mythical Golden Fleece. And the only who can undertake this dangerous quest are Percy and his friends. 

Embarking on a treacherous odyssey into the uncharted waters of the Sea of Monsters (known to humans as the Bermuda Triangle), they battle terrifying creatures, an army of zombies, and the ultimate Evil.



My thoughts:

 I wish I had taken the time to re-read the book, so I could do a comparison for the avid Percy fans... But as a movie, I thought this was great. Classic quest story with plenty of excitement, special effects, and walls of water (it is Percy Jackson, after all). There was a nice character arc with Percy finding his confidence, and a sweet half-brother cyclops story that had me and the tween girls fogging up. The story was family-friendly and okay for the younger ones, but exciting enough for older kids too. Go see it.

One thing notably different from the first movie was how 'clean' this movie was: though the first one definitely inched into YA territory, this second movie was far more family-friendly. It did make me do a double-take when it came to the actors' age (clearly at least teens, some older), but in such a non-YA story. Be interesting to see if anyone else picks up on this...

Here's the trailer: