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Movie Review: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

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**this review will contain spoilers**

I would say I’m a hunger games fan as I had not only read the series once but twice and I’ve watched each movie a countless number of times. I actually had read the The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes before I went to go watch the movie to fully prepare myself for what was going to come.

The book follows along with Coriolanus Snow, now known as President Snow of Panem. Viewers get to see his progression of how he becomes associated within the Capitol and what sets him to later become President. Coriolanus Snow would be perceivably an outlier within the Capitol with his family being relatively poor, his parents dead, him living with only his cousin Tigris and grandmother also known as Grandma’am.

Coriolanus Snow is picked to become a mentor in the iconic and annual, 10th Hunger Games. Dean Highbottom, the creator of the Hunger Games assigns all 24 mentors to the 24 tributes; Snow ends up pairing with performer, Lucy Gray Baird from District 12. Lucy Gray is seen as this eccentric character especially at her reaping ceremony with her wearing this rainbow dress, stuffing a snake down the mayor’s daughter, singing, it goes on. Snow hopes that Lucy Gray’s entertainment will come of value for those in the Capitol to enjoy her presence and sponsor her throughout the Games.

As the Games commence, tributes are slowly killed off one by one within this arena and a victor is left, being Lucy Gray. After the games, Lucy Gray is returned to District 12 to continue her performative personality by singing with her band, The Covey. However, Snow is left to become a Peacekeeper because it was found that he had cheated within the games to help Lucy Gray win. He is originally sent to District 8 but manages to switch his post to District 12 in hopes to see Lucy Gray and rekindle the romance that was evident when the Games commenced.

Now with both Lucy Gray and Snow in District 12 they live out this fantasy of a perfect life between the two of them but Snow gets caught up in troubles he’s made–lies, cheating, murders, etc. Lucy Gray and Snow head out to a cabin near a lake to settle for the night as they trek to leave District 12 and escape to a place without Capitol control but all the troubles Snow has been caught up in are slowly being pieced together by Lucy Gray. Lucy Gray makes up an excuse to leave the cabin and Snow feels suspicious and tries to find her but she has fled. He goes crazy being fed up with this paranoia and knowing he lost the one person who he had trusted.

Snow’s journey has just started as he returns back to the Capitol and to presume the life that he always strived to get. With his close friend, Sejanus Plinth dead, the Plinths take Snow under their wing as almost like a “replacement” son. Snow now heir to the Plinth fortune, he has an opportunity to truly succeed in the Capitol life which is evident he does so in the trilogy where he is the President of Panem.

That was a brief summary of the movie, but there is so much more that hasn’t been said. I think the only way to truly understand is just by watching the movie itself, especially with it being 2 and a half hours long. I will say even knowing the plot of the movie beforehand didn’t prepare for seeing it come to life and I felt emotionally attached for days on end. FYI there are a few jump scares so just stay prepared!! Honestly, you don’t need to watch the other Hunger Games movies before this one but it would be recommended because it gives you the background you would want to know to fully understand the little hints and details within The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

-Madison C.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. 

The Great Gatsby Movie Review

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I first heard of this movie when listening to Lana Del Rey’s song, “Young and Beautiful,” which features all throughout the Great Gatsby. I know it’s recommended to read the book first and watch the movie after, but it was too late for me to resist when it began playing on my TV.  

The Great Gatsby is a classic novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald with themes of love and letting go of and holding on to the past. In 2013, a movie rendition was released starring Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway and Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby. The movie begins with Nick Carraway at a doctor’s appointment where he begins to write about how he became friends with Gatsby. Gatsby is a rich business man that throws parties for everyone and anyone who wishes to stop by. No one really knows who he is, but when Nick is invited personally to Gatsby’s party he finds out who he is and all his secrets.

The Great Gatsby was a pretty good movie, although I cannot say how accurate it is to the book. Nick acted as the storyteller throughout the film which changed how the story progressed and how information was revealed. I really liked the way Nick told the story and how it correlated to the way it was filmed. It was fun to piece together the puzzle when new information was revealed as the story went on, since it’s told through Nick’s point of view. I found it interesting that it was an outsider’s point of view, showing the thoughts and emotions of a person who would usually be considered the side character. I also loved to see how helpless Nick was to Gatsby, and how even though Nick was the one to always be there for Gatsby, Nick was still pushed to the side and never was the important one. I loved how Nick found his sense of purpose and want, no longer just the simple side character, but someone with depth and a more interesting life.

Another thing I liked was how this story was not your usual romance. I liked how it didn’t have the same happily ever after that most stories and movies today chase. The only thing I can say without giving away too much, is that The Great Gatsby is a tragedy. For most characters in the movie, their endings are not what most would consider happy; the best it got was bittersweet. It was very shocking to see their endings, especially when Gatsby, the main character and name of the title, didn’t actually get what he wanted in the end. While some may find sad, tragic endings disappointing, I found these to be very fitting and enjoyable to see. 

I thought The Great Gatsby was a great movie. I really enjoyed how it was told and the plot overall. Despite this movie having been released over ten years ago, it was a superb movie that hopefully captured the full story of the classic novel properly. Now after having seen The Great Gatsby, I’m excited to get the chance to read it. I think that this movie is great for older audiences and recommend it to those in that age group, so they fully understand the little details in the storyline. 

-Nicole R.

The Great Gatsby is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. 

The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story

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THE SPIDER WITHIN: A SPIDER-VERSE STORY is a newly released short film that is based within Sony’s animated Spiderman universe.

While many believed that the film would simply promote Spiderman: Beyond the Spiderverse, the third entry in the series, the film is entirely separate with its own story and themes. 

In the climax of the film, Miles sees his torn mask across his room and becomes overwhelmed with his past failures. His anxieties eventually become too great, and physically manifest themselves into a giant spider. The color palette shifts to a red tone as Miles attempts to battle his stress head-on in a stunningly animated sequence. The combination of the constant clicking noises from the spider and the dark music also helps create a tense atmosphere. Like the previous two full-length movies, this short film shares the same style of bright cell-shaded animation.

Throughout the film, Miles’ anxiety is represented in a variety of ways. In addition to the physical monster, Miles’ spider-sense accidentally triggers, even though there is nothing that poses any danger to him. This false alarm was directly caused by Miles’ current state of uneasiness. 

Even as Spiderman, Miles Morales is not safe from the daily stresses of being a good student and son. The film promotes mental health awareness by showing that everyone can become overwhelmed. Miles resolves his issue by opening up to his father about his problems.

Many who struggle with similar mental health issues often do not seek help, whether it’s due to fear or pride. However, the example of Miles shows that even “strong” people can benefit from help. Less than a week after the short film’s release, it has already raised over  $5½ million dollars to the Kevin Love Fund.

Movie Review: Fried Green Tomatoes

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SPOILER FREE

The movie Fried Green Tomatoes proved to be a surprisingly enjoyable watch for me. I started the movie without a clue what it was about, only that it was going to be leaving Netflix soon, but just 20 minutes in I was crying. This movie is centered on the female bond, among other things, and follows the story of two female relationships: Ruth and Idgie from the 1920s, and Ninny and Evelyn in the 1980s.

Evelyn, a modern housewife of the 80s, struggles with her self-esteem. She and her husband, Ed, move near a senior living facility on the account of Ed’s aunt, who can’t seem to tolerate Evelyn and kicks her out of her room. In dismay, Evelyn waits for Ed in the visitor space when she meets an old woman named Ninny. Ninny tells Evelyn a story of when she was younger about two women, Ruth and Idgie, who against all odds formed a beautiful relationship that got each other during the Great Depression.

My review: This is a film where the connection between two people is so strong that it does not need to be explicitly declared or necessarily lead to something more physical. I know that there are disputes that the original book was more heavily focused on the romance of the story and this movie had a great deal of lesbian erasure but I genuinely think that this movie on its own stands to be a great piece of work. It is not a story where the message is written out plainly for all to see, which is why I like it so much. It is also very easy to watch, you might think that it would be confusing since it’s an old movie but I found myself completely immersed. Overall, I would recommend it if you liked La La Land, The Florida Project, Call Me By Your Name, or anything by Greta Gerwig.

Fried Green Tomatoes is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library. 

Dune 2 Movie Review

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Hey y’all! So Dune Part 2 was in theaters, and it’s pretty amazing. 

Dune Part 2 (2024) is, of course, a sequel to Dune (2021). Both Dune movies are adaptations of the first book in the Dune series by Frank Herbert, which is a sci-fi series following the remaining members of the Atreides family. Dune inspired other works of science fiction, such as Star Wars.

The second movie continues the story of Dune, following Paul Atreides. It tries to stay as faithful to the original book by as possible. As someone who has read most of the first book, I can confirm that it’s very accurate to the original novel. The movie only changes a few things and cuts out some more minor, dialogue-heavy scenes. Dune Part 2 also provides an amazing sense of scale, which is something that I feel the book sort of struggles with, and I think that makes the movie a great companion to the book.

Overall, I’d say it’s a great adaptation, especially considering the first book is about 900 pages. I would recommend finishing the book first, but I didn’t do that for either movie and there’s still a ton of bonus information you get in the book. And if you’re like me and you stop reading the book for a year or two, the movie is a great refresher if you’re more than halfway through.

Film of Character “Flipped” – Community of Character Program!

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On March 17, the Community of Character, an official committee of Mission Viejo, hosted a movie program in the Council of Chambers. The movie shown, “Flipped,” is about two teenagers, Bryce and Juli. In essence, Juli has had a crush on Bryce since he first moved to the neighborhood. However, he never liked her back. After years and years of trying to get over him, the movie shows how Juli and Bryce have “flipped” feelings: Bryce likes her but Juli does not. The main purpose of displaying this movie was to show its moments of integrity. Some examples of integrity in the movie are when Juli defends her beloved sycamore tree, Bryce stands up for her against his friend, and Bryce tries several times to apologize to her for a reason that will not be spoiled in this review!

After the movie was played, the board of the committee held a very valuable discussion about the movie. This discussion lasted about 20 minutes and everyone in the room was very involved. We talked about the moments of integrity and the major scenes that shifted the meaning of the movie. We also had a raffle for people under 18 that included gift cards and prizes!

Overall, going to these movie events is a great way to boost your community involvement and have fun with your friends!

The next movie is on Saturday, April 19 at 1:00 pm, be there!

Valentina N.

Flipped is available for checkout from the Mission Viejo Library.

Movie review: A Man Called Otto

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Trigger warning: mentions of suicide

Before you start reading this, know that there will be spoilers.

I truly hope you have Kleenex on hand. This movie had many amazing themes, like repairing long-lasting friendships as well as forgiveness and redemption but, there are definitely sad scenes where I got teary-eyed. Overall, this movie was excellent, and I highly recommend it.

Otto is initially portrayed as a cantankerous and bitter man. Early on we see his short temper for people who don’t follow the rules of the neighborhood and the evidence of alienated relationships. He has been living in the same townhouse for many years. Otto keeps the blinds closed and lives a rigid life of predictability and isolation. There are flashbacks of Otto’s memories when he was younger meeting the woman he would soon marry. She seemed to be the only thing in his life that he lived for. She is gone when we meet Otto and in an early scene, we see Otto attempting to commit suicide so he could join his beloved wife. Through flashbacks we learn that his wife had been pregnant, and they were in a terrible accident which explains a deep darkness and profound grief that he is experiencing.

He attempts suicide several more times – each attempt is interrupted by someone in the neighborhood that is in need of his help. Otto’s sense of duty causes him to reluctantly pause and assist them. A certain family in particular, who is moving into their neighborhood, stops Otto on multiple occasions. They have two children, and the woman is expecting her third. The parking of their moving truck is one of the first events that interrupts Otto’s attempts to join his wife. He ends up helping them and in return, the woman brings him over some food to thank him for his help. This is the first time we see Otto’s shield begin to weaken.

The arrival of the new neighbors shakes loose the perpetual funk that has taken over his life, and he slowly starts to realize again why life is worth living. He encounters a young man who knew his wife and makes an unlikely friendship with him along the way. We see Otto finally embracing his newly created community, with new and old friends alike, and they become a large part of his life. At the end of the movie, we see Otto forgive his old friend, save a family, become a babysitter and handyman.

For me, this movie is a great example of courage and hope. Over time, Otto demonstrates vulnerability and courage by letting people back into the life he tried so hard to leave behind. Grief and sadness are part of our life experience, but so are hope and joy.

If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, help is available. Call, chat or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 Lifeline.

If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the 988 Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States.

A Man Called Otto is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

Taylor Swift The Eras Tour Movie Review

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Overview

Starting in March, the US leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour began. With 52 dates of the US tour, and many more over South America and Europe, Taylor Swift created a 3 and a half hour show, composed of 44 songs creating an ultimate show that anyone would enjoy. The Eras tour broke record after record once started.

However, one problem for the fans was accessing tickets. The Eras Tour, in such demand, became very expensive and the tickets became hard to find. Lucky for me, I was able to snag a couple tickets during the presale, but many unfortunate fans did not have the ability to even buy tickets. Once the tickets were bought, scalpers were reselling them for over 5 times the value, making them unaffordable for many people and hard to get tickets that were decently priced. 

However, on October 13th, the Eras Tour movie came out, allowing fans to be able to access the movie and see it on the big screen. A recording of Taylor Swift’s performances in Los Angeles at Sofi Stadium, the movie was an immediate smash hit, allowing everyone to be able to watch the movie. Many people even treated the movie as the concert experience, standing up and singing and trading friendship bracelets. Later on December 13, Taylor Swift released The Eras Tour- Extended Version, which made the movie available to rent on demand and included 3 additional songs that were not included in the original movie in theaters.

Review:

My personal thoughts on the movie was that it was really good and I would give it a 9.5/10. The concert movie stood out for the following reasons:

  • The movie was a very good recreation of the show in person and I thought that the film did a good job in capturing the feel of the concert with the energy of the fans and Taylor Swift.
  • I liked how the movie was very good at showing the watcher what the tour was, by directing where the watcher should look, while also showing the other parts of the tour, like dancer features. I thought that this was very nice because when I saw the concert, I was far away from the stage, so I liked being able to see everything up close.
  • I liked how the movie showed different aspects of the show by using cameras on stage to show Taylor Swift while also using cameras above the stage and drones to help show aerial views of the stage and the audience. I especially liked when they panned to the audience and all the light bracelets lit up, like a sea of light.

The only thing that I did not enjoy as much in the movie was that it felt very shortened. Like the transitions between the different sets were cut, and they removed 4 songs from the set list. However, I get this as the film was trying to stay shorter- cutting the concert experience from 3 and a half hours to 2 hours and 45 minutes.

I think that The Eras Tour concert film was really good and I would not just recommend it to people who enjoy Taylor Swift’s music, but to anyone who is open to having a great time because it is enjoyable for everyone.

For the people who were not able to see the movie in theaters, the movie is now coming out on Disney+ on March 17th!

Mean Girls Movie Review

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I absolutely love the original Mean Girls movie, so when I saw the preview for the new one when I was watching Wonka, I knew I had to see it. The new one was pretty much the same, but it was a musical and they removed most of the culturally less sensitive jokes. 

The movie was amazing, yet I wish they had chosen a different actor to play Cady. Although Angourie Rice was a good actor, her voice was soft and emotionless. Also, I was expecting her to have a bigger glow-up like in the original movie but overall she stayed the same.

I love how the song sequences were like a real musical- they made the whole movie come alive. My favorite song “Someone gets hurt” looked cool because the actors posed like they were frozen except Renee Rapp and Christopher Briney. 

The movie captured Renee Rapp’s vocal skill while she played Regina George. I really loved the new song, Not My Fault, she made for the movie. The way she was different from Rachel Mcadams is the she upfront about being mean whereas when Rachel Mcadams played Regina as a sweet, popular girl that is actually really mean.

One of my favorite things they added is the scene where Cady talks to her mom about what she did. She connects with her mom and shows how much she still needs her.

All in all the movie was really good and funny (it definitely couldn’t beat the original, but I still really enjoyed it). I give the movie a 9.5/10. I recommend seeing it with your friends at some point even if it’s not in the theaters.

The original Mean Girls movie is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library.

The Lorax

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The Lorax is an absolute delight from start to finish! I love this movie; it is a delightful, and colorful burst of imagination that motivated me to do more for environmental love and a severe case of Truffula tree envy.

The animation is beautiful and vibrant, and The Land of Thneedville is a kaleidoscope of colors. The characters are so animated and full of personality that you’ll want to hug a hummingfish for good measure.

The protagonist is Ted Wiggins, who is voiced by Zac Efron. Ted is a boy who lives in the artificial and polluted town of Thneedville. His crush on Audrey drives him to embark on a quest to find a real tree to impress her. He stumbles upon the Once-ler, the critical character who holds the secrets of the Truffula trees and the Lorax.

The Lorax, voiced by Danny DeVito, brings this bushy-mustached guardian of the forest to life in a heartwarming and hilarious way. You’ll always remember his one-liners, and trust me, you’ll never look at a tree the same way again.

The story is more than just a quest for the last Truffula seed; it’s a powerful message; the movie gently nudges you to think about environmental issues without preaching, and by the end, you’ll be singing “Let It Grow” at the top of your lungs like an eco-warrior.

The supporting cast is equally funny and fantastic– Taylor Swift as Audrey, the protagonist’s crush, Swift adds a dash of girl power. The Once-ler (voiced by Ed Helms) is also charmingly clueless about the consequences of his actions, and you almost forgive him for the deforestation.

And let’s remember the musical numbers! From “How Bad Can I Be?” to the infectious “Let It Grow,” the soundtrack is toe-tappingly catchy, and you can’t help but dance like a Swomee-Swan in no time. The whole track is so dance-worthy.

So, if you think this movie is only for kids, think again, “The Lorax” is a must-see for tree-huggers and Thneed enthusiasts, including older kids and adults alike. It’s an infectious celebration of nature, a cautionary tale about corporate greed, and all the fun rolled into one Truffula-tastic ball. Make it a movie night and grab your family, friends, and maybe even a Lorax-fun-approved snack and judge for yourself. For me, this movie was a cinematic experience as fun and sweet as a Bar-ba-loot’s marshmallow fluff!

Have a sweet Barbaloot experience!
Bella H.