I’ve had an interesting relationship with The Hunger Games film series. The first (and titular) entry caught my attention for bringing Suzanne Collins’ dystopian world to such initially vibrant life, but director Gary Ross’ shaky camerawork kept me from lauding the film too heavily. Francis Lawrence took up the directing reigns afterward, and crafted Catching Fire into a […]
Ember Island Airwaves: Episode 1
With Season 4 of Game of Thrones all wrapped up, J and I have turned our attention to an old favorite: The Legend of Korra. Korra is a sequel series to Avatar: The Last Airbender, a show that deservedly won numerous awards (including a Primetime Emmy) during its 2005-2008 run. As a follow-up to that legacy, The Legend of Korra has likewise met with mostly […]
Divergent
It’s easy to see where Divergent borrowed from other young adult franchises. As a movie adaptation of Veronica Roth’s bestselling novel Divergent, can check all the same boxes as the juggernaut that is The Hunger Games. Comparisons between the franchises are inevitable, but frankly, Divergent doesn’t make much effort to avoid them. Sharp-shooting female protagonist? Check. Dystopian North American Fascist regime? Check. Culture […]
