Review: 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1' starring Jennifer Lawrence

Politics has always been at the heart of The Hunger Games, keyed to greater effect in Suzanne Collins' novels than in the pair of film adaptation we've seen up to this point. That's to be expected; the focus has largely been on the tournament of violence the volatile heroine Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and her maybe-love Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) find themselves thrust into by the despotic President Snow (Donald Sutherland).  But among all of the battles and love triangles, make no mistake that politics, specifically how governments collude with the media to keep the populace naive, was a big part of why this franchise resonates as much as it does. Have you watched the cable news lately? Don't bother.

That Mockingjay maintains such a high level while evolving from a futuristic war film into a straight-up political thriller is an incredible achievement, even if it comes at the expense of the action some have come to expect. The "games" are different this time for Katniss, who has just been rescued by the rebellion after she literally blew up the Quarter Quell. Now she must face a twisted game of cat and mouse with President Snow, one in which he is more than happy to use a sickly, brainwashed Peeta as propaganda against her. But the rebels holed up in District 13's underground bunker are just as savvy, and with the encouragement of President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) and Plutarch Heavensbee (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in his final role), Katniss reluctantly agrees to become the "mockingjay" and lead the people of Panem in a battle against the Capitol.

Ironically, this is a movie about the power of the visual image to influence great societal change. Katniss isn't the most natural leader, so the early attempts to mold her into one are dismal failures. It's her now-sober mentor Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) who suggests taking her out into the field where a film crew led by Cressida (Natalie Dormer) can document her every move, turning her escapades into political ads to rally the other Districts. Her return home to District 12, destroyed by a bombing raid that killed practically everyone, is especially gruesome and heart-wrenching, the crunch of broken bones beneath Katniss' feet with every step. The 'hunger games' themselves are terrible, but it's nothing compared to the true evil inflicted by Snow while he grins behind that white beard and curling sneer. There couldn't have been a more perfect choice than Lawrence to play the strong, defiant Katniss, but let's not overlook the amazing Donald Sutherland. He deserves to be mentioned right alongside Ralph Fiennes' Voldemort, Heath Ledger's Joker, and whoever that guy was who played Darth Vader.

With Peeta firmly in the Capitol's clutches, the love triangle takes a bit of a hiatus. It's still there when we see Katniss' lovelorn pal Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) comforting her as she pines for the deteriorating Peeta.  The lack of romantic sparks actually works to Gale's benefit as he finally starts to take shape as a real character, one with opinions that don't necessarily conform to what Katniss expects. Others get their moments to shine, including Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin) who is also anguishing over a lost lover; the eccentric inventor BeeTee (Jeffrey Wright) who has settled into his role as the rebels' tech guy; and Effie Trinkett (Elizabeth Banks) who has found a way to turn the ugly rebel grey/black uniforms into something close to chic. Incoming screenwriter Danny Strong, who knows a thing or two about political movies having penned Recount and Game Change for HBO, subtly tweaks each character to reflect the war-torn world they find themselves in now.

Those expecting Mockingjay part 1 to be just like Catching Fire may be disappointed, though. The thrills are of a different sort, and there isn't the "who's going to die next?" mystery hanging over every scene. Katniss remains at the center but this is about how she copes with having leadership thrust upon her, not how many Tributes she can fire an arrow into. It's another outstanding, complex performance by Lawrence who shows Katniss' vulnerability early on before igniting the rebel cause as the "girl on fire" later on. It doesn't seem to matter what role she's in, we can't help but feel a connection to her.

Francis Lawrence returns as director after helming 'Catching Fire', and it can't be overstated how the franchise has improved since the departure of Gary Ross. Not that Ross was terrible; he set the groundwork and Lawrence has taken it to a whole new level. By necessity there is less visual dazzle than before, but he still manages to flesh out the technologically advanced world of Panem in a way that is relatable.

There's more Mockingjay to come, of course, and the sequel promises to be all-out war. The first chapter ends on one heck of a nasty cliffhanger that does exactly what it's supposed to which is leave us anxious to see what's next.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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New Clip from 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay' featuring CGI-Less Philip Seymour Hoffman

After the sudden, tragic passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman earlier this year there was some question surrounding his last major role, which was in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay two-part finale. We knew he hadn't quite wrapped up his part as Plutarch Heavensbee, and there had been some inklings that CGI could be used to fill in the gaps, a process which has a sketchy track record. Well, Francis Lawrence has now come out and said he decided that wasn't such a good idea. He tells HuffPo...

"He had two scenes with dialogue that were left and we decided we didn't want to try any digital trickery with him, so we rewrote his scenes and gave the dialogue to other actors. So there was one scene from Part 1 and one scene from Part 2."

Probably the wisest course of action. Meanwhile, a new clip has emerged that just happens to include Hoffman along with co-stars Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, and Jennifer Lawrence. In this scene, we see Haymitch and the rebel brain trust discussing how to make Katniss more likeable to the public. Surprisingly, the strongest voice in her defense is Effie Trinkett, who has been genuinely moved by Katniss' self-sacrificing ways.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1 opens Nov. 21st. 

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New 'Mockingjay' Clip and Poster as Cast Crashes Woody Harrelson's SNL Appearance

In just a few short days, fans will finally have their chance to see the war against the Capital take shape in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1, but before all of that happens the marketing campaign is being kicked up another notch. It's been pretty hard to avoid Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth for the last couple of weeks, which is fine because they genuinely seem to have fun when together, especially when it comes at the expense of someone else in the cast.

Woody Harrelson, who Katniss' mentor Haymitch in the films, hosted SNL last night and his opening monologue about the year 1989 was interrupted by Lawrence, Hutcherson, and Hemsworth. Also, we get to see the trio together again in the latest clip, which shows a beef brewing between Katniss and Gale over Peeta's fate. That's accompanied by a stylish new poster, featuring Katniss in what looks like a piece of rebellion propaganda.

So lots of stuff to take in here. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 opens November 21st!

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The Mockingjay Lives in New Trailer for 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1'

"It's the things we love most that destroy us." Those ominous, prophetic words by President Snow (Donald Sutherland) couldn't apply more to Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), the stalwart heroine of The Hunger Games franchise. She entered the brutal games in an effort to save her beloved sister, and was forced to enter them a second time to save her entire family and those of her friends. Now in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1, Katniss will risk everything to save her homeland of Panem from the Capitol's oppressive rule.

The new trailer for first chapter in the two-part Mockingjay finale has been released and it shows what a vastly different movie this is compared to the others. For one, Katniss is no longer just a competitor in the Games; she is now the Mockingjay, leader of a rebellion whether she wants to be or not. But like any war, it can't be won merely with firepower, and we see President Snow using the brainwashed Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) as his main propaganda weapon against the rebels.

Julianne Moore joins the cast as President Alma Coin, and according to EW her role has been beefed up compared to the Suzanne Collins novels. Philip Seymour Hoffman returns for what is the late actor's final performance, along with the original cast of Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Jeffrey Wright, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, and Stanley Tucci.  Directed by Francis Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1 opens November 21st.


Jogos Vorazes: A Esperança - Parte 1 - Trailer by Filmow

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See the District 13 Rebellion in New 'Mockingjay' Character Posters

District 13 is not a fun place to be, in fact it looks extremely bleak. But then again, in the world of The Hunger Games, it's not even supposed to really exist. As Katniss begins to lead a rebellion against President Snow and the might of the Capitol, District 13 becomes their new headquarters and judging by these new posters for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1, it can get mighty lonely there.

Lionsgate has continued their massive online marketing campaign for the film by launching a new website and revealing new character-specific posters. They give us a look at Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), Effie Trinkett (Elizabeth Banks), an injured Beetee (Jeffrey Wright), Finnick (Sam Claflin), rebel leader Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee, all of them closed off behind District 13's massive walls.

Presumably there will be more of these posters to come and we'll update this post as they are released. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1 opens November 21st.

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Katniss Is the Face of a Rebellion in First 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1' Trailer

Over the weekend Lionsgate took an unusual route in promoting The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 during Comic-Con. While it didn't have a panel or anything like that, a Comic-Con poster was released that got everyone's attention for the stark, militaristic image it presents. Plus, rather than debuting the first trailer in a traditional sense it was instead shown at select Best Buy stores in a collaboration with Samsung. It was a gutsy approach for the top YA franchise around, and it seems to have worked because anticipation for the new footage has been at an all-time high.

Now the trailer has been made available to the masses and it does a good job of showing the many different threats Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) faces without showing much of her at all. Instead the focus seems to be on how she's perceived by the people around her. Some are counting on her to be the face of the rebellion against the Capitol, while others don't quite have faith in her abilities yet. Meanwhile, President Snow is doing whatever he can to taint her image with the people, but as we see in the trailer's payoff moment she's not going down so easily; she came to fight.

The Hunger Games has always had a great cast but Mockingjay has taken that to another level. We get glimpses of Woody Harrelson and Josh Hutcherson back as Haymitch and Peeta respectively. The late Philip Seymour Hoffman is seen as Plutarch Heavensbee, the final role we'll ever see him play. And then we also see new additions Julianne Moore as Alma Coin, and Game of Thrones star Natalie Dormer as Cressida.

Directed by Francis Lawrence, part 1 of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay opens November 21st.


The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1-Official Trailer ()HD) Comic-Con 2014 by Trailersstv

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Daniel Radcliffe Has 'Trainwreck' Role'; Woody Harrelson and Liam Hemsworth Team for 'By Way of Helena'

* The value of keeping your camera phone handy is catching somebody like Daniel Radcliffe hanging out with Marisa Tomei on the set of Judd Apatow's upcoming comedy, Trainwreck. Apatow has come out and denied it but the pics tell the whole story, and it looks like Harry Potter will be joining the cast led by Amy Schumer and centering on a basketcase trying to get her life back together. Bill Hader, Brie Larson, John Cena, Barkhad Abdi, Ezra Miller, and Mike Birbiglia co-star with the film set for July 24th 2015.

*  Because Woody Harrelson is looking for another team-up the quality of his True Detective pairing with Matthew McConaughey, he's now joining his The Hunger Games co-star Liam Hemsworth  in the Western, By Way of Helena. Okay, so Hemsworth is no McConaughey but the movie sounds potentially strong with Aussie director Kieran Darcy-Smith (Wish You Were Here) helming the revenge picture from a Black List script by Matt Cook. Hemsworth leads as "an 1880s Texas Ranger sent to an isolated frontier town to investigate a series of mysterious murders" with Harrelson as a local preacher who holds the townspeople in a grip of fear. [Deadline]

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First Look at Julianne Moore in 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1'

The real victory Lionsgate can claim from The Hunger Games movies so far is that they are more than just blockbuster successes; they are critically acclaimed, as well. That's something Twilight was never able to crack, and Divergent was met with mixed reviews, but The Hunger Games has found a way to make the best of use of its phenomenal cast. Julianne Moore is the biggest name coming aboard for the two-part finale, Mockingjay, and now we've got the first look at her as President Alma Coin.

Lionsgate has released new images from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay part 1, including an image of Moore alongside the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. Hoffman completed many of his scenes for the film and CG will be used to recreate the rest. We also get a new poster, some images featuring Jeffrey Wright and Woody Harrelson, and a featurette introducing Alma Coin. Coin is the leader of District 13 and part of the rebellion against the Capitol, although she also has an intense disliking of Katniss.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 opens November 21st, directed by Francis Lawrence.

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Woody Harrelson Plays a Detective in John Hillcoat's 'Triple Nine'

It's a little unfortunate that Woody Harrelson hasn't received the attention he deserved for HBO's True Detective, but make no mistake he was just as good as Matthew McConaughey. His role was less showy yet equally important, and as usual Harrelson threw himself into the complicated skin of Martin Hart like a champ. So how does he go about following something like that up? By playing another detective in John Hillcoat's increasingly awesome cast of Triple Nine.

Harrelson joins Casey Affleck, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Teresa Palmer, Aaron Paul, Gal Gadot, Michael B. Jordan, Kate Winslet, and Michael Pena in the crime drama about a corrupt group of L.A. cops who attempt to cover up a major heist they are planning by shooting an honest rookie cop, causing a '999', police code for a downed officer.  When the cop foils the attack, their entire plan goes up in smoke. Harrelson will play a detective and uncle to Affleck's character. It's a reunion for Harrelson and Affleck after playing enemies in Scott Cooper's Out of the Furnace last year.

Filming on Triple Nine begins this summer and I can't wait. [Deadline]

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Season finale of 'True Detective' gets an utterly stress-inducing teaser

I am an insanely obsessed True Detective person, and I'm not ashamed! I read its Reddit page compulsively. I follow way too many Tumblrs that post gif after gif after gif of each episode. And next week, when this first season with Woody Harrelson and your new winner of the Best Actor Oscar Matthew "All right, all right, all right" McConaughey ends, I will be DESPONDENT. Because True Detective may be the best show on TV right now and I can't even imagine how season two could get any better.

If you're watching, you know all the plot threads that have to be tied up - the Yellow King, Carcosa, if Marty's (Harrelson's character) daughter Audrey had anything to do with those creepy men in terrifying animal masks - and you also know that last night's episode already revealed some major plot points we've been building up to for weeks. And, if you need to whet your appetite a bit more, check out the teaser below for the season finale. IS THAT RUST TIED UP ON THAT BED? WHAT IS GOING ON? I AM VERY STRESSED OUT

Join me in being stressed. Next Sunday on the PunchDrunkCritics podcast we'll discuss our theories about how the show is going to wrap up; be sure to listen in. Until then, I'll be over here working on my devil's nest.

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Spooky 'True Detective' Mondo Posters, Plus get 'The King in Yellow' Free

I don't watch as much TV as I used to, but one show that quickly became appointment viewing for me is HBO's True Detective, by far the most compelling television on any network right now. Starring Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson at their most frazzled, with brooding direction by Cary Fuuanaga, there's nothing sunny about any episode and their likely never will be. In line with the creepy tone of the show, Mondo has released a handful of True Detective posters that have detectives Cohle and Hart deep in the woods. If sleeping isn't an issue and you want these hanging on your bedroom wall, they're available for order here.

For those who have been paying attention to the series, then you probably know that "The Yellow King" has been mentioned more than once, no doubt leading to millions hitting Wikipedia to look up the reference. It's taken from Robert W. Chambers' disturbing book, The King in Yellow, and it's available now for free on Amazon kindle by going here.  Thanks to our friends at Bleeding Cool for the heads up.

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Review: 'Out of the Furnace' Starring Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, and Woody Harrelson

The plight of hard, downtrodden men forged by tragedy and personal demons seems to be a recurring theme for director Scott Cooper, who made his claim-to-fame with the country music drama Crazy Heart, earning Jeff Bridges an Oscar win in the process. Out of the Furnace is no less tough; a machismo-filled ode to those who live desperate, economically depressed lives at the heart of the Rust Belt, where in some cases all people have to their name is guilt, loyalty, bad options, and worse options. It's a stark, unsettling working class revenge tale with grim echoes of The Deer Hunter, but for all its great casting and bleak atmospherics, it's never quite the film it should be.

Beginning in 2008 on the cusp of Barack Obama's inauguration, the hopeful wind of change has apparently not hit the poor industry town of Braddock, PA. It's there we find Russell Baze (Christian Bale), a man who has moved beyond a trouble past and settled into a comfortable, if meager existence working in the town mill. His brother Rodney (Casey Affleck) is all pent up rage and PTSD, a soldier returned home and found nothing waiting for him but a life he tried to escape in the first place. He's up to his neck in debt, and the only way he can slip back into civilian life is through bare knuckle brawls, earning a few dollars putting his body on the line yet again. He's eager for the pain, nervous for it, like an addict looking for a fix. The brothers love one another, that much is clear, but their relationship is lukewarm with disappointment and long-held grudges.

While the brothers prove to be the film's heart, the dark and menacing tone permeating it is established right from the start with the introduction of Harlan DeGroat. Played with brutal efficiency by Woody Harrelson, DeGroat is a whirlwind of cruel violence, capable of unleashing his terrible wrath at a moment's notice, ruling over the town like some backwoods crime lord. It's DeGroat who runs the underground brawls that Rodney has been sucked into, mostly to get out of debt to a nice-guy loan shark (Willem Dafoe) we know has no place in this ugly world. When Russell makes a terrible error in judgment and finds himself thrown behind bars, Rodney is hopelessly left to his own devices and sinks further into trouble. When DeGroat asks him to take a dive in big fight, it's just another treacherous step on a path that isn't too hard to predict.

Out of the Furnace is the slowest of slow burns, especially in the meandering first act as under-motivated characters flit in and out, such as Russell's one-time girlfriend Lena (Zoe Saldana) and the brothers' stoic uncle, Red (Sam Shepard). She represents hope for a better future, and when she eventually hooks up with the town sheriff (Forest Whitaker) while Russell is behind bars, it's another kick in the teeth from a life that has already been cruel. Cooper's deliberate pacing gives the film a true lived-in quality, and the dilapidated ruins of steel town Pennsylvania makes for a powerful backdrop character, captured by cinematographer Masanobu Takayanagi. The film's aimlessness eventually gives way to a straight-forward tale of vengeance that Cooper and screenwriter Brad Inglesby seem to think is more profound but is actually is.  It's one of those movies that mistakes ambiguity for significance and its theme of hopeless men driven to the brink by limited choices is a familiar one, and despairingly ends with the burst of vigilante justice that was apparent from the very beginning.

The supporting characters don't get much to work with, and the idea of Saldana ever being with Forest Whitaker is laughable even in a dramatic piece like this, but the main performances are big and handled with a delicate touch. All except for Harrelson, whose DeGroat is easily the nastiest he's ever played, which is really saying something. It's a big, commanding turn for Harrelson that sees him reach into the ugliest corners of his soul to play this monster of a man. In the less flashy of his two roles this season (the other being his combed-over turn in American Hustle), Christian Bale embodies a good man worn down to the nub. Like the other men in his family, Russell isn't the emotive type. He's a guy who keeps his dreams and fears buried away inside, but the truth is there in the hurt and hope in his eyes. In one especially wrenching scene, Russell learns that Lena has moved on with her life while he was in prison, and while he's happy for her the pain he's feeling is obvious.  He also shares some great moments with Affleck, who has the trickiest part as the explosive Rodney, who is struggling with a return to civilian life and the expectation of normalcy.
  
Out of the Furnace wants to be a complex film full of complex characters but it works best as a simple piece of depression-era noir.

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Review: 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' Starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson

There was something akin to panic when Gary Ross decided one film in The Hunger Gamesseries was enough for him and left to pursue other less stressful projects. When Francis Lawrence took over it was met mostly with vague dismissal, like most of the director's films up to that point. He was always competent, but with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire he takes the franchise boldly out of Ross' shadow by bringing his own streamlined approach to the material, raising the stakes and delivering every significant emotional beat, which are plenty. Catching Fire isn't just a worthy sequel that die-hard fans can appreciate, with its complexity and commitment to character it's a superior film and proves why The Hunger Games is the most compelling franchise going today.

The second of Suzanne Collins' best-selling novels has rightly been compared to The Empire Strikes Back, which should tell all you need to know about the tone. It's dark stuff, so dark that the "kids killing kids" scenario is largely thrown out the window in favor of something even bleaker. But it's also the most ambitious of Collins' book for a reason, as it juggles a rather complicated, downbeat first half with a final act that is the stuff of pure adrenaline. Appropriately, the film begins with Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), who has outsmarted the evil and awesomely-bearded President Snow (Donald Sutherland) to survive the previous Hunger Games with her faux lover, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). Their victory and supposed devotion to one another has made them heroes throughout Panem, a fact that has P.O.'ed Snow something awful. Rebellion is brewing throughout Panem's poorest districts, and Snow basically wants Katniss' head on a platter. After a few not-too-subtle threats against Katniss and her family, Snow sends the two champions on a Victor Tour throughout the nation; the better to remind the people of the Capitol's ruthless power.

Killing her would only make her a martyr, and so Snow hires new Gamesmaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman, classing up the joint) with the task of ruining her idyllic image before delivering the killing blow. Plutarch's solution? Alter the 75th Hunger Games, known as the Quarter Quell, by forcing Katniss and Peeta to battle former victors plucked from the previous competitions. The look of horror and resignation on Katniss' face when the announcement is made is heartbreaking, not because it dooms her tenuous love triangle with Peeta and best friend Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), but we know it's out of concern for her family. They've already beaten the odds once, and doing so a second time is all but impossible.

While the mood of the film is icy cold, with armed jack-booted Imperial soldiers marching up and down at all times, what few moments of genuine fun come during pre-games rituals. Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) recognizes Katniss' status as a flaming symbol of hope and gives her the extravagant outfits to match. Training sequences show off the director's special effects flair, especially during a scene when Katniss is shooting down burning foes with her trusty arrow. Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) continues to deliver sage but drunken words of wisdom, while Effie Trinkett preens with her pink/blue/orange/whatever hair. In order to survive, Katniss and Peeta will need to make friends again, and this time they've got a motley crew to choose from. Oddball geniuses Beetee (Jeffrey Wright, another touch of class) and Wiress (Amanda Plummer, nice to see again) seem weak but are deadly smart; smirking pretty boy Finnick (Sam Claflin) and the aggressively confrontational Johanna Mason (Jena Malone) could be worthy companions if they can be trusted.

Perhaps what makes The Hunger Games so special is that it can be anything the viewer wants it to be. On a purely entertaining level the film is never boring or slow despite the nearly 2 1/2 hour runtime, a feat that the last movie couldn't equal. There's a greater emphasis on the culture of celebrity obsession this time around, as the people become fixated on Katniss and Peeta's daily lives, and there's a brilliantly poignant moment where Haymitch warns his friends "You never get off this train!” The cameras are always rolling and the spotlight is always on, much like the 24 hour E!/TMZ/YouTube society we live in now. As far as metaphors go, Catching Fire makes its point without being too heavy-handed, and those who choose to simply enjoy the film as a piece of science-fiction can do so. The central love triangle isn't just some weak dramatic crutch where audiences argue over which hunky dude Katniss should end up with. Each character has their battles to fight and tough choices to make, so when the idea of romance does emerge there's always something substantial behind it.

There came a point watching Kristen Stewart slog through playing Twilight's Bella Swan that the actress just looked totally disinterested. What's more, she seemed to have outgrown the role fairly early on but had to see it through to the end. A lot has changed for Lawrence since the last film, and you can see that wealth of experience reflected in her performance. She remains a true shining star with a warrior spirit, growing deeper into the role of Katniss, a character whose stoicism is only matched by her selflessness. The book was able to take us into Katniss' tortured thought process as she was forced to make impossible decisions on the fly, but the ease which Lawrence is able to get all of that across is impressive. Hutcherson is a touch too passive as Peeta, which may be the fault of the script which often has him in the position of needing rescuing. He's a steady, reliable presence throughout, but not terribly exciting.

The games themselves are bigger and more dangerous this time, with everything from lightning strikes to poison gas to killer baboons making their presence felt. Lawrence falls back on Ross' handheld camera technique sparingly, saving it for the most intense sequences and delivering the greatest impact. Overall the action is more polished and professional. No knock against Ross, but action set pieces aren't his strong suit, whereas Lawrence knows them inside and out. Rated PG-13, the film does shy away from excessive violence during combat but remains terribly effective depicting the cruelty of the Capital's Nazi-esque acts against the populace.

While it may be blasphemy to compare The Hunger Games: Catching Fireto The Empire Strikes Back so frequently, there's no denying that both are immensely entertaining, thought provoking films that are so good they make their predecessors better. If this is what the final two movies are going to be like, then the odds will ever be in our favor.

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New Clip and Photos from 'Out of the Furnace' with Christian Bale, Casey Affleck, and Woody Harrelson

Christian Bale has a pair of potential Oscar contenders hitting theaters this winter that couldn't be more different from one another. There's the retro crime caper American Hustle, in which he plays a shady and very balding con man working for the FBI. And on the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Scott Cooper's Out of the Furnace, a film so bleak it makes Prisoners look like a Homecoming parade.

Bale stars alongside Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana, Sam Shepard, and Willem Dafoe in the story of brothers Russell (Bale) and Rodney (Affleck) in the economically-depressed Rust Belt of Pennsylvania. When Rodney, a war veteran, gets mixed up with a bad crowd it's up to Russell, recently released from prison, to get him out of harm's way. In this newly released clip we see a tense conversation between backwater crimelord Harlan DeGroat (Harrelson) and Rodney about throwing a fight.

Out of the Furnace opens in limited release November 27th, before going wide December 6th.

 

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