Education cuts necessary

‘Hunger Games’ sates audiences’ appetites

With the “Harry Potter” films over and done with and the “Twilight” saga finally coming to an end this November, studios are scrambling to find the next big film franchise. “The Hunger Games,” based on the novel by Suzanne Collins, readily embraces all of the qualities fans enjoyed about previous franchise films.

There is a misunderstood — and ultimately underestimated — teenage protagonist who becomes engulfed in a strange new environment and stuck in the middle of some form of romantic relationship.

Between the plethora of charismatic new characters, a large amount of CGI action sequences and a series of bestselling books, “The Hunger Games” appears like a sure thing.

Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss Everdeen, a teenager living in rundown District 12, who takes care of her mother and 12-year-old sister Primrose in their rural society. When the annual Hunger Games tribute selection — which takes place at a drawing called the Reaping — begins, Primrose is chosen to represent their district as tribute.

Shocked and devastated, Katniss volunteers to take her sister’s place in the games where 24 tributes are forced to fight to the death until there is only one remaining. After the selection is over, Katniss is sent to train at the Capitol, along with fellow District 12 tribute Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), where she meets her mentor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) and stylist Cinna (Lenny Kravitz).

However, nothing and no one can prepare her for what is to come.

Disney’s ‘John Carter’ delights audiences

Author Edgar Rice Burroughs    — known for his creation of the character Tarzan — wrote his first John Carter story in 1912. Now, 100 years after its first publication, “John Carter” finally makes its way into theaters through Walt Disney Pictures. With a budget of over $2.5 million, a lot has been put into this monumental big-screen adaptation. However, does it live up to a century’s worth of expectations?

The film starts off with John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), a past Civil War soldier, wondering around in the wilderness looking for gold. During a scuffle between soldiers and Native Americans, Carter escapes to an abandoned cave where he finds himself mysteriously transported to a strange land — later revealed as Mars. There he comes across a strange race of green Martians led by Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and a feisty princess named Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins).

Dejah explains that Barsoom — their name for Mars — is in the middle of civil war and that she is being hunted down by the corrupt Sab Than (Dominic West). Through a series of events, Carter must decide whether he will head back home to earth or stay and fight for Barsoom.

Director Andrew Stanton, the man behind “Finding Nemo” and “Wall-E,” draws from his background as an animator and places careful attention to all the small details in this sci-fi epic. The art direction is stellar, with all of the colorful exteriors of Barsoom, fully realized and stunning to look at. After “Avatar,” it wouldn’t be appropriate to call the effects groundbreaking, but they are captivating nonetheless.

‘Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax’ is fun but forgettable

After crafting some of the most influential and memorable children’s books of all time, Dr. Seuss has become a household name. Following his overwhelming popularity, it is only natural Hollywood would decide to turn some of the more well-known stories into mainstream films. Following the live-action adaptations of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “The Cat in the Hat” in 2000 and 2003, studios turned to animation to capture the world of Dr. Seuss’ “Horton Hears a Who” in 2008. 

Now — four years later — comes “The Lorax,” a colorfully imaginative animation that often strays away from the source material while capturing the spirit of Seuss’ works.

The story starts with 12-year-old Ted (Zac Efron) setting off to find a tree after Audrey (Taylor Swift), the girl of his dreams, wishes for one. 

The problem is that all of the real trees were removed long ago, and the entire city of Thneedville is made entirely out of man-made materials. Ted ventures out of the walled-in town in pursuit of the Once-ler (Ed Helms) who holds the secret of what happened to all of the trees and his encounters with the Lorax (Danny DeVito). 

The plot is simple and has a steady focus throughout the course of the movie. Much has been added to the original book, but Seuss’ environmental message remains intact. 

Directors Chris Renaud and Kyle Balda do a fine job keeping all the different elements, such as the elaborate art direction and the zany characters, in touch with one another.