Dark Shadows - Tim Burton (2012)

Plot
Barnabas Collins, a young boy in Liverpool follows his parents to the New Country, where they set up the town Collinsport and their fishing industry are making them very powerful. Unfortunatley when Barnabas grows up, he plays with the wrong girl before finding true love.
Angelique loves Barnabas, but Barnabas only have eyes for Josette!
What Barnasbas doesn't know is that Angelique is a witch! She sends Josette jumping of a cliff, and curses Barnabas to be a vampire and locks him into a coffin where he recides for two hundred years before he is found. Collinsport is now under the rule of Angie, not the Collins, but with his very few relatives, Barnabas is determined to once again take over Collinsport.
While staying at with his relatives, he meets the new nanny, Victoria, which is a mirror image of Josette, and Barnabas is more determined than ever to get Angie out of the way.

Opinion
An angry emo-Johnny Depp.

And it works.

Parts of the film is really slow, and some people you feel like you wanna slap, not once but twice and even three times.

Unfortunatley, the things that are good with the film are also the things that are the worst. A Tim Burton film, with Johnny Depp as revengeful, Helena Bonham-Carter who fools him and Christopher Lee in a minor old mans role. This might (hopefully) be the last time we see this, because even though it is a good concept, it will be boring soon.

The dialogue is in part really funny, and Michelle Pfeiffer makes the cold, stiff head of the house as great as only she can. Otherwise most of the characters are weak and you almost forget that some of them even exists.

If you like Johnny Depp as emo, with Bonham-Carter at his side, and still have not grown tired of it, I recommend you to see it, otherwise, do not waste your money on this one, but instead wait for Frankeweenie which premieres October 5th this year.

The Hunger Games - Gary Ross (2012)

Trailer

Plot
Panem, a country in an dystopian future is split into 12 districts and the Capitol. Each district worse than the other. Every year, one boy and one girl is choosen from every district to participate in The Hunger Games, a TV-show for the citizens in the Capitol. The TV-show is both entertainment, but also retribution for a rebellion that happened in the past. The participants are choosen through a lottery, and some have their names down there than others.
In district 12, Katniss Everdeen lives with her mother and sister Primrose. This is the first time Primrose name is in with the others to be drawn. Unfortunatley, this is not Primrose lucky day, but Katniss volounters in her place. Together with Peeta, who works at the bakery, she leaves for the Capitol, and the 74th annual Hunger Games. Leaving behind not only her sister, but also Gale.

In the capitol, she meets Haymitch, who is trying to help her and Peeta to get sponsors, that will send them help during the games. This is something Katniss has trouble with, but as she sees that the participants from the districts closer to the Capitol has been training for this, she softens up, and starts to play the game.
The twelve contestants is put into the game arena, and the only way to get out of there, is to kill everyone else.
Let the hunger games begin.

Opinion
Katniss Everdeen must be one of the most idiotic people ever. I have not read the book yet, but I sure hope she is smarter in there. I get so frustrated when women has to be shown as strong, even if it means they will die, she should have played the game, that would have made her so much cooler than she was now. Then she would have been ruthless! I loved her the last, maybe 15 minutes, as she herself realized, "yeah, I can play this game too", even though (of course) it is only to make sure Peeta comes out safe.

If someone thinks Kate Beckinsale is stiff-faced and stuck-up in Underworld (which she is supposed to be, otherwise one has not understood her part in the films), one should have a look at Katniss, she is far more stiff-faced and stuck-up, at the most stupid time, every time. Even though I quite liked it when she shoot an arrow at the game leaders, that's how I imagined she would be the whole time.

Other than that, I don't really understand the fuss about the killing everyone thought were so bad. Okay, the subject of children killing children, but on the other hand, it was not that graphic and I have seen a lot more blood in horror movies accepted now a days.
The acting was okay, not something I was over-thrilled with, but I have seen far worse too, even though it was very fun to see Woody Harrelson (Zombieland, No Country for Old Men) in the role as Haymitch. Also I really liked the character Caesar Flickerman, and I adored the clothes and make-up on Effi Trinket.

I would not recommend people to pay as much as a movie-ticket costs for this film, it's really not worth it.
What I look forward to doing now is reading the books, and then comparing it to Battle Royal.