Scott's Film Reviews-1,350 + Reviews posted so far!!! | Welcome to my blog! 1,350 + reviews posted so far! My name is Scott Segrell and I reside in Stamford, CT. My blog is a diverse site featuring tons of film reviews I have written since I launched my site in 2014. I hope you enjoy perusing the site for latest or greatest films or to search for your own favorites to see how we compare. Please take a look at my featured sections at the top of the page: Alfred Hitchcock Films, Horror Films, 2022 Movie Reviews, Top 100 Films, and Best Picture Oscar Winners!

The Amazing Spider-Man 2-2014

Director-Marc Webb

Starring-Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone

Scott’s Review #2

Reviewed June 16, 2014

Grade: B+

Super-hero movies are not my top genre (although admittedly, I end up seeing most of them). They are fun, popcorn-type films not to be over-analyzed or taken too seriously.

One thing that confuses me is the seemingly constant reboots of the franchises and forgetting the previous installments. Wasn’t this series just made with Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst not too long ago?

That being said, the strongest part of this film is the chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, which is undeniable and great to watch.

Sally Field adds life to anything she appears in. The more “human” parts of the film are the best.

The special effects/CGI are admirable. I enjoyed how one “villain” is a close friend of Peter Parker’s, wonderfully played by Dane DeHaan. His character has many nuances.

The other villain, Electro, played by Jamie Foxx, is silly and his story almost seems botched. His motivations are weak. He hates Spider-Man and wants to destroy the city because of a contrived misunderstanding??

I do not want to over-analyze, as this is a fun, enjoyable summer film.

Enjoy.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire-2013

Director-Francis Lawrence

Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson

Scott’s Review #1

Reviewed June 16, 2014

Grade: B-

I confess to not having read any of the Hunger Games books, so I am critiquing the film on its film merits only with no knowledge of the books.

Interestingly, I graded the first Hunger Games film a B- and that is what I am giving this one, almost for the same reason.

The first hour of the film sets up the second hour, but it is unnecessarily drawn out. In fact, at times it’s slightly dull. The meat of the film then takes off and the film is quite good though the film still does not completely hold my attention throughout.

First and foremost, Jennifer Lawrence is the best part of the film- she has the charisma and likability to carry it off. The chemistry between the two leads (Lawrence and Hutcherson) is there so there is certainly rooting value for the couple.

The third part of the triangle is weak (Liam Hemsworth has far too little screen time to make him a viable rooting factor).

Donald Sutherland is wonderful as the evil President, but Philip Seymour Hoffman seems to phone in his performance and the character is not all that intriguing.

The mood of the film and visuals (fog, train sequences) are great there is modern darkness to the film, and the premise and wondering who will die next during the games are interesting.

The somewhat twist at the end was effective.

To summarize nice characters/acting, great looking film, mediocre story, and slow pacing in the first act.