Saturday, March 24, 2012

The Hunger Games

Unlike Hungry Hungry Hippos, which mentions hunger and is, in fact, a game, The Hunger Games, it should be noted, is based on a young ADULT novel. The themes are gruesome, and with just a tad less shaky-cam the movie would have been R rated.

The author of The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins, helped write the screenplay. Which is always encouraged. However, the movie could have used more character connections, especially where Peeta was involved. Spoiler - We never got the moment where Katniss realized Peeta's love wasn't a strategy. And that was, in the book, a very moving part of the story.

Although, the movie really did follow the books almost to a T. Unlike the Harry Potter movies, and the Twilight movies, the acting was phenomenal on all accounts. I wasn't sure about Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, but, it turns out, he fit the role excellently.

A few nights before we saw The Hunger Games, we, my husband and I, re-watched Jack and Jill. Afterwards we had a discussion about Katie Holmes' acting, especially her acting in Batman Begins where she tries to act scared. She needs to study from Jennifer Lawrence; this Katniss has got it down.

Mostly I felt like I was watching the book, yet the problem with any book-made-movie is that when you read a book you LIVE it, and when you watch the movie... you watch it. It's two different experiences for the same story; one is generally always going to be better, and that is usually the book experience. You NEED to get The Hunger Games book experience and not live off of movie alone.

It's a fine movie, but a Hunger Games movie is almost unnecessary. I almost want it to be completely different. What I would like is if all we saw were what the districts and capital audiences saw and none of the background stuff. Let's see what's going on for the other tributes while they have their interviews, and deaths. Let's go for a completely different experience all together, since we cannot get the same experience from a movie that we do from a book.

All in all, I was not disappointed in the least, and if you're of strong constitution, you should see this movie. I loved their coal costumes, but we have GOT to do away with shaky-cam.

    6 comments:

    1. Yeah, the coal costumes were AWESOME. I want to be that for Halloween. Or maybe I'll be Effie Trinket in her first look... who knows. I loved the feel of this movie , and there were relationships that they got completely right: Katniss and Cinna, Katniss and Primrose, Caesar Flickerman and Peeta, Kato and everyone else. But I think the important relationships suffered, namely Katniss and Gale, Katniss and Rue, and Katniss and Peeta. It wouldn't have taken much to fix these. For example, the Rue/Katniss connection could have been fixed by something like this: Peeta- "You've got a shadow." Katniss looks at her. Peeta- "She looks the same age as your sister." Boom. Parallel made, everyone understands why she FREAKS OUT when Rue dies. I don't know. I could go on, but I won't. I did like the movie, but it could have been amazing instead of just good.

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    2. Boonie, I love your distinction about reading= living it, movie= watching it. Dead on. I was reeling hoping that the movie would give us more of the experience you described: show us what a citizen would have seen of the Hunger Games.

      When they turn blogs into movies ( like Julie and Julia) they always take the concept out further than the blog itself. Why can't they do that with books? Instead of trying to recreate the book experience, give the audience another level.

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    3. Yes! Another level! Give us something the books don't give us, besides being able to see.

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    4. I will probably get permabanned for this, but, I havnt read this book yet. I know, heathonus swine.

      I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets the distinction b/t reading books and watching movies

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      1. Read the books, Grant!!!! Everyone I know who's read them loved them.

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