Hunger Games Movie Review
This is going to be a spoiler-filled review.
Went this morning with Rica to the 10am show to watch hunger games. First off, it was a bad move. She never read the book – and she came away feeling that it was glorified killing. So obviously the movie did not convey to a non-reader the atrocity of forcing teens to fight to the death. I tried to explain to her that the movie was really about ‘rebellion’ – but it didn’t come across. Worse, I wanted Louie to come with us. In retrospect, she’s right, Louie should not see hunger games until he can figure out that the violence wasn’t the point. That it wasn’t OK to kill others.
SPOILER ALERT
OK, this rest of this post will contain spoilers, so read no further unless you intend to be spoiled.
The scenes up to the reaping were ok. Peacekeepers all in white. Cool. Why do they travel by train when there’s a giant airship. is it just short range? what was the purpose of that shot? next shot was Effie. So were we to believe the airship dropped Effie off? then she went back by train?
MISSING SHOT: it could have been replaced with a shot of Katniss selling the grouse at the Hob.
Eliminating Madge – I guess that’s ok. It would have been fun if Madge’s mom was somehow part of the rebellion and hence gave her the mockingjay pin to take to the games.
Speaking of which, if the mockingjay were a symbol, then it should have been more prevalent. In the entrance outfit, etc.
In the book, there was a distinct transition that Haymitch goes through. Instead of just coaxing a couple of teens to their deaths the last 23 years, he finally realizes that they’ve given him a couple of fighters this time and becomes serious about their training. He’s supposed to be Obiwan to Katniss’ Luke. I wish they could have conveyed that.
At the capitol, when the crowd went to meet the District 12 tribute train – what was that. I know it was in the book – but was the crowd that big for people they did not even know? The intro of Cinna was awkward. The attendants were a distraction – in the movie as in the book. I did not even notice the Avow until the credits. Can’t remember seeing her on screen. The interview scene was great – flames coming out while twirling = better than the book. Peeta’s revelation was kinda flat – but the reaction otherwise was awesome. The details of Katniss’ and Peeta’s apartment, the scene when Katniss was reminiscing about the woods = a waste of screen time.
Training for the arena was ok. The scene with Clove was awesome. Rue resting on the ceiling rafter – that was strange – and I am uncertain that it added anything. The camouflage scene = great. Katniss’ evaluation – perfect. There were so many times when Kat’s thought process could have been explained: i.e. that she was being forced to kill. That the capitol was really barbaric.
The arena: the start of the arena was good. Clove hunting for her knives. When Katniss blocks Cloves knife it wasn’t obvious that the knife stuck in the backpack – thereby gaining Katniss a knife. It was not obvious where Katniss got her knife. Then the first night in the tree, that was good. Great shot. Katniss looks very awkward in a tree. Speaking of which, when she was treed by Cato’s gang, why didn’t Clove just take her out with her lethal knives. In the book, I seem to recall that clove wasn’t there.
Hovercraft not taking the bodies, hmmm – that might have been due to budget.
District 11 unrest right after Rue’s death = PERFECT.
Peeta’s camouflage in the river – AWESOME! – It would have been nice for Katniss to call out his name like she did in the book. And how he answered her and she still could not see him.
CGI Dogs. bleah. and there was nothing saying they were former tributes.
Cato getting shot in the hand. SO QUICK and not obvious at all. I had to explain it to Rica.
Cato’s mercy killing – I can see why they did not want to show him being skinned.
The defiance in the arena – what was ok. I can see that they even got to the part where when the rule change was revoked to try to get Kat and Peeta to kill each other, I saw the hesitation in Kat. Like she was about to kill him then got ashamed of herself for thinking that.
The return to district 12: that was kinda fun. It was bad that they were not able to convey how Peeta was FOOLED into thinking that Kat liked him. The let down would have been great. And how they held hands for the crowd and TV was great. That was a brilliant smile that Katniss put on there. Wish they had shown her smile more to lighten up the overall feel of the film.
The end: the last shot of president snow. That was pretty good.
Other than that, it was a pretty good movie. I won’t be watching it again soon. But I’ll continue reading Catching fire.