What can I say? I am a big fan of ‘meant for teenagers’ book series. I read the Twilight series more times than I’d care to admit, and read the Hunger Games trilogy twice. Both are completely different and entertaining in their own way: vampires and werewolves? I’ll take a dose of that. Kids killing other kids while televised on national TV? Sounds fascinating.
Almost a year after reading The Hunger Games, I was VERY excited to see the movie. I wouldn’t even watch the trailers during television commercials because I wanted to go into the theater with a clean slate. Last night, Mike and I decided to treat ourselves to the ultimate cinematic experience: big (and I mean you could fit 2 people in on seat), comfy, cozy seats at the fancy pants theater in town where girls wear heels to movies and the bathrooms look like night clubs.
Here is my reaction: while I thought the movie was a decent adaptation of the book, there were a few things that bothered me to some extent that I would have loved to have seen done differently. If you haven’t seen the movie, stop reading here!
Gayle: Where the hell was he? I know the majority of the story takes place in the arena, but there was barely any interaction between Gayle and Katniss the beginning of the movie. I think excluding their history together (how they met, how often they hunted together, how each depends on the other for survival) will hurt them in the long run if they make the sequel. Their connection was almost lost in the film.
Violence: The lack of violence bummed me out. The brutality over young kids murdering each other (and sometimes enjoying it) with swords, spears, and knives was lost with the PG 13 rating. There was no direct shot of a child being slain EVER. The feast at the cornucopia in the beginning was the closest thing to the gorey acts conveyed in the book; however, even that was shot so hectically my eyes couldn’t focus on what was happening. Rue’s death scene would have had so much more of an impact had we seen a direct shot of a spear going through her chest. It would have been harder to watch, but the audience would have felt more.
Haymitch: He is much more disheveled and drunk in the book. He was way too clean in the movie. I’m not quite sure I liked Woody Harrelson playing the part either.
The Cave Scene: In the book, Katniss receives a parachute with medication in it to knock Peeta out so she can go to the cornucopia and retrieve her backpack without Peeta being able to do anything to stop her. This scene made my heart race with anxiety. The readers knew how close Peeta was to death, and how important it was that Katniss risk her own life to save him. None of this was made clear in the movie. Rather, it was dull and anticlimactic.
The Mutts: There were none! Suzanne Collins breathes life into these half human, half wolf creature that take on the physical characteristics of the dead tributes in her book. They maniacally round up Katniss, Peeta, and Kato on top of the Cornucopia until Kato plunges to his doom. At that point, the mutts drag Kato inside of the Cornucopia and torture him until morning. After listening to his cries of pain all night, Katniss finally sends an arrow through his head to end his suffering. Did any of this actually happen in the movie? Not really. The mutts were giant dogs, Kato was on the ground being presumably attacked by the giants dogs for maybe 5 seconds before Katniss shot him with an arrow. Again, anticlimactic.
The ending: What to say about the ending....too rushed. Much too rushed. Katniss and Peeta win the hunger games and BAM...7 minutes later the movie ends. Additionally, I feel that a vital part of the story left out in the movie was Peeta’s pure and true love for Katniss. The whole time in the arena Peeta thought that Katniss loved him back. But while taking the train back to District 12, shit hit the fan as he realizes she pretended to love him to put on a better show for the capitol in order to get sponsors. I don't remember this scene happening in the movie. I realize that in the beginning of the movie Haymitch announced that they should act like star crossed lovers (another difference), but, it just didn't work for me. I disliked that very much. It takes away from Peeta’s emotions towards Katniss and vice versa. Another faux pas that I think will negatively affect the next film.
And there you have it. What did you think of the movie?
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