My take on “The Hunger Games” movie
I just have to take the time to write this one out before all the ideas fly out of my head. I always keep an open mind when watching movies based on best-selling novels but I always read the books first. In the case of THG, I had no intention at first about reading the books but a good friend was able to convince me to give them the chance to prove their worth. They are worth their weights in gold, I must say. They are epic.
I read and finished all three books of THG in a span of a weekend and days before the release of the first movie.
Before I went into the movie theatre, I was excited to see which scenes from the book will be projected on the screen and if they will be what I have imagined them to be yet at the same time, I was prepared to be disappointed as I know for certain that many parts of the book will not be translated into the movie.
As a stand-alone movie, it was A+ when it comes to entertainment value. I guess if I’m not a book enthusiast and just watched the movie, I’ll leave the theatre very satisfied. I’m not really an expert on movie critiquing, but I can appreciate.
Warning: Spoilers!!!
Peeta, I had to mention him first because oddly enough, he is my favourite character even though the books are all about Katniss. Furthermore, I am a loyal fan of Josh Hutcherson. I know many are not impressed with his Peeta but I love it. He was described in the book as of stocky built. I know that to be stocky, it means shorter with broad shoulders and big bones. Josh fits him to a T. In terms of personality, I think he is Peeta-embodied. When I was reading the book, it was difficult to ascertain his true feelings. He was charming enough in the interview with Caesar. He is frank with his feelings for Katness but at the same time, he acted nonchalantly about it. He is like an open book yet mysterious at the same time. Josh portrayed all that.
Katniss, I like her in the book but I didn’t expect to love her in the movie adaptation. Jennifer Lawrence is the perfect Katniss. When I first saw her in Winter’s Bones, I thought she could never look glamorous as Katniss in the parade and interview. But she was, especially when she was on fire during the parade. She has such a tiny waist and full hips which was emphasized by the leather outfit. She should wear fitting clothes more. As Katniss, she got her personality down to the very last detail. She is a combination of strength, bravery and compassion.
Effie Trinket, I placed her third because she made a huge impact on me. I imagined her from the book as older but Elizabeth Banks did a great job. I really love her during the reaping. The breathy/rasping voice, the outrageous outfits, the annoying cheerfulness during the reaping and the nagging personality, they were all there.
Cinna, who is one of favourite characters in the book, did not impress me much. I was imagining him as more of effeminate. I don’t know what gave me that idea but Lenny Kravitz is tough-looking even with the gold-lined eyelids. But he did look normal in the movie which was his distinction with other Capitol residents.
Primrose Everdeen. Prim didn’t really appear much in book 1 so she has little exposure in the first movie as well but the actress was convincing enough. I’m looking forward to seeing more of her in the sequels. She reminds me of Dakota Fanning in looks when she was younger.
Woody Harrelson, I think, is not an effective Haymitch Abernathy. He does not look like a man who was rarely sober and he was not crass enough. Even though these are abhorrent qualities in a person, these are what made Haymitch unforgettable. Changes in his behaviour in these areas mark his motives and feelings toward certain characters.
All I remember about Portia in the movie is her wide, voluminous hair. Venia, Octavia and Flavius barely peeked into the screen. Nothing to say about them but they sure would provide light-hearted moments in the movie.
The tributes. Thresh and Rue met my expectations. Cato also looks the part though I am thinking that Marvel should look tougher. Clove is also lacking in toughness. Foxface is the disappointment. Since she is called that by virtue of what she looks like, Jacqueline Emerson does not resemble a fox much except for her red hair. She does not look clever and witty to me too.
Gale is handsome. Hahaha. That’s all I can say for now.
President Snow. I don’t know. I’m expecting someone who looks a bit vampirish, kinda like pale and unhealthy. Lol! I was thinking about all the surgeries and treatments he had to stay young. But Sutherland looked dignified and President Snow I think is the opposite of that.
Seneca Crane is a minor character in the book but he was glamorous and sort of important in the movie. He looks good too.
Caesar Flickerman looks like a lunatic in the movie. I don’t know but his smile reminds me of Joker in Batman. *grins widely with teeth showing*
What’s cool in the movie:
I felt the sombre environment in the reaping. Effi was convincing. It was an emotional moment. I felt terrified for Prim when her name was called. The camera movement makes the scene so realistic as it zoomed near Prim as she moved along the other children toward the platform. You can feel all the stares she was receiving, and the feeling of doom was there.
The train ride captured what Suzanne Collins want to convey about the luxury that those in power enjoy in contrast with the stark poverty of the people in the districts especially in District 12.
The people in the Capitol. My gosh, I love their ridiculously outrageous outfits, pets and make ups. They are just ridiculous but they embody the excesses that Suzanne Collins described in her books. Good thing they were not shown pigging out on food and throwing up just so they could eat again. That would be disgusting. But that was in book 2, so we’ll see.
Cinna’s creations. These were some of what I am waiting for in the movie. Katniss and Peeta were so uh-mazing! The fire effect was just great. I like Katniss’ hairdo and the fit of her outfit. She looked so good. Honestly, I can see Peeta falling in love with her more. I can’t wait for her burning coal outfit in the 2nd movie. For her interview outfit, I first thought it was too simple but with the twirl thing, WOW! I was as amazed as the Capitol crowd.
Katniss’ evaluation with the game panel. That arrow on the apple was brilliant just as I had imagined it in the book. Bravo!
The cornucopia. It is slightly different from what I have imagined. In my mind, it was more of golden and smooth. I guess it’ll be difficult to climb during the final scene at the arena if it was smooth. But it was a nice fit to what was described in the book.
The tracker jackers and hallucinations. I love the interaction between Rue and Katniss in the trees. The viewers in the crowd were laughing because it looks like a conspiracy between the two girls. But if you have read the book, it was a crucial moment for trust building between Rue and Katniss. Imagine trusting someone you are meant to kill and meant to kill you too. I wish for that moment when Katniss saw a pair of eyes in the dark and then Rue’s face would appear. That would have been awesome. The tracker jackers were great too though their lethal ability was only mentioned in passing and failed to establish its significance in the interaction between Peeta and Katniss later. I just hate how Peeta kept on screaming in an unglamorous way for Katniss to run away.
The mockingjays. When Rue and Katniss tried their codes, the mockingjay mimicking was perfect. Although I was imagining Rue’s to be an actual song instead of a hum (as mockingjays are fictionally able to sing with lyrics) the chirpings were alright. I love the view of the treetops when they mimicked the hums though the mockingjays were not shown. It was just the eerily beautiful chirping.
Rue’s death. This scene moved me. Rue was just so little and innocent, everything that is the opposite of what the Capitol is. Her trust in Katniss was so strong that you’d thought that would be impossible in such a setting. The switch in perspective to Rue when everything was fading away was so sad I cried a bit. It would have been better if even though the screen turned white, there was still the distant singing of Katniss. It’s just that, it is said that hearing is the last to go before death. The flower tribute was creative. I thought it’ll be covering the whole of Rue’s body but surrounding her was enough. I cried even more when the people in District 11 were shown giving their silent salute to Katniss.
Peeta’s camouflage. They really did it amazingly. Goodness! The artist should be commended. I was thinking it would be impossible to blend Peeta into the rocks. But hey, the make up was so realistic. This is also one of my most awaited parts. It did not disappoint. Very well-done!
These scenes impact me the most.
What I feel are missing but should have been there…
How Katniss is bonded with Peeta. For me, this is a most essential part of the story as it established why Katniss was drawn to Peeta despite having no interest in the opposite sex in the early stages of the story. They have this sort of soul-mate kind of thing going on between them though Katniss wouldn’t admit. It was lost in the movie. The scene outside the bakery was not just convincing enough or tells the story as it should be. I am so glad I spent the time reading the book. Thanks to someone.
More intensity to the actual hunger games. There was a hurried feeling to the hunger games. I don’t know but it feels a little bit of insincere. The alliance did not look tough and scary at all. The R13 must be the reason. I felt that there should be more oomph to it. Even the wolf muttations were terrible. I feel like they were just rabid dogs. The tributes’ eyes were not there.
Foxface’s dance with the landmines was just lame. In the book, this part should have been impressive because even Katniss was impressed. But in the movie, it looks like Foxface was just jumping around playing some kids’ games. I was expecting more intricate movements from her. They should have brought in a gymnast or something.
The missing bread gift from District 11 is one of the important scenes from the book missing in the movie. It should have been there. It shows the premise of what is to come in the next books. It shows that the people trust Katniss. It would have been touching, a poor district giving a gift of exorbitant prize to someone not their own. That says something.
Mind games between Haymitch and Katniss. I felt bereft without this aspect in the Haymitch-Katniss relationship. Haymitch was not strong enough in the movie. It must be noted that he was a past victor and he won because he is very clever. It did not show in the movie. They just gave him long hair.
Overall
It was more than a decent adaptation. I still give it a high approval rating, 8 out of 10, because it gave the basic of what the book is all about. But for those who love the books, it’ll be a little lower. It is still best to read the book for a deeper understanding of the story. This is just my opinion. I enjoyed both the books and the movie. May the odds be ever in your favour. Happy hunger games!
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