The Hunger Games Movie

[SPQR]

I still haven't seen it. Keep putting it off D:

I heard that it stayed pretty true to the book, which I'm very happy about.

[PhantomoftheWolves]

I liked the movie, but was disappointed that they changed some things in the movie, but i was crying when Rue died, people were making fun of me for that...

[DragonNighthowler]

I saw it last night and didn't like it one bit. I even got into a fit of uncontrolable laughter during the point where the two main characters are in the cave because I couldn't believe how badly filmed it was. My bf and a friend of mine looked at me and thought I was crying because I was literally on tears.

It was amusing.

 

Anyways, I do want to read the books. I haven't read them but I found the plot interesting and should have made an awesome movie. However, I will not go see another of the movies unless they fire the director, the script writers and the camera crew.

 

My main issue with the film was exactly that. How a plot with so much promise can be ruined by terrible direction, script and camera.

 

First with the camera. It was shaky and annoying throughout most of the film. It used to be a trick in old movies to create action, yet two days before I had been at the theaters to see Avengers and they managed sublime and compelling action throughout an excellent pacing and very well done camera effects. It evades my comprehension why the same was not done in this film.

Like I was saying, the camera is shaky and unprofessional. during the fight scenes it gets confusing to the point you don't know what's going on. When it has to show something special or impressive, like when Katniss and Peeta enter in the chariot completely engulfed in flames, it doesn't create the sensation of something spectacular. It even moves in scenes where a static camera would have done the trick, like then that drunken dude I forgot his name is serving himself a cup and the camera moves up and down.

The editing does not help either. The constant cuts and back and forth focusing on unimportant things is annoying and confusing.

The camera issues seemed to diminish halfway through the film only to reappear with more strength during action scenes.

 

The movie has a tendency to drag endlessly through various scenes that are simply not that important to begin with. At the beginning we see Katniss strolling through the forest. Fine, I get the idea, it was unneccesary to make it a 10 minutes long scenes. Various moments could have been completely cut and several other dragged on when it could have been reduced to short, to the point scenes.

I found myself wondering when the action would begin, or when something interesting was going to happen. The movie jumps from several awesome moments to others completely boring, making it a bit disjointed. The moments where I should have been clinging to the seat didn't feel all that interesting either. I felt it lacked drama in various scenes, like through the harvesting, it would have benefited from more tension and strength.

 

The acting was ok, although the secondary characters managed to be more credible than the leading roles. However, I found myself in the end not caring much about the characters at all. I didn't get much emotion from a movie that is supposed to feed on that. During the games I couldn't care less if the main character lived or died, I didn't awe at anything special they did nor did I care about the bad guys.

 

In my opinion, it lacks drama, badassness, action and violence. I think a movie that is supposed to focus around the cruelty of sending kids to die in a Battle Royale way should have focused more on the gruesome, pointlessly and cruel deaths, and the consequences. We did see a district riot upon the death of Ro but it was a short scene that did nothing to recover the trainwreck the movie had become.

The rating definitely did not benefit the movie one bit.

 

Another issue I had, which is more a personal taste thing, was the retro colorful display of this futuresque distopia. It might have been a shocking contrast but I simply found it ridiculous.

 

I'll have to read the books see what the whole fuss is about. I admit I have a tendency to not like first person literature, but I think the plot is good enough to give it a shot.

[Obscure_Trash]

While I disagree with you (shaky camera? I thought it was fine. I mean, have you seen Blair Witch, Cloverfield, or some of those other movies? lol Anyway, point being - this may not be the best advice for you) I will say it doesn't sound like you'll really like the books either. I saw the movie first and was confused at why such a long time was spent not in the games, but going through the motions of other things. I didn't mind, I just thought it was an odd choice. Then I read the book and that does closely mirror how the book plays out. I enjoyed both the movie and book(s) immensely, so I wasn't bored as you seem to have been. I'm not sure you'll enjoy the book any more than the movie. Of course, I may be totally off in how you'd perceive the book, but yeah. ^^

[Hawktalon]

I really liked the movie. I went to see it the day it came out with a group of friends, though not at midnight. I know many people who went to see it multiple times. The audience at my theater was ecstatic, which made it more fun. We were all laughing, cheering, crying, and even doing the District 12 "goodbye" gesture together when Katniss first volunteered. It was really awesome when my friends and I did it again during the scene where (Spoiler: highlight to read) Rue dies, and as I looked around, only people behind us also did it, so I think we started it! I was impressed by how accurate it was, especially knowing how bad movie adaptations can be. It was a little rushed, but that happens with all movie adaptations. Some things weren't quite as I imagined them, but not many contradicted what had been said in the book. One (tiny) thing I didn't like was that they didn't talk about Rue's background as much, or Rue in general (she's my favorite character ). But all in all, it seemed true to the book to me.

[DragonNighthowler]

While I disagree with you (shaky camera? I thought it was fine. I mean, have you seen Blair Witch, Cloverfield, or some of those other movies? lol Anyway, point being - this may not be the best advice for you) I will say it doesn't sound like you'll really like the books either. I saw the movie first and was confused at why such a long time was spent not in the games, but going through the motions of other things. I didn't mind, I just thought it was an odd choice. Then I read the book and that does closely mirror how the book plays out. I enjoyed both the movie and book(s) immensely, so I wasn't bored as you seem to have been. I'm not sure you'll enjoy the book any more than the movie. Of course, I may be totally off in how you'd perceive the book, but yeah. ^^

Thanks for the tip.

 

Anyways, I think I should give it a try. I'll feel bad if I don't.

[satyr76]

I loved the movie. The only thing that annoyed me was that the cameras were too shaky. At some points I couldn't see what was happening because all the movement was hurting my eyes. Other than that, though, it was fantastic.

[Obscure_Trash]

First with the camera. It was shaky and annoying throughout most of the film.

 

The only thing that annoyed me was that the cameras were too shaky.

 

I change my original assessment to: I'm too used to really bad cinema that I'm grateful for the slightest stillness of a camera. XD

/can never pick out the good movies and only sees horribly done ones

 

Thanks for the tip.

 

Anyways, I think I should give it a try. I'll feel bad if I don't.

 

I hope you do enjoy it!

Edited May 4, 2012 by SockPuppet Strangler

[Predat0rs]

Katniss = wrong actress

Peeta wasn't very good looking in a lot of awkward shots :S

 

Gale was Friend-Zoned sooo bad

 

Other than the actors, it was quite good.

Edited May 10, 2012 by predatorfan4ever

[Shay-la!]

I was imagining it to be a WHOOOOOLE LOT better. If I hadn't had such high expectations, maybe I wouldn't have been so disappointed by it...

 

The special effects were done really well (and the acting for Effie and Haymitch, at least, was spot-on!) but I didn't like how they changed/left out/shortened a lot of things from the book that I liked...

[ShadowMonster]

The movie was awesome, but the book is waaaay better

 

My mom and I went to watch it at the movies, and she yelled "OH !" when the three headed dog thingy jumped out

[HawktalonOfRiverClan]

My mom and I went to watch it at the movies, and she yelled "OH !" when the three headed dog thingy jumped out

The dog only had one head. There were just three of them.

 

I thought it was quite faithful to the books and really enjoyed it. To me, the shaky camera represented the chaos of the violent scenes in the arena, though didn't see it in theatres and was probably a lot worse at that scale. Though I wish they'd picked a yellow-ish cat to play Buttercup. It makes no sense for a black and white cat to be named that. And the mayor's daughter (Mags?) wasn't in it at ALL, changing how Katniss gets the pin, which bothered me. And I know it's an itchy-pitchy detail, but no Gamemaker (Plutarch, IIRC) fell into the punch bowl when Katniss shot at them during her evaluation. And Snow only gave Katniss the crown in the end, instead of breaking it in two and giving half to Peeta as well. I did enjoy the insite into the Gamemakers' headquarters and the developing of both Snow and Seneca Crane's characters, which weren't shown in the book. And Rue... Poor Rue, I cried so hard when she died. *sniff* Overall, as a fan of the books, I loved it.

 

It's rare that a movie is as good as the book it's adapted from. I'm not sure which I like better.

[lizardtail]

the movie was excellent and way closer to the book than i though it'd be, but i feel the capitol people weren't...extreme enough. they gave them funky hair colors and light make-up, but i think the people should have looked way more unnatural. also, i missed the part where haymitch send katniss the vial of sleep syrup. lol, at the theater with my dad and its getting to the part where she drugs peeta, i'm all "look, look, haymitch is gonna--" and she just runs off while peetas sleeping.

 

the only really glaring issue i saw though was that katniss seemed way to well-fed. i mean, for someone born in district 12 where a single loaf of burnt bread saved her entire family, i thought that she'd look more emaciated and unhealthy.

 

save for that, i loved it! <3

[pinkieseb]

I loved the movie, anyone see Katnisses face when she runs into foxface at the start? They both look like their about to cry

[cfmtfm]

So glad The Hunger Games DVD is coming out soon [FINALLY] in the UK

 

... *secretly holds in rage for not living in US*

[Skellybones]

They missed Haymitch falling off the stage D:

[Stunningfire]

They missed Haymitch falling off the stage D:

Yeah, well, I didn't really want to see him throw up so I didn't mind that. I loved Haymitch in the movie(:

[HawktalonOfRiverClan]

Yeah, well, I didn't really want to see him throw up so I didn't mind that. I loved Haymitch in the movie(:

This. That would have been... just too much. Though he looked a little younger in the movie than I imagined him in the book.

[Stunningfire]

I jumped when the dog leaped out. xP No else around me seemed to get a surprise so I pretended I was just stretching in an awkward arching-my-back way. >_>"

Every time I see The Hunger Games, I always jump at the mutt scene. xP when I saw it in the theaters everyone like screamed the people you watched it with must be like... I don't even know

[dragonsflame111]

I thought it was really good, but I think they could have done much better.