The Hunger Games: Big Screen Version
Having completely fallen in love with The Hunger Games trilogy, saying that I looked forward to the movie is an understatement. I was so excited to watch the first installment of the book-turned-movie trilogy. As an avid fan of the books, I was also a bit apprehensive. Afterall, I liked the "Twilight" book but absolutely hated the movie. Excitement won me over, though. By the time I was sitting in the movie theater, waiting for the movie to start, I was practically bouncing in my seat.
How did it fare?
The YAYs:
- Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. I was a little bit worried at first because of "Twilight" - the Bella in my imagination was SO different from the Kristen Stewart version. As opposed to the emotionless Bella that Kristen Stewart conveyed, Jennifer Lawrence managed to capture the tough and vulnerable Katniss Everdeen. I have to say, she was perfect for the role.
- The acting. The cast was wonderful, I thought their acting was spot on. I was not expecting to like Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, but I liked him. I also liked how Woody Harrellson portrayed the drunk but smart Haymitch.
- The sets. I was pleasantly surprised. It was exactly how I imagined everything - District 12, the Capitol, the Arena. Even the food!
- The costumes. I loved the costumes! From District 12's understated ones to the Capitol's outrageous-ness. Effie's gowns and her hair were a treat. Haha. My favorite would have to be Katniss' red Girl On Fire dress. I can't wait to see her Mockingjay dress.
- The effects. I was also impressed with the special effects of the film. I liked the advanced computer systems in the Gamemakers' Headquarters, the forest fire, even the giant fugly dogs.
- The Katniss and Rue scene. I loved the emotion in Rue's dying scene, especially when Katniss surrounded her with flowers. Seeing an innocent little girl die was heartbreaking.
- The cheese level. I liked how they did not blow the whole Katniss+Peeta out of proportion. The cheese level was kept to a minimum and I appreciated it.
The BOOs:
- The extreme shakiness. I know this was supposed to add a sense of urgency but, IMHO, it was too much for the big screen. It's hard for a lot of people to enjoy a film when their heads are pounding. It might be more tolerable on smaller screens (TV/laptops/tablets/smart phones).
- Some scenes could have been better, IMO. (1) The scene where Peeta throws a loaf of bread to Katniss. In the movie, they were all grown up when this happened and it wasn't clear that Peeta was throwing the bread to Katniss. It just looked like he threw the bread and it ended up near Katniss. I would have liked the very young Peeta and Katniss in the book version since it showed that Peeta's admiration/affection for Katniss was not just an in-the-moment thing. (2) For some reason, I did not feel the suspense during the last fight scene with Cato. I was practically at the edge of my seat when I was reading that part, the movie failed to make me feel the same agitation. The boyf also complained that the fight did not feel all that climactic. (3) The scene where Katniss and Peeta "decide" to eat the berries felt a little rushed to me. I think it needed more time as Katniss and Peeta realized that their victory was snatched away, as they realized they might have to kill each other, as Katniss refuses Peeta's sacrificial offer, as Katniss thinks of the berries. The whole scene was too quick for me.
Overall, The Hunger Games was a good movie. It just lacked "something" that would have made it an awesome movie. I think part of it was the fact that most of Katniss' internal thoughts that can be read in the book were not heard in the movie. It is in those thoughts that you can really see how she struggled, almost gave up, felt betrayal and anger, fear and confusion.
Would I have loved it more if I hadn't read the books? Maybe.
Perhaps I expected too much. Afterall, according to President Snow, "A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous."
Starlight, Starbright:
How did it fare?
The YAYs:
- Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen. I was a little bit worried at first because of "Twilight" - the Bella in my imagination was SO different from the Kristen Stewart version. As opposed to the emotionless Bella that Kristen Stewart conveyed, Jennifer Lawrence managed to capture the tough and vulnerable Katniss Everdeen. I have to say, she was perfect for the role.
- The acting. The cast was wonderful, I thought their acting was spot on. I was not expecting to like Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, but I liked him. I also liked how Woody Harrellson portrayed the drunk but smart Haymitch.
- The sets. I was pleasantly surprised. It was exactly how I imagined everything - District 12, the Capitol, the Arena. Even the food!
- The costumes. I loved the costumes! From District 12's understated ones to the Capitol's outrageous-ness. Effie's gowns and her hair were a treat. Haha. My favorite would have to be Katniss' red Girl On Fire dress. I can't wait to see her Mockingjay dress.
- The effects. I was also impressed with the special effects of the film. I liked the advanced computer systems in the Gamemakers' Headquarters, the forest fire, even the giant fugly dogs.
- The Katniss and Rue scene. I loved the emotion in Rue's dying scene, especially when Katniss surrounded her with flowers. Seeing an innocent little girl die was heartbreaking.
- The cheese level. I liked how they did not blow the whole Katniss+Peeta out of proportion. The cheese level was kept to a minimum and I appreciated it.
The BOOs:
- The extreme shakiness. I know this was supposed to add a sense of urgency but, IMHO, it was too much for the big screen. It's hard for a lot of people to enjoy a film when their heads are pounding. It might be more tolerable on smaller screens (TV/laptops/tablets/smart phones).
- Some scenes could have been better, IMO. (1) The scene where Peeta throws a loaf of bread to Katniss. In the movie, they were all grown up when this happened and it wasn't clear that Peeta was throwing the bread to Katniss. It just looked like he threw the bread and it ended up near Katniss. I would have liked the very young Peeta and Katniss in the book version since it showed that Peeta's admiration/affection for Katniss was not just an in-the-moment thing. (2) For some reason, I did not feel the suspense during the last fight scene with Cato. I was practically at the edge of my seat when I was reading that part, the movie failed to make me feel the same agitation. The boyf also complained that the fight did not feel all that climactic. (3) The scene where Katniss and Peeta "decide" to eat the berries felt a little rushed to me. I think it needed more time as Katniss and Peeta realized that their victory was snatched away, as they realized they might have to kill each other, as Katniss refuses Peeta's sacrificial offer, as Katniss thinks of the berries. The whole scene was too quick for me.
Overall, The Hunger Games was a good movie. It just lacked "something" that would have made it an awesome movie. I think part of it was the fact that most of Katniss' internal thoughts that can be read in the book were not heard in the movie. It is in those thoughts that you can really see how she struggled, almost gave up, felt betrayal and anger, fear and confusion.
Would I have loved it more if I hadn't read the books? Maybe.
Perhaps I expected too much. Afterall, according to President Snow, "A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous."
Starlight, Starbright:
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