Hunger Games (2012)

[samuelrichardscott]

Interview with Donald Sutherland. *Contains spoilers and is on the ugliest and worst movie site on the web*
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/54543

[samuelrichardscott]

A sequel can clearly be expected at this point.

So much so they've already sold the US TV rights to the first two movies to ABC Family.
http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disney-abc-family-secures-network-premiere-rights-to-the-hunger-games-catching-fire-20125/

[DJ Doena]

Synopsis: The United States of America have long been gone. In its place, between the Appalachians and the Rockies, is now the country of Panem, consisting of 12 districts and the Capitol.

Many years ago the 13 districts rose against the Capitol and paid a high price for it. The riot-leading district was completely annihilated. And the 12 other districts have to endure a humiliation every year which proves the total superiority of the Capitol.
Every year each district has to send a girl and a boy between the ages 12 and 18 to the Capitol – where these 24 kids will fight each other until only one survives: The Hunger Games.

My Opinion: Originally I had planned to read the book completely before I watch the movie. Didn't turn out that way. I just made it to the point where Katniss has her fiery ride into the Arena.
My problem with the movie was that there was no real suspense building up. Sure I didn't know if Peeta was going to survive, but still. The book on the other hand was very interesting to the point where I read it.
And even the end left me hanging because there was no scene that hinted at what was coming next. Let me make the comparison to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring here: At the end of the movie it was clear that Frodo and Samwise would be travelling towards Mordor and Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli would try to rescue Merry and Pippin from the Orcs. The question "What now?" didn't come up. The Hunger Games on the other hand simply ended. Some viewers who are not aware that this is a trilogy will probably scratch their heads even more.
I don't want to assume anything yet since it's well known that movie sometimes interpret their original material rather freely but I wasn't pleased with the actual ending of the movie either.
[spoiler]I would have wished that – when there were only three left and were standing on the transporter – they simply had refused to continue this farce. Now it's more of a cliché ending where everyone from District 1 is simply a mindless killer. Also the closing interview would have been a good place to stir things up a little. Instead she played nice and did what her mentor told her to do. I hope her motivation is better explained in the book. [/spoiler]

[Achim]

My Opinion: Originally I had planned to read the book completely before I watch the movie. Didn't turn out that way. I just made it to the point where Katniss has her fiery ride into the Arena.
My problem with the movie was that there was no real suspense building up.

[spoiler]It's subjective, of course, but I thought while the first half could have been shorter it did have this dreadful anticipation building up for what would inevitably come once they are let loose in the arena. As mentioned in my review, the PG-13 rating lessened the impact of that crescendo a bit.[/spoiler]

And even the end left me hanging because there was no scene that hinted at what was coming next.[...]

[spoiler]I would have wished that – when there were only three left and were standing on the transporter – they simply had refused to continue this farce. Now it's more of a cliché ending where everyone from District 1 is simply a mindless killer. Also the closing interview would have been a good place to stir things up a little. Instead she played nice and did what her mentor told her to do. I hope her motivation is better explained in the book. [/spoiler]

[spoiler]I agree that the ending was too long; another comparison to Lord of the Rings and that last interview may have served better if only added as a deleted scene on the DVD. However, I think the hint at things to come is very strong by that last shot of Donal Sutherland looking all grim and then walking off. It shows that he is certainly not amused and something is brewing.[/spoiler]

[Najemikon]

Karsten, I think you hit the nail on the head. I was always prepared for it to be Battle Royale, but I was pleasantly surprised by the strong dystopian society thing they had going on. There was so much satire that could have been exploited, but it was just dull. I honestly don't think the PG13 (or 12A for us) would have been a problem, but the shaky cam method to hide everything just took the sting out.

I haven't read the book, but I can see why the story has proved a hit. However I always wish screenwriters would remember they are making a film and therefore create a more aggressive and visual adaptation. There was loads of stuff that just wasn't needed to be told in such thumpingly dull exposition. Normally I never suggest a "they should have done it like this", because I couldn't write a film like this, so who the hell do I think I am? But it's screaming out at me, so because it's supposed to be cinematic and told through rules of film narrative, different to a book... they should have, erm, done it like this: 

[spoiler]A proper narrative would identify and reflect the key points of the story instead of just turning pages, like this seemed to be doing. I think in this case it's the satire of a future society revelling in wealth (plus, no religion?) and vulgar filmed entertainment that pits children against each other. And that's the second major point: the visceral terror of innocents forced to fight to the death with one a self-sacrificing hero. That's the film right there. Not the overlong family stuff, not the overlong training, not the overlong death of the kid who helped her, and certainly not the flat, cheap ending.

The scene that stuck out to me was Katniss, chased up a tree by a group of bloodthirsty bullies. It was powerful, but it could have been more so, considering even getting into the Games at all took a numbing 40 minutes or so. A clever adaptation could have been more ambitious and opened with a breathless and injured Katniss being chased. She manages to hide in the tree and slips into a fevered sleep. We're already in the Games... a sense of time is hard to pin down for the combatants and the audience. Queue flashback that teases a little of the backstory out, then back to the desperate, brief violence of the present, where she is saved by the hornet nest trick and meets the younger girl who has thus far survived on agility and wits. Cut to a camera and then a TV show... the fact this is being filmed for a vulgar and vain future high society could be a twist. And whereas time is losing meaning for the players, the TV show has countdowns and ad breaks. Such a perspective would treat the viewer with intelligence as we learn who trained Katniss and how she ended up there at all.

Her stepping in for her sister, scavenging for food and other bits and pieces could all have been delivered as flashbacks/monologues or via the characters watching and manipulating events. The core of the film could have been simplified into something concise and memorable. The power of the violence and the emotion of the sisters would have been sharpened by such focus.

They could have even gone hardcore and channelled the politically charged sci-fi of the 60s/70s (halfway there with some of the costumes, which were excellent). They could have at least dumped the opening scene with the sort-of-boyfriend, all the obvious training stuff and stripped out a huge amount of dialogue. Changing the order and using what cinema is good for could have made this a truly special film and teens deserve that (though they don't know it!). It would sit unashamed next to Battle Royale.  [/spoiler]

I really, really liked the story. That's why I was so disappointed that it's wasted in this film. I'm thinking of giving the book a go because it clearly deserves more respect. In any case, I'm genuinely interested in where it goes next.

[DJ Doena]

[spoiler]A clever adaptation could have been more ambitious and opened with a breathless and injured Katniss being chased. She manages to hide in the tree and slips into a fevered sleep. We're already in the Games... a sense of time is hard to pin down for the combatants and the audience. Queue flashback that teases a little of the backstory out, then back to the desperate, brief violence of the present, where she is saved by the hornet nest trick and meets the younger girl who has thus far survived on agility and wits. Cut to a camera and then a TV show... the fact this is being filmed for a vulgar and vain future high society could be a twist. And whereas time is losing meaning for the players, the TV show has countdowns and ad breaks. Such a perspective would treat the viewer with intelligence as we learn who trained Katniss and how she ended up there at all.[/spoiler]

Now THAT could have been interesting.

[Dragonfire]

I have now read the book.  I had thought about getting it a few different times, but something stopped me.  Having teenagers forced into a televised fight to the death turned me off for a while.  And while I really liked the book and plan to see the movie - hopefully soon - that part of it still sort of turns me off.  It's hard for me to explain.

I've started Catching Fire and I already have Mockingjay too.

[Achim]

Karsten, I think you hit the nail on the head. I was always prepared for it to be Battle Royale, but I was pleasantly surprised by the strong dystopian society thing they had going on. There was so much satire that could have been exploited, but it was just dull. I honestly don't think the PG13 (or 12A for us) would have been a problem, but the shaky cam method to hide everything just took the sting out.

Well, in my opinion this a strong connection here, which is why I referred to the PG rating being the problem. Did I mention the shaky cam as a negative in my review...? If not I forgot. Anyway, had the camera not been shaky and lingered (BBFC code word) on the violence or at least shown the kids rippinng each other apart full on, then a R or 15/18 would have been a sure thing. While the BBFC says it's following the public opinion here, but I think that showing violence without consequence is more dangerous than showing how a human body bleeds and what pain comes from that.

[DJ Doena]

While the BBFC says it's following the public opinion here, but I think that showing violence without consequence is more dangerous than showing how a human body bleeds and what pain comes from that.

Which is why Reservoir Dogs is much more realistic than many other movies. When someone gets shot in a Tarantino movie, it's always a serious deal. Not this "It's just a flesh wound." joke. The one with the gut shot was bleeding out over the entire movie and he was in serious pain.

[Najemikon]

Karsten, I think you hit the nail on the head. I was always prepared for it to be Battle Royale, but I was pleasantly surprised by the strong dystopian society thing they had going on. There was so much satire that could have been exploited, but it was just dull. I honestly don't think the PG13 (or 12A for us) would have been a problem, but the shaky cam method to hide everything just took the sting out.

Well, in my opinion this a strong connection here, which is why I referred to the PG rating being the problem. Did I mention the shaky cam as a negative in my review...? If not I forgot. Anyway, had the camera not been shaky and lingered (BBFC code word) on the violence or at least shown the kids rippinng each other apart full on, then a R or 15/18 would have been a sure thing. While the BBFC says it's following the public opinion here, but I think that showing violence without consequence is more dangerous than showing how a human body bleeds and what pain comes from that.

You did mention in your review about kills happening off-screen, which does happen often. I would have preferred more of that and less shaky-cam, but certainly not both which is what we got! Editing can be so clever and they just didn't seem to try (Karsten refers to Tarantino which is apt, considering everyone remembers the ear slicing scene even though it didn't happen. Sort of. ).

You make an excellent point about consequence. As I was saying before, my biggest problem with the film was a lack of focus in a lazy narrative. I think they could have afforded to be more brutal if the writing had accounted for it, but that was never going to happen in its current form.

[DJ Doena]

Yesterday I finally managed to finish the first book

[whatyagot=doena-soft.de/phpbookprofiler]9780439023528[/whatyagot]


The reason why she played nice at the end is far better explained in the book than in the movie. I also already started the second book where her defiance in the Games has (for her) unexpected consequences.

What I didn't like about the finale of the Games in the book is the origin of these wolve creatures. That was just unnecessary IMHO. It further codifies the cruelty of the Capitol but it doesn't really make them look worse than they already did anyway and thus doesn't really serve a purpose.

[DJ Doena]

And now I've finished book 2

[whatyagot=doena-soft.de/phpbookprofiler]9781407109367.4[/whatyagot]

And I'm really hooked and will start with book 3 immediately

[DSig]

Yep .. Good read.  No rocket science but just good fun

DSig

[Kathy]

I just received the trilogy. I've been awake for 42 out of the last 48 hours and can barely keep my eyes open so no Hunger Games for me today.

I'm pulling a 16 hour shift tonight and tomorrow so I'll get started on book 1 then.

I've been looking forward to reading these - hopefully I won't be too disappointed.

I know some people loved the Harry Potter books and while they were a pleasant read - they weren't much more than that to me.