Tuesday, March 27, 2012

The Hunger Games


So, we've gone from wizards, to madly in love vampires, to now having kids go into an arena and fight to the death on live television. What a transition! Well, The Hunger Games was a very intense book series and I thoroughly enjoyed them. Now that is is a movie, it only seemed fit that I make a trip down to the theatre and see how well it could be portrayed on the big screen. Since practically everybody in the world knows what The Hunger Games is about due to its soaring popularity, I'll just get straight to the point and do some reviewing.

First off, nobody can deny the allure of this film and book series. What exactly draws people in to this very frightening concept of a country that forces our children to kill one another? It's that unnerving quality of life or death and how people would deal under these circumstances. It really allows the reader, or movie goer, to imagine themselves in a scenario such as this. Watching the film, you can't help but wonder how you would act if you were tribute, what you would do, and would you even possess the ability to ruthlessly murder another innocent person. Fear stirs within you, and you can't help but be dragged into the enticing magnetism of The Hunger Games. It's one of the best book series I have had the priveledge of reading, and as people flood into the theatres decked out in fan gear and decorative posters, many are wondering did this film do the book justice.

I hate to say it, but I slightly was disappointed by the movie. I know they cannot follow the book 100% and have every single detail on screen; that's logically impossible. However, the changes and tweaks that were made didn't exactly necesarrily enhance the theme or the characters. Even for somebody who read the book, I found myself a little confused at times about where they were going with this, how they were explaining it, etc. There were many parts of the film that I found myself a little picky about, but I'll just discuss a few of the ones that made me itch.

One of the things that seemed very unexplained was Katniss and Peeta's relationship. In the film, it wasn't clarified that Katniss was only prentending to be in love to gain sympathy from the audience, and how Peeta was actually in love. It appeared that Katniss was just a hopeless romantic, which clearly was not an accurate portrayl of her character. Plus, I didn't feel any emotional connection between them. I wanted to see the relationship blossom as it did in the book, but since it's a movie and you can't have a six hour film, I guess it had to be a little rushed. It just seemed to me very unanswered about how they each really felt; were they pretending or were they really in love? As the book worms, such as I, know that Katniss was faking it but Peeta was not, this concept was not entirely answered. This was really my biggest complaint, because it depicted our two "star-crossed lovers" in a way that was contrary to the book.

Also, the connection between Katniss and Peeta before the Games was also very vague and unclear. I felt as if it should have been a bigger deal than what it was in the film; about how Peeta's act of kindness and compassion kept Katniss from losing all hope and succumbing to death after her father's untimely death. Of course you have the small snipets of that particular moment, but it did not specify the significance or how this affected both of them. There just seemed to be alot of loose ends in the film that were not resolved.

Following that, I felt that character development was a weak spot in the film. Effie Trinket, the spoiled announcer of the reapings and pompous helper for Katniss and Peeta, did not exactly have a formal introduction. They never really explained who she was and what she was doing. Haymitch, their drunk and dreadful mentor, was also slightly overlooked and whose purpose in the film was not elucidated. Those are just a few examples, but some of the characters simply were not covered thoroughly.

What I did admire was the commentary from the Capitol hosts and the Gamemaker headquarters, giving a different angle as to how the actual Games are constructed. I thought that was very neat and showed just how corrupted the whole setup is. The scenes between Seneca Crane and President Snow were also a nice touch to give the audience insight as to how the two men in control operate the Games. I was a little skeptical about how the film would squeeze in other aspects, rather than just focus on the Games the whole time. But those added views were very beneficial, and did help clear up some of the confusion.

The acting, however, was quite phenomenal. Jennifer Lawrence as the independent and brave Katniss Everdeen was a perfect selection; she made you feel like you were right in the arena with you. You felt physical anguish when she was in pain, hatred for the Capitol for their sick and twisted choice of entertainment, sorrow when she was there in Rue's final moments of life. They could not have found a better "girl on fire."
Josh Hutcherson did not fall short as Peeta Mellark. He was very convincing as the troubled boy, determined not to be used by the Capitol, and determined to protect Katniss in any way. I can't wait to see him take on a much more challenging role in Catching Fire. I have to admit, I wanted some reference in the film to be made to "The Boy with the Bread," since that pratically was his official title in the book.
Though he did not possess much screen time, Liam Hemsworth as the loyal Gale Hawthorne defintely showed potential in the few moments he had. Gale was not a major character in the first book, but in the second film I hope we can see alot more of him.
The other minor roles : Stanley Tucci (Caesar Flickerman), Wes Bentley (Seneca Crane), Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket), Willow Shields (Prim), Lenny Kravitz (Cinna), Donald Sutherland (Presidenot Snow), Woody Harrelson (Haymitch) and the main tributes all performed great, as well.
Bottom line, all the acting was simply terrific.

Overall, I feel like there were several dents and cracks in the film that could have been touched up. However, the intensity of watching 24 young teenagers becoming enclosed in an arena and being forced to kill one another in a gory blood bath, kept the audience in rapt attention. You were on the edge of your seat, eyes glued to the screen, and certainitly was not lacking in intruige and action. If you're a fan of heart pounding scenarios such as this, The Hunger Games would appeal to you. If you have read the book and haven't seen the movie yet, I'll leave it up to you to decide whether or not you feel the film has done the book justice or not. The movie is defintely different from the book, but we have to keep in mind there's a time limit, and things here and there are going to be altered in some way. As a whole, the movie guarantees alot of action, intense battle scenes, and leaves all of us biting our nails in anticapation for Catching Fire.

GRADE: B

And may the odds be ever in your favor.

Ok, I had to say that at least once. That is the coolest slogan ever! Too bad it refers to either your death or your life.