{Print from Entropy Trading Co. via Etsy}
The Hunger Games, Movie Edition:
I looooooooved it.
(The book, of course, is in a class all by itself, so we won’t compare too much, only a little.)
Before I go into the details I would just like to say this: Katniss Everdeen ROCKS and I don’t think they could have found a more perfect person for the role. Throughout the whole entire movie I couldn’t help but think over and over in my head, Dang that girl is skilled!
So here I will go into my personal opinions about the movie itself. If you haven’t read the book/seen the film, and plan on it, stop reading now. Otherwise, let’s begin:
District 12:
I thought the beginning of the movie was absolutely perfect. District 12 was exactly as I imagined it. Exactly. I love the chemistry with Gale and Katniss and ultimately have always in my heart felt they were right for each other. Aaaanyways. I could go on all day discussing Gale, but for the sake of this (hopefully not too long) post, let’s move on.
The reaping was also perfectly aligned with the images I had in my head. I wish they had gone into more detail with the mockingjay, but I will forgive. It was all so tragic and powerful and that silent salute gave me all sorts of shivers.
“It means thanks, it means admiration, it means good-bye to someone you love.”
The Tributes:
I enjoyed most everything about this part of the movie. The train ride was well done, and the Opening Ceremony and the days in the training center were entertaining and well filmed. LOVED the “girl on fire”. SO cool. I do wish they had gone into some more detail here on Peeta and the back story between him and Katniss– it seemed like they could have gone deeper in my humble opinion, but again, I will forgive. I also thought they did a good job with the back story on the mining accident. I liked how they encorporated it into the movie just enough to satisfy.
And then of course, The 74th Hunger Games:
Brilliantly done. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Either that, or I was curled up in a ball simultaneously covering my ears and squinting my eyes. I do this sometimes during action movies. It just happens.
The fights at the Cornucopia were CRAY-ZY.
The fireballs were wild.
The tracker jackers scene was perfect.
Loved little Rue and her lovely spirit and the mockingjay song. Saddest tear. Loved that part a lot.
I never really loved the cave scene in the book (remember: Team Gale, here) and I felt the same way about the cave scene in the movie. It was OKAY.
I thought the last fight at the Cornucopia was terrific, even though the creepy wolves should have definitely been mutations of the dead tributes (as was done in the book). I think it would have added just a little “umph” which I would have appreciated.
And the very end of the games with the night lock berries? LOVED.
Overall it was a HIGHLY decent adaptation of the book. Of course we all know the books are always better, no argument there, but I truly enjoyed myself during the movie and would recommend it to anyone who loved the Trilogy or just wants to see a very interesting, action packed story, about a bunch of teenagers who against their will are forced to fight to the death.
Would you be brave enough to change the game?
I sure as heck wouldn’t be.
But regardless, who wants to take up archery now?
I DO. I DO.
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Postscript: This post is officially brought to you by my 16 year-old self. You’re welcome!
I really enjoyed it too (as you know). for me the casting of rue was perfect – she was exactly how I imagined her (similar to you imagining district 12). I think rhey’ve done a good job with the book to movie so I’m excite to see the others (and finishing reading the series). also president snow was very evil – good job Donald sutherland
I thought they did a terrific job with the movie! It makes me excited to see how the next two books will be handled.
I am not reading any of this or any of the comments and it’s so hard! My books are in the mail as we speak. I’m SO excited, but I have to work so hard to avoid all the discussion!
AHHHH WE LOVED IT :-)
we heart katniss everdeen. to the moon.
i cannot wait until we see each other so we can discuss in full detail and possibly watch it again. that will be a dream.
xoxox
h
Yes!!!
Sigh, I wanted to take up archery after Legolas Greenleaf. :)
!!!!
I heard on the news that archery is becoming very popular among girls. I can see why. I have never seen a movie based on a book that was done as well as this one. I can get over the mocking jay pin, because other than that it was PERFECT. How they managed to fit it all into a movie blows my mind.
I. was. SO HAPPY. Everyone/everything was [somehow] exactly how I pictured it from reading the book…. except the Cornucopia but I think that was just me being dumb. I also cried. Twice. Not that it takes much for me to do that, but still, lets you know it was good. Oh I am just so excited for the next one now!!
ps. I’m team Peeta SORRY!!
I pictured the Cornucopia different too. I did not think it would be metal and shaped like that. I don’t even know how I pictured it, but it wasn’t like that.
I absolutely couldn’t agree more with your recap. Not even going to admit how much I would have chosen Gale over Peeta, but at least in the book, the depth of the plot made me love Peeta more each day. The movie did quite the opposite. They better step it up for the second and third movie. Or I’ll revolt, district 13 style.
Agreed! They need to develop that relationship more, for sure!!
Okay, I haven’t seen the movie yet but I read your post anyway. And now I am even MORE excited to see it! I read all three books in about 48 hours and have been dying to see the movie! Those prints are seriously cool.
[ Also, I’m totally team Gale. ]
NICELY WRITTEN, anna. i went with a friend who had literally JUST finished reading the book for the first time and she HATED it. a few months ago i read an article about books vs movies, focusing on harry potter mostly, but it really helped me remember that the books and the movies, while kind of abiding by the same plotline, are not at all the same thing.
one thing i was always interested in was how we would all get to know katniss. the book is written from her point of view so we see everything through her eyes, as opposed to a movie where we are instead a fly on the wall.