Just finished watching "The Hunger Games" (I have an infant son so my movie watching is often delayed a few months and I can only watch in chunks). I just wanted to provide some of my thoughts on it just in case there are other movie people on CAF. Warning, spoilers ahead.
Overall, I was disappointed in the movie. Everything just came across as really flat. There was such potential to paint a very vivid dystopian world. What are the characteristics of each district? Why was Catniss so quick to volunteer as a tribute when her sister's name was drawn? What is their relationship like? How difficult is life is District 12? What was the political and social situation in the capital where they needed to keep the Hunger Games going? Unfortunately, the movie only hints or talks about all these aspects of this brave new world in the shallowest of dialog.
I was hoping for some better drama in a movie that revolves around teenagers that are forced to fight to the death. There was potential for some great scenes involving a wide range of emotions from fear, anger, doubt, malice, etc. But again, that all felt wasted since we never really get to know any of the tributes except for the main characters. The movie just turns into random fight scenes where some random person attacks Catniss and she finds a way to survive.
And that brings me to my last criticism. The drama is deadened in the movie because arbitrary things happen. Catniss gets injured, but no worries since she receives some anti-biotic plasma from one of her sponsors. She's cornered, but instead of finishing her off, the other tributes set up camp and fall asleep. Someone has a knife to Catniss's throat, but must first deliver some clichéd remarks giving just enough time for someone else to kill her. And of course, the game controllers were always changing the rules too. So when the audience knows that something arbitrary will happen that will save Catniss, the drama disappears.
I really wanted to like this film. I really wanted it to be an interesting commentary on human nature, society, and government. And I at least wanted to see Catniss win based on her skills, not by luck. But this movie didn't deliver any of that. I could go on about other aspects like the weak romance between the two District 12 tributes, but I'll stop here.
Oh, except for one more thing. The only redeeming part of the movie was Woody Harlson's character. He nailed it!
Overall, I was disappointed in the movie. Everything just came across as really flat. There was such potential to paint a very vivid dystopian world. What are the characteristics of each district? Why was Catniss so quick to volunteer as a tribute when her sister's name was drawn? What is their relationship like? How difficult is life is District 12? What was the political and social situation in the capital where they needed to keep the Hunger Games going? Unfortunately, the movie only hints or talks about all these aspects of this brave new world in the shallowest of dialog.
I was hoping for some better drama in a movie that revolves around teenagers that are forced to fight to the death. There was potential for some great scenes involving a wide range of emotions from fear, anger, doubt, malice, etc. But again, that all felt wasted since we never really get to know any of the tributes except for the main characters. The movie just turns into random fight scenes where some random person attacks Catniss and she finds a way to survive.
And that brings me to my last criticism. The drama is deadened in the movie because arbitrary things happen. Catniss gets injured, but no worries since she receives some anti-biotic plasma from one of her sponsors. She's cornered, but instead of finishing her off, the other tributes set up camp and fall asleep. Someone has a knife to Catniss's throat, but must first deliver some clichéd remarks giving just enough time for someone else to kill her. And of course, the game controllers were always changing the rules too. So when the audience knows that something arbitrary will happen that will save Catniss, the drama disappears.
I really wanted to like this film. I really wanted it to be an interesting commentary on human nature, society, and government. And I at least wanted to see Catniss win based on her skills, not by luck. But this movie didn't deliver any of that. I could go on about other aspects like the weak romance between the two District 12 tributes, but I'll stop here.
Oh, except for one more thing. The only redeeming part of the movie was Woody Harlson's character. He nailed it!