Hunger Games

[Bmat]

I've seen Hunger Games twice. The first time I thought good movie, but horrendous premise. I read all three books in the series, and saw the movie again on Thursday. The movie was even better the second time around, because I had more of a feeling for what was going on, and I wasn't worried about characters that I liked- either I knew they were dead or weren't going to be. I'll get the movie when it comes out on DVD.

Hunger Games is about a future world where the working masses are kept under strict control by the Capitol. The Capitol is surrounded by 12 districts which had rebelled against the Capitol and were defeated. To remind the districts of the consequences of rebellion, every year each district sends a boy and a girl as Tributes to fight to the death in the Hunger Games, and only one child may survive. There are a number of references to Ancient Rome and gladiators, as well as reality shows.

The movie is pg-13. I would not take a younger child to see it, because there are a few scenes of violence- although most of the violence is not on-camera, a younger child might be affected.

[The Master]

I finally saw it and I have to say that I was pleasantly impressed. The concept is much more well developed than I expected. I also thought it was a fresh and interesting vision of a dystopian society (although I am unclear if it is supposed to be a future earth or its own universe). I liked the "its a TV show" angle in particular. Its not without its flaws, some of which are probably inherent in a story for younger audiences (or at least the source material was), but they weren't so huge as to spoil the enjoyment of the movie.

[Bmat]

I'm curious about what flaws you noticed?

I think future in this universe. Did you see something that might point to a different universe?

[The Master]

I don't necessarily think its a different universe, but I didn't see anything to specifically indicate it is our own future either. I'll stick the rest in a spoiler.

Show Spoiler

Some of the flaws were skips in character development. For example Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) went from uninterested drunken wastral to being fully invested in helping the kids without any intervening scene to show why. Similarly, that brutal kid from Zone 1 is suddenly whining and afraid at the final encounter at the cornucopia. We don't get a scene showing what happened to transform him. Maybe the book doesn't gloss this over so quickly?

I thought it weird that Peeta and Katniss would have that much affection for each other given that it appears the only time they ever had an interaction back home was when he gave her that bread to eat. After Peeta helped the mean group hunt her I don't see why Katniss would take him back so quickly either. However, I also have a suspicion that the romance was Haymitch's idea all along and that concocting it was the subject of his private training that one night with Peeta.

On a more technical side, there was inconsistency in the use of the holograms or whatever that technology was supposed to be. When they rode in on their chariot Cinna gave them the fire clothes, telling them its not real so it can't burn them. At the talk show interview the crowd even groaned when she said the fire was real, indicating that they knew it was fake. Yet during the game the game controllers conjure up fire that burns her, and even dog-creatures that are able to kill. It seemed like this was the same technology, but now its lethal?

[Bmat]

I see what you mean. I have read the book now and some was filled in. I'm not sure about when spoiler warnings aren't needed, but just in case here are some more.

Show Spoiler

About the flames on the costumes, I think they were not the same as those in the arena- the costumers mentioned developing them. I figured they were some kind of chemical.

I think that Peeta did love, or have a crush on Katniss. She was convinced that he was put up to it by Haymitch. He was Innocent? naive? enough to think that she really felt the way she was acting, even though for her it was just an act.

In the movie, Haymitch's strange abrupt transformation from lout to concerned mentor confused me also.