I disliked the Hunger Games, both book and movie.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the trilogy and would encourage anyone with an 8th grade reading ability to pick up the book when there is a free 4 hours to enjoy it. (read: backhanded compliment). As pure entertainment it accomplishes it's goal. However, as literature, it fails on many levels. I despise when people blame a movie for the book's failings so I will be honest when it's an overall issue or it's just a shortcoming of the movie. (B) is for book and (M) is for movie.
I will say Jennifer Lawrence and Stanley Tucci were awesome. They get a pass!
I thought this would go without saying but SPOILER ALERT. Um. Duh.
Katniss Gives Her Sister THE Worst Luck Ever! (M) In the movie Katniss gives her sister the mockinjay pin before the reaping and with all of it's good luck, the opposite happens: SHE GETS PICKED! Then Prim gives the pin back to her for good luck after she volunteers for the HG. Are you kidding me? That thing is cursed. Do you not remember getting chosen 20m ago in the reaping after touching that cursed pin? Use your brain, Katniss lite.
Brave Chick With Only One Parent Overcomes Again! (B) Im not saying we cant have heroines in this day and age that come from a single parent, heck - all single parents and their children are heroes to me! But Reference: 16 Disney characters are without a mom and 7 without a dad. I'm citing the internet because it's a real reference these days, ya'll.
Make-Over Madness! (B) As soon as you enter you are magically made over! The Wizard Of Oz did that over 112 years ago and 75 years ago in the movie. Old. News.
Cake Face & Tree Sitting. (M) Peeta's ridiculous cake face he made while hiding in some moss made me think he came from the movie The Labyrinth and not HG. This did not translate. Leave that on the cutting room floor. Also, in the book sitting in a tree for 30 pages is pretty interesting but sitting in a tree for 4 minutes is sitting in a tree for 4 minutes. More murder! Less tree-ing.
Which brings me to Peeta Is A Pussy (M). In the book Peeta is awesome! In the movie he's tiny and spindly and sort of lame. The movie converted me to Team Gale and he's only in the movie for a combined 5.5 minutes.
Were They Really Hungry? (M) Hard to say considering no one really looked that hungry or even acted slightly famished. There was no reaction of the main characters to the extravagant food on the train or in their suite. I pictured the scene in Hook when the kids are so hungry they pretend to eat PAINT for 15 minutes. They ate paint they were so hungry! There was no mention in the movie (and I saw the movie 2x) that the victor fed their district for the entire year of their reign. If they were hungry, it was NOT apparent.
The World's Largest IT Dept. (B) It's my same Avatar gripe - how can it be so far in the future and we have all this technology and yet dude is still in a rickety wheel chair? In the Hunger Games case - she can wish any food at any time but in the arena she still has to wear a windbreaker? I mean we're talking crazy technology here - why are these kids not fighting with lasers? I'm also curious which if these districts makes USB ports and drives? Seems like someone needed to build technology - where are the nerds in Panem? I saw none.
Anyway, you can hate me - it's fine. I hate me sometimes, too.
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