Movie Review: The Hunger Games
In a dystopian future, the totalitarian nation of Panem is divided between 12 districts and the Capitol. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal retribution for a past rebellion, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors while the citizens of Panem are required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss’s young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.
©
Notice: I don’t know how to write real and intelligent movie reviews; the following will be just my raves and rants about the movie.
I finally saw this movie after several weeks of desperate waiting. My friends and I weren’t able to see it earlier since we’re such good students and couldn’t take a day off from school works (yes, even on weekends) unless it’s the start of the summer holidays. We only got the chance to meet up and finally visit the theaters to witness the most anticipated movie of the year this past Sunday, April 1, 2012.
First off, I loved the movie, the actors, the soundtrack and everything they did to wedge a good novel into a good movie. There were some scenes from the book (by Suzanne Collins), though, that didn’t make it to the movie (like the story of the Avox) and that were altered/edited to fit (like Madge and the Mockingjay pin). And since I don’t know how to make this review
less atrocious to where it’s heading, maybe I will just write about the scenes slash elements I loved.
HOORAY FOR THESE SCENES!!!The opening. Opening the movie with the Treaty of Treason gave the impression of war/rebellion and dashed it with a bit of documentary feeling. It inevitably hit the viewers with excitement. And bam! Seneca Crane’s glorious beard and glorious face came into view. It made the Hunger Games movie’s opening the best opening ever. And I meant this!
Seneca Crane. The beard. And the eyes. And the smarts. Enough said.
The Capitol people. Seeing the people from the shining Capitol, it dawned on me that the production team of the movie spent more cosmetics and hours in prepping up the least important people – the citizens of the Capitol, which were, more or less, just extra talents – than the major actors. I know, tributes didn’t have much makeup since they were fighting their asses off on live TV, but it was just funny and strange in all ways.
Effie Trinket and Haymitch Abernathy. Should go out. They were so cute. Oh, not-so-young love.
The side court reporting-ish slash commentaries of Ceasar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith. This wasn’t in the book, since it used Katniss Everdeen’s point of view. Their momentary exposures made it easier for the viewers (especially those who haven’t read the book) to understand the go-go of the Games (e.g. the tracker jackers, the meaning of the cannons), bringing to life the ideas that only once lived inside Katniss’ head. Also, looking at the two of them was like a constant battle between who had the better hair.
Seneca and President Snow conversations. These were absolutely not written in the books. The conversations between the two gave the movie an unexpected turn since nobody ever knew how the Gamemakers plan and prepare the Games and what the president says about it. This also led to the viewers’ understanding of Snow’s fascination with roses (which wasn’t explained until
Mockingjay), and showed how not-so diabolical and/or very diabolical Snow was.
The team behind the Games. I would give almost everything just to have those machines the Capitol used! They were out-of-this-world and geez, they were the very gadget geeks’ dream come true. My mouth was hanging open the whole freaking time they showed the touch panel boards and freaking awesome holograms. How easier life would be if everyone had machines like those: you’d need only touch, select and hover, and
tada, you got yourself a flat screen TV or sports car or a new boyfriend! And yes, Seneca was always hovering in the background. I ain’t even mad.
District 11’s pandemonium. I liked the idea of showing in the movie the effect of Katniss’ actions towards Rue on District 11. It will help in connecting the dots that would lead to the rebellion against the Capitol, as written on
Catching Fire .
Kissing inside the cave. Who wouldn’t want to see the spontaneous kisses between the star-crossed lovers, Katniss and Peeta Mellark? Really? Too bad they only had one, real kiss in the movie. Try reading the book, and you’d wish you were inside the cave with the two of them.
Gale Hawthorne’s jealous faces. These additions, I
really liked. Gale didn’t have many scenes in the book since he wasn’t really inside the arena. His name only came up every time Katniss would compare him to Peeta. His jealous faces were definitely cute. It made him more lovable. I think he would even win more crush votes over Peeta!
The muttations. In the book, the mutts that had attacked the remaining tributes were scarier because they included features (i.e. eye color, hair color, height) of the dead tributes. But in the movie, they just looked like big, burly dogs. They were scary enough, okay, but the Glimmer version or Rue version of them would ultimately make us pee in our pants.
Peeta’s leg. Why didn’t he lose his leg? Don’t get me wrong, I love Peeta with all my bookworm heart, but I think it would make him
more vulnerable if he loses his one leg. It would add to his growing list of labels: Peeta Mellark, one half of the star-crossed lovers, the boy with the bread, the boy who didn’t directly kill any tribute, the boy who could win with camouflaging himself, the boy with one leg.
Seneca and the berries. What a smart idea! It left the viewers thinking of what the Head Gamemaker’s fate will be.
I couldn’t think of any other scenes anymore since this review is going on too long for a basic movie review. Apologies for my terrible sucking in this writing field. Geez, tell me about it.
Imitating a Capitol-pitched voice, Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.
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a woeful & chaotic diary since 071409
Movie Review: The Hunger Games
In a dystopian future, the totalitarian nation of Panem is divided between 12 districts and the Capitol. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal retribution for a past rebellion, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors while the citizens of Panem are required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss’s young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.
©
Notice: I don’t know how to write real and intelligent movie reviews; the following will be just my raves and rants about the movie.
I finally saw this movie after several weeks of desperate waiting. My friends and I weren’t able to see it earlier since we’re such good students and couldn’t take a day off from school works (yes, even on weekends) unless it’s the start of the summer holidays. We only got the chance to meet up and finally visit the theaters to witness the most anticipated movie of the year this past Sunday, April 1, 2012.
First off, I loved the movie, the actors, the soundtrack and everything they did to wedge a good novel into a good movie. There were some scenes from the book (by Suzanne Collins), though, that didn’t make it to the movie (like the story of the Avox) and that were altered/edited to fit (like Madge and the Mockingjay pin). And since I don’t know how to make this review
less atrocious to where it’s heading, maybe I will just write about the scenes slash elements I loved.
HOORAY FOR THESE SCENES!!!The opening. Opening the movie with the Treaty of Treason gave the impression of war/rebellion and dashed it with a bit of documentary feeling. It inevitably hit the viewers with excitement. And bam! Seneca Crane’s glorious beard and glorious face came into view. It made the Hunger Games movie’s opening the best opening ever. And I meant this!
Seneca Crane. The beard. And the eyes. And the smarts. Enough said.
The Capitol people. Seeing the people from the shining Capitol, it dawned on me that the production team of the movie spent more cosmetics and hours in prepping up the least important people – the citizens of the Capitol, which were, more or less, just extra talents – than the major actors. I know, tributes didn’t have much makeup since they were fighting their asses off on live TV, but it was just funny and strange in all ways.
Effie Trinket and Haymitch Abernathy. Should go out. They were so cute. Oh, not-so-young love.
The side court reporting-ish slash commentaries of Ceasar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith. This wasn’t in the book, since it used Katniss Everdeen’s point of view. Their momentary exposures made it easier for the viewers (especially those who haven’t read the book) to understand the go-go of the Games (e.g. the tracker jackers, the meaning of the cannons), bringing to life the ideas that only once lived inside Katniss’ head. Also, looking at the two of them was like a constant battle between who had the better hair.
Seneca and President Snow conversations. These were absolutely not written in the books. The conversations between the two gave the movie an unexpected turn since nobody ever knew how the Gamemakers plan and prepare the Games and what the president says about it. This also led to the viewers’ understanding of Snow’s fascination with roses (which wasn’t explained until
Mockingjay), and showed how not-so diabolical and/or very diabolical Snow was.
The team behind the Games. I would give almost everything just to have those machines the Capitol used! They were out-of-this-world and geez, they were the very gadget geeks’ dream come true. My mouth was hanging open the whole freaking time they showed the touch panel boards and freaking awesome holograms. How easier life would be if everyone had machines like those: you’d need only touch, select and hover, and
tada, you got yourself a flat screen TV or sports car or a new boyfriend! And yes, Seneca was always hovering in the background. I ain’t even mad.
District 11’s pandemonium. I liked the idea of showing in the movie the effect of Katniss’ actions towards Rue on District 11. It will help in connecting the dots that would lead to the rebellion against the Capitol, as written on
Catching Fire .
Kissing inside the cave. Who wouldn’t want to see the spontaneous kisses between the star-crossed lovers, Katniss and Peeta Mellark? Really? Too bad they only had one, real kiss in the movie. Try reading the book, and you’d wish you were inside the cave with the two of them.
Gale Hawthorne’s jealous faces. These additions, I
really liked. Gale didn’t have many scenes in the book since he wasn’t really inside the arena. His name only came up every time Katniss would compare him to Peeta. His jealous faces were definitely cute. It made him more lovable. I think he would even win more crush votes over Peeta!
The muttations. In the book, the mutts that had attacked the remaining tributes were scarier because they included features (i.e. eye color, hair color, height) of the dead tributes. But in the movie, they just looked like big, burly dogs. They were scary enough, okay, but the Glimmer version or Rue version of them would ultimately make us pee in our pants.
Peeta’s leg. Why didn’t he lose his leg? Don’t get me wrong, I love Peeta with all my bookworm heart, but I think it would make him
more vulnerable if he loses his one leg. It would add to his growing list of labels: Peeta Mellark, one half of the star-crossed lovers, the boy with the bread, the boy who didn’t directly kill any tribute, the boy who could win with camouflaging himself, the boy with one leg.
Seneca and the berries. What a smart idea! It left the viewers thinking of what the Head Gamemaker’s fate will be.
I couldn’t think of any other scenes anymore since this review is going on too long for a basic movie review. Apologies for my terrible sucking in this writing field. Geez, tell me about it.
Imitating a Capitol-pitched voice, Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.
← older / top / newer →
a woeful & chaotic diary since 071409
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Already several months had passed, and I am missing
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry more and more each fleeting day. There are just some things in life that we can never forget – especially that something that had given us knowledge, skills, strong relationships and a second home. I am glad that everything in the magical world is now at peace, since Voldemort (yes, I can now say his name; no need to be afraid) had died. I had secretly admired Tom Marvolo Riddle (Voldemort’s birth name) though, because of his intelligence, passion and love for magic. Wasn’t he very clever to think of and conjure his seven
Horcruxes to preserve his life, or form a clan of
Death Eaters who were very loyal to him and would give up their lives just for him to succeed? Not everybody can acquire that much loyalty from people these days. I do not, however, admire him for the way he had carried out all of his plans. He had a good agenda, his means just weren’t morally right. But he still is one of the darkest wizards of all time… and let’s leave it that way.
Oh, for all those who are baffled of what I’m saying here and who the heck I am, my name is
Christine Faye Ordas, and I am an alumnus of Hogwarts. I came from the bronze-and-blue-clad house of the smart ass witch Rowena Ravenclaw and her dictum
“Wit beyond measure is a man’s greatest treasure.” And yes, I know the wonderful Luna Lovegood (she’s such a darling) and Harry Potter’s first crush Cho Chang. I had just left Hogwarts last May. Right now I am trying to pursue a career in magical researches, literature and writing. It’s my dream to inscribe intellectual books, publish and sell them in
Flourish and Blotts for the future Hogwarts students’ use. I am also planning to credibly write for the
Daily Prophet, the magical world’s primary news bulletin. And of course, I will be very much honored to contribute to Mr. Xenophilius Lovegood’s
Quibbler (hence, my interest in magical researches). I have always found the Lovegoods a fascinating family, and I bet working with and for them will be very exciting. Or maybe, in Merlin’s beard’s time, I can write legends and bedtime stories like the famous – and wickedly brilliant – Beedle the Bard.
And that’s how my life goes these days. I am utterly missing my old school, my friends, the Great Hall, the bronze eagle knocker just outside the Ravenclaw common room, Professor Flitwick (the head of our house), Hogsmeade, the Quidditch matches (although I didn’t actually play for the house), the moving portraits, the castle ghosts, the pumpkins on Halloween, the giant pine trees on Christmas, Rubeus Hagrid’s (Hogwarts’ gamekeeper) tea and treacle fudge – even the crabby Argus Filch (Hogwarts’ caretaker) I miss. Maybe I can visit the school grounds sometimes and see how the magical world’s been doing since Voldemort died (I’ve been spending my months in the muggle world, you see). I’ve heard everybody’s been moving on and starting all over again; the ministry is back on work under Kingsley Shacklebolt; and Harry Potter’s scar haven’t been disturbing him since.
All is well, indeed.
And because of that, we should celebrate and drink firewhisky! Oh, I still don’t drink firewhisky; I can take butterbeer or tea or pumpkin juice – just not firewhisky, please.
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