The Hunger Games Review

The following post details: My experience of going to the Hunger Games Midnight Premiere, the hype (or lack of) at the cinema, my 'psycho fan' nature that may well have ruined the experience (through over-zealous hyping in the days leading up, weeks and yes, you got me months (and I mean seriously distant from the premiere date) to the movie) My final review of the Hunger Games, both a spoilerish and a non-spoilerish one, for those who haven't read the book or seen the movie, which won't actually be a review because all it will be is me encouraging you to watch and/or read the goddamn thing. Plus over-critical fans and my opinions on THEIR opinions. 


Here we go: Well I've been away for a little while, and I suppose that it may have come as a slight disappointment for you to find out that after going on about the fact that the Hunger Games was to become a movie, I didn't like it.

Okay. Not true. I kinda, wait I did like it. But I guess the book was just too amazing, nothing could compare. And here's just a little something I have to get out of the way, I won't mention it again just don't dispute me on it:

THE SOUNDTRACK WAS AWFUL I HATED IT. THE ELEMENT OF SOUND WAS NOT UTILISED TO ITS FULL EXTENT AND POTENTIAL.

There, the end. So lets get into it!
On the 21st of March (Yes the 21st, that is not a memory error that is the correct date, I swear on my life - if I'm wrong just chuck me in the Hunger Games) I went over to my friends place after school where we all hunger out, OH DEAR GOD LOOK AT THAT GRAMMATICAL ERROR, I wrote 'hunger' instead of 'hung' that word is just so subconsciously stuck there in my brain. Anyway, as I was saying we all hung out until about half past eleven (Thats 11:30 for all you lazy people out there) pm, just making sure we are on the same page. All because I was going to the MIDNIGHT PREMIERE OF THE HUNGER GAMES. Okay, sorry for all the caps.

The place (cinema) was surprisingly empty, they sure didn't fill out the whole theatre, but hey, what can you do? Most people would be bothered to get up this late on a school night, it just messes with you and stuffs you up the next day. So in we marched, me and about 3 of my friends, where we soon met up with another four of our friends and our crazily-pre-ordered-tickets were soon slashed and we were in. Yeah the 'low amount of people' and the fact that there were still tickets available made me feel pretty bad about going all 'psycho fan' on my friend, who for some reason was placed in the unfortunate position of buying the tickets, and pressuring insanely that we must grab those tickets the DAY they came out (Feb 22nd, in case your interested) Putting an light ending to that story I'll just go with saying that we all got our tickets over a month in advance.

The movie was nice, I think I'll have to see it again to appreciate it properly, or something. I had one too many bones to pick (But hang on a sec, I'm about to go and be a hypocrite, just you wait)

Afterwards my Mum came and picked me up, we got Mcdonalds (Because they are open 24Hrs thank god) and that was the night, of course with the viewing in between.

First off I'll launch into my Very Detailed Spoilerific Review (More like a pros and cons list):




The Hunger Games, what I liked about it;


- The acting, it was great, I thought they did a great job with the slightly measly bits of script that each person had. 
- The arena, that thing was done well, I liked the forest settings, which really just matched with what I'd imagined in the book picture perfect. 
- The casting, I guess this couples in with acting but still, the cast did a great job. 
-The editing/animation CGI whatever you call it, of those muttations, they looked good and not at all like mannequins or half done animations (cough cough to a certain franchise)
- That feast scene, gosh that was done well, and Thresh, I really liked Thresh in the books, I found myself imagining his journey and getting emotionally attached to it so I really enjoyed him getting screen time. It gave the little suzanne-collins-fangirl inside of me just a little bit of time to squee
- The way they handled Katniss' backstory, her unresponsive mother, dead father ect. It was well done, alongside some superb acting.
- Okay, Apart from that shaky-camera shot I really admired the camera-work of this movie, it was done in an interesting way and not at all conventional Hollywood. 
- CINNA!! He's just awesome. Cuddos to the actors and everything that just pulled his character together.


What I didn't like (Oh here we go);


- THE SOUNDTRACK. Thats the end of that rant.
- That hand-held, non-dolly moving shot. I just eurghh! It worked fine the first time round but the fact that it just kept showing up! Everywhere! An without the appropriate sound behind it the effect of the shot just doesn't shine through.
- The handling of the on-screen relationship between Katniss and Rue, you just didn't get to see enough bonding or really have time to develop an attachment, to care about their friendship. So when she died, I just wasn't feeling it, again the soundtrack side of things wasn't helping either. Bloody Senacre Crane got more screen-time than Rue.
- The short-ness of Katniss and Peeta's time in the cave, I know, I know, the books have much more flexibility with this than movies do, but it just felt half done you know?
- The interview scenes, something just felt missing. The spinning-fire-dress moment was very anti-climax.
- President Snow. He didn't look intimidating, more like Santa Clause than a child-murderer. He just didn't ooze power, he seemed like someone who'd be booted from presidency in the next election (If Panem had them)
- Berries. The final scene with the berries. Pretending like you will eat death-berries is pretty rebel, but actually putting them in your mouth THAT IS BADASS!! Why people? Why didn't it happen!?


What Surprised Me;


- Haymitch's character, it was just downright refreshing, to be able to explore this character whom, during Hunger Games 1, we didn't get a very large insight to. 
- The soundtrack, obviously.
- The uprising in eleven, I just didn't expect it. I didn't mind it, there is going to be an uprising anyway, why not introduce it to the audience earlier? It surprised me and was taken well however I can feel that there would be some nitpicks out there who would think it strays too far off plot. 


What was funny;


- The whole scene where Haymitch walks in smiling at Katniss and gives her the thumbs up. It was just too good. A great bit of film that resonated so well with Haymitch's character.
- When Katniss almost stood on Peeta's face. Come off it, we're kids and we giggle. 


Obviously the plot and storyline was amazing, the lighting was used effectively, especially in those final arena scenes. I was feeling the suspense when those Muttations were let loose, and I did genuinely jump when it leapt out of nowhere (I was holding my drink at the time and clipped the straw across my face - it hurts)


Finally: What I was really surprised that people complained about as I didn't really mind.


- Madge. Okay, I'm sorry, but since when has Madge ever been a major plot point? I'd actually run into people more concerned with the absence of Madge than Rue's underdevelopment or Snow's Grandfatherlyness. 'But Isobel, this is the girl who gives her the mockingjay pin, like the fact that it belonged to her aunt, who died in the Hunger Games and incidentally, was a friend of Katniss' mother isn't important?' And I'm afraid to newsflash you with the harsh reality, but no. It is not. Aside from the fact that it would be worth about 10,000 headaches for a director to try and incorporate that into a film and then try and get the poor audience to understand why its actually important, but Madge and her background story, its only a spin off tale really. Designed to give the story a little more flesh, depth. Madge is not even a SUPPORTING CHARACTER, just to get that out of the way. 


- The cornucopia. 'Its all messed up and weird shaped' 'Why isn't it gold' 'Thats the cornucopia? I thought it was the muttations' Are among the many arguments thrown out there by crazed fans who were upset that this architectural crime could possibly ruin the movie. I have two words for you: Directors Interpretation. Or producers, whoevers artistic call it is, its still climbable.


- And now for one of the most ridiculous complaints (oh and it was lengthy and heated) I'VE EVER HEARD: 'I can't believe Peeta threw the bread out the front of the bakery, its supposed to be the back!'
Wow. That just took nitpicking to a whole new level. 


Anyway. Thats it for me, I'm seriously tired. In fact I'm might even give the film another go, without that critic inside me.