Weekend Estimates: Elysium 30.5M; Millers 26.55M; Planes 22.53M; Percy Jackson 14.6M Pg 29

[K1stpierre]

The Hunger Games has one of the most interesting "Hooks" i.e. when you tell people the plot (Kids have to kill each other in a last person standing game) it makes you want to watch the movie just on the novelty of the premise.

 

The premise of every other YA novel has been "There is a chosen one who will be the last hope in a war between good and evil" which sounds like Harry Potter and makes every YA adaptation look inferior when compared.

 

At least the Twilight series had a different hook

Not to mention THG unlike Harry Potter or Twlight is arguably a bit more darker of a series than either one. Twilight has glittering gay ass vampires, enough said. Harry Potter, although we see kids die, is at the hand of a magic wand. It doesn't look as bad magic killing kids (fantasy element) vs. kids killing each other with mostly weapons like a sword, machete, bow&arrow, ax, and hell even large rocks (also not to mention the context, dystopian society). Although I have heard the HP series does get a bit dark towards the last 2 books or so, I don't think it's the same as THG. The dark element has also brought in a lot of fans (males) to THG series and was something different.

Edited August 12, 2013 by k1stpierre

[baumer]

THG, for all its success, is still a 100% rip off of Battle Royale.

[K1stpierre]

THG, for all its success, is still a 100% rip off of Battle Royale.

Ooooooooh, like I haven't heard that one before

 

Don't even get me started.

 

If THG ripped off BR, than you have to then accept that BR ripped off the other PREVIOUS movies that came before it, such as Lord of the Flies, The Running Man, and so forth.

Edited August 12, 2013 by k1stpierre

[75Live]

THG, for all its success, is still a 100% rip off of Battle Royale.

And I personally thought Battle Royale was much better.

[baumer]

Ooooooooh, like I haven't heard that one before

 

Don't even get me started.

 

If THG ripped off BR, than you have to then accept that BR ripped off the other PREVIOUS movies that came before it, such as Lord of the Flies, The Running Man, and so forth.

 

How?  Lord of the Flies is nothing like Battle Royale.  And the Running Man?  Are you serious?

[baumer]

And I personally thought Battle Royale was much better.

 

THG is the Sweet and Low version of Battle Royale.

[75Live]

THG is the Sweet and Low version of Battle Royale.

Well said ;)Couldn't agree more. Edited August 12, 2013 by 75live

[baumer]

The thing about the movie that really confused me is that it is called Hunger Games and yet no one went hungry in the film.  Ever.

[K1stpierre]

How?  Lord of the Flies is nothing like Battle Royale.  And the Running Man?  Are you serious?

Kids kill other kids in lord of the flies, so yeah its like BR. The Running Man you can make it similar because the lead character is being excuted in a 'stage-like' setting and is treated like he is on a show. Battle Royal has the same effect, in the beginning of the movie we see camera's everywhere all round a bloodied girl who just smiles. So, I take that the people either like it, or don't like it but will continue to support it anyways.

 

Point being, just because kids are killing kids, doesn't mean it's being "ripped off". It's just life, authors, film makers, and even just artists are going to draw on another previous artist's work and make something different. Do THG and Battle Royal share common elements? Of course, kids fight to the death by killing each other. But the context that leads to that plot are vastly different in each story that saying one ripped off the other is silly. For, Battle Royal was okay (film wise, I have been wanting to test out the book). But it left me underwhelmed simply because the back story to it wasn't developed, in that you didn't know 'why' or the exact reason why Japan was doing this other than that they felt they had to suppress their citizens for some reason. BR can by the bloody, more violent story it wants, but I feel THG is the better told story.

[baumer]

Kids kill other kids in lord of the flies, so yeah its like BR. The Running Man you can make it similar because the lead character is being excuted in a 'stage-like' setting and is treated like he is on a show. Battle Royal has the same effect, in the beginning of the movie we see camera's everywhere all round a bloodied girl who just smiles. So, I take that the people either like it, or don't like it but will continue to support it anyways.

 

Point being, just because kids are killing kids, doesn't mean it's being "ripped off". It's just life, authors, film makers, and even just artists are going to draw on another previous artist's work and make something different. Do THG and Battle Royal share common elements? Of course, kids fight to the death by killing each other. But the context that leads to that plot are vastly different in each story that saying one ripped off the other is silly. For, Battle Royal was okay (film wise, I have been wanting to test out the book). But it left me underwhelmed simply because the back story to it wasn't developed, in that you didn't know 'why' or the exact reason why Japan was doing this other than that they felt they had to suppress their citizens for some reason. BR can by the bloody, more violent story it wants, but I feel THG is the better told story.

 

 

Kids killing kids has happened in tons of movies.  The ideologies in Flies and Royale are completely different.  In Royale, the government has the games to punish the kids once a year for being unruly snot nosed punks.  THG has basically the same thing.  Flies has kids stranded on an island and then social aspects come into play.  Completely different.  Running Man is a game show and it has prisoner killing each other.  

 

THG imo, pales in comparison to Royale.

[KATCH-2D2]

THG, for all its success, is still a 100% rip off of Battle Royale.

 

And I personally thought Battle Royale was much better.

So true (though I'm not 100% sure about the rip off accuse, they have some differences). I watched BR before THG and THG just felt flat to me. I can understand why THG's so much more popular though, it's the vanilla version of BR made for YA and wimpy adult who couldn't stomach the real thing.

Edited August 12, 2013 by KATCH 22

[baumer]

I understand why it's more popular as well.  It's in English for one, it's more Utopian than Dystopian and it's written by an American and its a lot more optimistic than pessimistic.  The ending of BR ends the way it should end, THG ends to make it popular.  And that's fine.  Selling books is a good thing.  But doesn't change the fact that it's a rip off.

[K1stpierre]

Kids killing kids has happened in tons of movies.  The ideologies in Flies and Royale are completely different.  In Royale, the government has the games to punish the kids once a year for being unruly snot nosed punks.  THG has basically the same thing.  Flies has kids stranded on an island and then social aspects come into play.  Completely different.  Running Man is a game show and it has prisoner killing each other.  

 

THG imo, pales in comparison to Royale.

THG does NOT have the same thing, which is funny why you keep saying Flies is so different. You just keep proving my point. The level of similarity that Flies has with Battle Royal is the same as Battle Royal with THG. THG first of all is in the far distant future, not even on par with the time situation of Japan. Second, we are clearly told that this is a clear dictatorship and are explained Panem as a whole, which BR never did for me and upon research of my own, you never really get a sense in detail how the actual government works (instead BR just makes you hate the bad kid in the arena, which is dumb because he's just a puppet like the rest of them). THG kids are reaped by a previous rebellion be the districts, and two from each have to go, blah blah blah whereas BR is a classroom of kids and for different reasons like you said, that because they are 'snot nosed punks'. How is that similar to THG??? Not to mention, there is MORE detail to every district and not all the districts are treated fairly (hense, careers).

 

I could go on and on, but it's pointless. This isn't the first BR vs HG argument I've had. There just isn't much to compare between the two. HG has more in common with The Running Man than BR.

[K1stpierre]

I understand why it's more popular as well.  It's in English for one, it's more Utopian than Dystopian and it's written by an American and its a lot more optimistic than pessimistic.  The ending of BR ends the way it should end, THG ends to make it popular.  And that's fine.  Selling books is a good thing.  But doesn't change the fact that it's a rip off.

THG is not optimistic whatsoever. If you think that, then get ready for MockingJay. And CF gets darker too. You'll see.

[baumer]

Well, I disagree with you 100%.  But you are entitled to your opinion.  You have a hard on for THG.  No problem.  In my opinion that clouds your judgment.  

[K1stpierre]

I understand why it's more popular as well.  It's in English for one, it's more Utopian than Dystopian and it's written by an American and its a lot more optimistic than pessimistic.  The ending of BR ends the way it should end, THG ends to make it popular.  And that's fine.  Selling books is a good thing.  But doesn't change the fact that it's a rip off.

Again, that's fine. But it's a dumb claim to make. Just then accept the fact that BR isn't original as well, and it's also taken previous works to make it's work (which is the same with everything else).

[baumer]

THG is not optimistic whatsoever. If you think that, then get ready for MockingJay. And CF gets darker too. You'll see.

 

I'm not talking about the sequels.  But the first film was warm apple pie.  It was eggnog on a cool winter morning after dashing through the snow.  It was puppy dogs and rainbows.  

[75Live]

I understand why it's more popular as well. It's in English for one, it's more Utopian than Dystopian and it's written by an American and its a lot more optimistic than pessimistic. The ending of BR ends the way it should end, THG ends to make it popular. And that's fine. Selling books is a good thing. But doesn't change the fact that it's a rip off.

And saying it is a rip off isn't even an insult. It's the same as saying the red on your car is same red on my car. It's just a fact.I have nothing against THG at all but I have zero desire to see the next one after seeing the first one.

[baumer]

Again, that's fine. But it's a dumb claim to make. Just then accept the fact that BR isn't original as well, and it's also taken previous works to make it's work (which is the same with everything else).

 

Disagree. 

[CJohn]

THG does NOT have the same thing, which is funny why you keep saying Flies is so different. You just keep proving my point. The level of similarity that Flies has with Battle Royal is the same as Battle Royal with THG. THG first of all is in the far distant future, not even on par with the time situation of Japan. Second, we are clearly told that this is a clear dictatorship and are explained Panem as a whole, which BR never did for me and upon research of my own, you never really get a sense in detail how the actual government works (instead BR just makes you hate the bad kid in the arena, which is dumb because he's just a puppet like the rest of them). THG kids are reaped by a previous rebellion be the districts, and two from each have to go, blah blah blah whereas BR is a classroom of kids and for different reasons like you said, that because they are 'snot nosed punks'. How is that similar to THG??? Not to mention, there is MORE detail to every district and not all the districts are treated fairly (hense, careers).

 

I could go on and on, but it's pointless. This isn't the first BR vs HG argument I've had. There just isn't much to compare between the two. HG has more in common with The Running Man than BR.

Pretty much my opinion on this.