The Hunger Games

[rockNrollaDIM]

I can't wait to see this again. It'll have to be tomorrow or Tuesday.

[AniNate]

One other criticism I have: There should've been more of a buildup to the reaping. Show us a "normal" day in District 12 with the dread of the impending reaping before getting into it.

Edited March 24, 2012 by tribefan695

[MovieMan89]

I think some of you guys are going way overboard on the camera. Yeah it was shaky in some places, but I think I got annoyed maybe two times, and both very briefly. It was hardly the Bourne Supremacy. Most of the time I felt it just fit the tone of the games not detracted from anything.

Edited March 24, 2012 by MovieMan89

[fishstick]

One other criticism I have: There should've been more of a buildup to the reaping. Show us a "normal" day in District 12 with the dread of the impending reaping before getting into it.

Absolutely. I didn`t like the cliched "little girl has a bad dream and it comes true" and the "big sister gives little sister a toek of protection and than little sister gives it to big sister." I`m totlaly serious but my parents never gave me any protection item bullshit ever. I don`t even know where that shit comes from but all movies seem to have it.Re:Rue`s bad acting. Deathbed scenes always come with some type of dubious acting because they are entirely unnatural. There`s either heavy homoeroticism with cheese on top (Boromir`s death type of a scene where a dying male character professes his love for a living male who admits feelings are mutal) or pure cheese. There`s no escaping that kind of shit because the whole premise that the dying one better keeps talking or bust is ridiculous as is when someone receives stabs and bullets in his/her breathing organ and yet can blab like on a radio show. Didn`t Boromir have,like, 4-5 arrows and spears in his chest? And all but sang a pop song? Edited March 24, 2012 by fishnets

[FTF]

Best film of 2011 is a 7?Wannabe pretentious...

I assume he meant 2012...and since it's only March, it makes more sense.

[CJohn]

Best movie of the year by far until now.

[Water Bottle]

A-

Largely great film, but the only reason I don't give it an A is because I don't feel that the movie really made it clear that Katniss wasn't actually in love with Peeta, but was using the star-crossed lovers angle to try and win with sponsors and stuff.

[The Dark Alfred]

Just finished the book in time for the film. Probably would have enjoyed much more without reading it. Loved the book, the film didn't live up to it. Due to the good material, it was a decent effort, but unfortunately it wasn't a great movie. The direction is awful. Shaky camera my ass. The build-up was great, but the actual Games were poorly handled. There wasn't tension and they missed a lot of epic moments. The cast was great and the art-direction and the feel was spot on, but they should have focused more on characterization. Peeta's feelings for instance didn't come across properly and could look too simple for those, who haven't read the book. Katniss isn't acting her feelings in the film, it seems like a genuine kiss, which doesn't make sense in terms of the trilogy. They should have used a few flashbacks and explain more about sponsors and stuff. The score was fine, but does someone know why they were copying the X-Files Main theme? Totally loved President Snow's presence however, can't wait for the follow-up.

B+

Edited March 25, 2012 by The Dark Alfred

[lab276]

A-

Largely great film, but the only reason I don't give it an A is because I don't feel that the movie really made it clear that Katniss wasn't actually in love with Peeta, but was using the star-crossed lovers angle to try and win with sponsors and stuff.

I thought that was pretty obvious.

[The Creator]

It was amazing. I've never read the books before, but I was astounded. I could see the ending coming a mile away, but it was still enjoyable and entertaining thoroughly throughout.

Best scene, hands down, is when she shoots the apple out of the boar's mouth and says "Thanks for your consideration" with a bow to the judges. There was thundrous applause in the theater. Amazing.

A-

[The Creator]

but does someone know why they were copying the X-Files Main theme?

So I'm not the only one who noticed that the mockingjay singal between Katniss and Rue sounded strikingly like the X-Files theme.

[Plain Old Tele]

I'm going to spend more time bitching about negatives than positives, so let me get this out of the way:

I liked it a lot. Ross did a great job of establishing characters, making you care, and working on the relationships between characters. I'm looking forward to the sequel.

But, goddamn, he can't direct an action sequence to save his life. And even beyond that, the district scenes in the first act were very poorly shot and directed. The hand-held style was overdone to the point of distraction. It's one thing if you go the Paul Greengrass route and work the shaky aesthetic into your whole style, but this was just haphazard and rough. I get that he was going for an intimate, pseudo-documentary "you are there" feel, but everything was so choppy and awkward it really ruined scenes for me. There's no reason to chop up a quiet intimate scene between two people with lots of fast cutting and "post-modern" style (breaking the 180 line, etc) -- all it does is distract from the actors, and it makes it feel like the director has no coherent vision.

SOME SPOILERS

I also get that he needed to stay within a PG-13 rating, but there are ways to suggest brutality and death without necessarily resorting to lots of gore. Scenes that seemed like they should have more of an impact (the initial moments of the Games, the rebellion in Rue's district) passed by almost instantly. And the conclusion to the Games was very underwhelming -- not sure how accurate it is to the book, but not only did I not really buy the whole Peeta/Katniss decision, I didn't really buy Seneca's decision on how to end it. At the very least, I felt you needed to see some additional conflict on his end, whether to let them go and be embarrassed, or let them die and not have a winner at all. And Ross should've milked the emotion at the end -- why wasn't he cross-cutting back to see Prim's reactions?

END SPOILERS

Not to risk a flame-war, but that's something even Michael Bay managed during the climactic moments of ARMAGEDDON.

But like I said, despite the flaws, I liked it a lot.

B+

[4815162342]

I don't get how a PG-13 forces them to limit the "violence." Revenge of the Sith showed a close-up of Anakin burning alive with his skin getting charred and dropping off and it got a PG-13 no problem. You can go pretty damn far nowadays in violence and retain a PG-13.Or is it solely because of the "children" dying factor that they're dancing around the whole "death" portrayal?

[Plain Old Tele]

Or is it solely because of the "children" dying factor that they're dancing around the whole "death" portrayal?

Probably, to some degree. But you really need to emphasize that in order to give the story its full impact, IMHO. Plus, with the majority of the kids being older, it's not exactly as extreme as Chloe Moritz hacking people up. But whatever the reason, they dropped the ball there.

[lab276]

The beginning of the games features pretty stunning amount of violence. Kermode mentioned he was taken aback by it. It's definitely my favourite scene in the film.

[Plain Old Tele]

The beginning of the games features pretty stunning amount of violence. Kermode mentioned he was taken aback by it. It's definitely my favourite scene in the film.

Didn't do much for me.

[lab276]

Were you expecting more or was it the way it was filmed that you found it underwhelming?

[Plain Old Tele]

Mostly the way it was filmed.

[Water Bottle]

I thought that was pretty obvious.

Did you think it was obvious because you presumably read the book? Or did you not read the book and pick it up anyways?

[lab276]

Did you think it was obvious because you presumably read the book? Or did you not read the book and pick it up anyways?

I haven't read the book, but they do go on about how it's a television show. Haymitch does it several times, and he even sends her a message "You call that a kiss".