Review of The Hunger Games (2012) by Eric M — 10 Nov 2015

I'll start with the bad I wish we got to see more of how everyone is reacting to Katniss going against the game & how Gale is reacting to Peeta's & Katniss' affection for each other, but that was problems with the book as well. As for the movie, I found that the length the Capitol went to scare the kids to each other was extremely unrealistic because they could have clearly killed Katniss with the fire balls. I also think the ending could have been better and more dramatic along with the reaping. As for it being an adaption, it was very well done, but there was some very heartfelt moments in the cave between Peeta & Katniss that should have not been taken out because they are very emotional, character building, helped advance their relationship, and were short so there was no excuse to cut them.

Despite those little nitpicks, the movie is very good, clever, & I've never seen anything like it. I love how the violence works off screen because it just works for this movie, but the direction isn't particularly memorable, I love how it's not afraid to throw big surprises at the audience that will make them hate the movie but love it at the same time. The buildup to the hunger games makes it that much more entertaining when it starts, and the acting is superb all around. Jennifer Lawrence also does a good job making the Katniss in the book a lot less annoying and much more likable on the big screen. The scenes that are changed from the book (ex: Haymitch punching & puking on Peeta, Katniss undressing Peeta on live television, etc) are much better and more realistic. This is an extremely intense movie, the casting choices are perfect, and the themes & underlying messages (that aren't dealt with as deeply as they should be) are much more complex & interesting than most big teen franchises.