Movie Review: The Hunger Games

I'm soooooo sorry it's taken me, Dashley, this long to look over the review Tasha wrote for this movie so I could put my two cents in but it's here now so I hope you enjoy!

Summary


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.

In every review I have read about the movie, they said it was great and lived up to the hype. And once we saw it March 30 we couldn't agree fast enough. Which we were so happy about. <3

We both loved the book and Tasha loved the series as a whole (I on the other hand couldn't and haven't finished the third. I made it half way then it started to feel like a chore). When we first heard they were making a Hunger Games movie we just hoped they wouldn't mess it up to badly. And they didn't. The movie stayed very true to the book with only slight changes that you get with book-to-movie adaptions. Well we all know if you stay true to the book then nothing can go wrong, except for Twilight, (we've both read the books and seen the first movie, and sadly it's true to the book but the acting and boring heroine scares us away).

However, back to this movie. We both just loved how they made District 12 and the Capitol looked. They captured the poverty of District 12 from not only in the scenery but also the people. We both adored the way they expressed the craziness of the capitol and it's inhabitants. The way they dressed and their hairstyles and just the feel of it was.....amazing. I, Dashley, just loved loved, loved the way they did the makeup for the Capitol people. Me being in Makeup for Theatre, I was very interested in it. I couldn't help but feel joy.

The film makers also get an A on casting. Tasha loved most of the cast and thought that most of them fit their part perfectly. Me, I thought everyone did wonderfully and my worries went away for Jennifer when I forgot who she was and when she made me believe she was the tough Katniss we all know and love. (My worries was that, in the book, she was described a shorty like me. So, yea I didn't like it at first but I got over it. Because she did a wonderful job and now I can't picture anyone else playing the role but her.)

Now, we both hoped that Woody Harrelson would have stolen the show whenever he got his drunken self on the big screen, but he never really met those expectations. Though, yes we still love him, it's just we think he could have done better. But on another note, Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) was perfect and totally stole the scenes with her over the top makeup and costumes. She was most definitely the comic relief of the movie.  Also, Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) was great, he too stole the show for us.

Katniss- [stabs knife on table]
Effie-  Hey! That is mahogany!

Plus, the careers. Omigod, they were amazing and totally acted as if they were on spring break. They really got into killing people, just like they did in the book. And I just loved Alex Ludwig. I remember when I saw him the first time in the Sandlot 3. He most definitely has turned into a handsome young man- ladies.

One of the things that was added was commentary from Caesar and a dude named Claudius (didn't pay that much attention to him though). It not only helped move the games along, it also helped explain what was happening. So people who didn't read the book knew what was going on.

Now, we could gush all day about what we liked but we're not going to waste anymore of your time because there are a few things we didn't like about this most hyped movie of the year. But don't worry, there wasn't a lot to not like. :)

One thing we didn't like was the mutations. They just looked like really big dogs. Now I, Tasha, am not saying that me or Dashley would want to face one in a dark ally, but they were not what was described in the book. They didn't have the hair color or the eye color of the fallen tributes.

We also didn't the relationship between Katniss and Peeta. (Well, really just me, Tasha. Dashley wasn't paying that close attention to it. It actually was only a small part.). It really felt like they were falling for each other. Now in most movies that would be fine, but not this one. In the book Katniss is confused by the way Peeta acts. She's not sure if it's real or just an act, and she only pretends to like him to get sponsors. That really doesn't come across well in the movie.

The last thing we're going to mention is that, in the movie, the arena doesn't feel that big. In the book, you get the feeling that the arena goes on for miles. You don't get that in the movie. Granted the filmmakers had to cut out a lot of the traveling otherwise the movie would be a lot longer and probably more boring. But still, we would've liked the arena to feel bigger.

Even with the few things we didn't like, there is still a lot of positives. And we would greatly   recommend this movie to fans of the books and to anyone who likes action. And, I, Tasha, know waiting for us to mention the violence so here you are. There is a lot of killing, but there isn't a lot of gore. The filmmakers did it so that you saw the killing blows but not all the blood, though there is a little blood.

And on a last note from me, Dashley, I totes teared up a couple of times during this movie. Once for the tribute parade, when Katniss and Peeta came riding down the walk way, covered in flames. And of course during the Rue scene. God that scene was hard for me.

Overall, we loved it and give it