The Hunger Games Review
Mar. 28th, 2012 08:48 pmI liked it. But - I just liked it whereas I went into the theatre expecting to love it. I thought it would be amazing. That said there was a lot to like about it.
Good
- I loved the casting. Jennifer Lawerance was excellent as Katniss. Haymitch, Effie, Cinna and Rue were all perfectly cast. There was no casting choice that I disliked. (Though Peeta was definitely the weak link of the cast.)
- Everything to do with Katniss interacting with Effie/Haymitch/Cinna/Rue was great.
- I liked the Effie/Haymitch sniping.
- I was surprised to come out of it shipping Katniss/Cinna more than anything else but I loved them.
- The added scene of Caesar being escorted into a room and finding the bowl of berries was great.
- One change that worked for me was how Rue's death played out. I can understand the changes they made and it still worked.
- The scene where Katniss volunteers was just as moving as the first time I saw it in the trailers. It still made me teary-eyed.
- I've been strangely fond/interested in Foxface since the book and the movie just made me want to learn more about her.
Bad
- I didn't like the direction. The closeups, shaky-cam, randomish shots - it just didn't work for me. I think I would have liked the movie a lot more if it had had a different director.
- I thought that some parts felt too rushed and other parts felt too slow. Like – the berry scene at the end felt a bit two rushed to me while the scene between Katniss and Peeta the night before the games felt a couple beats too long.
The final scene between Katniss and Peeta on the train at the end also felt too short and I don't think it conveyed all that it should have (ie. that Katniss was pretending, Peeta wasn't and that Katniss didn't realise it).
- Katniss singing to Rue as she died was disappointing because the book made me cry but when it happened on screen I was strangely unmoved.
- I wish that the producers had left in Katniss getting the bread from District 11.
Good
- I loved the casting. Jennifer Lawerance was excellent as Katniss. Haymitch, Effie, Cinna and Rue were all perfectly cast. There was no casting choice that I disliked. (Though Peeta was definitely the weak link of the cast.)
- Everything to do with Katniss interacting with Effie/Haymitch/Cinna/Rue was great.
- I liked the Effie/Haymitch sniping.
- I was surprised to come out of it shipping Katniss/Cinna more than anything else but I loved them.
- The added scene of Caesar being escorted into a room and finding the bowl of berries was great.
- One change that worked for me was how Rue's death played out. I can understand the changes they made and it still worked.
- The scene where Katniss volunteers was just as moving as the first time I saw it in the trailers. It still made me teary-eyed.
- I've been strangely fond/interested in Foxface since the book and the movie just made me want to learn more about her.
Bad
- I didn't like the direction. The closeups, shaky-cam, randomish shots - it just didn't work for me. I think I would have liked the movie a lot more if it had had a different director.
- I thought that some parts felt too rushed and other parts felt too slow. Like – the berry scene at the end felt a bit two rushed to me while the scene between Katniss and Peeta the night before the games felt a couple beats too long.
The final scene between Katniss and Peeta on the train at the end also felt too short and I don't think it conveyed all that it should have (ie. that Katniss was pretending, Peeta wasn't and that Katniss didn't realise it).
- Katniss singing to Rue as she died was disappointing because the book made me cry but when it happened on screen I was strangely unmoved.
- I wish that the producers had left in Katniss getting the bread from District 11.