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 The Hunger Games 

What grade would you give this film?
A 46%  46%  [ 18 ]
B 23%  23%  [ 9 ]
C 10%  10%  [ 4 ]
D 13%  13%  [ 5 ]
F 8%  8%  [ 3 ]
Total votes : 39

 The Hunger Games 
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
A couple other minor beefs/observations:

- I agree with Ebert: it seems strange no one minds sending small, terrified 12-year-old girls in to fight big, brutal 18-year-old men. I can accept a society gone barbaric, eager to watch gladiator style violence, but the opponents are so uneven.

- The Evil Tribute Gang seems unrealistic to me. I believe there would be too much tension and distrust for any such group to function. They fall asleep together even! They should be terrified one dude will stand up, slit everyone's throat, and go, "Ha, four more down. Epic win."

- The instant-curing balm reminded me of the "But wouldn't they blow up in an all-oxygen environment?" scene in Thank You for Smoking. How do we have the characters get injured without slowing down the plot too much? Instant-curing balm!

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Sat Mar 24, 2012 1:02 am
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
David wrote:
Serious question: When Peeta joined the Evil Tributes Posse, had he just gone full douche? He didn't seem interested in helping Katniss up there in the tree. I thought for sure, when the others fell asleep, he would help her escape. But...he didn't.


I will admit the whole movie I was confused about this. Apparently in the book it's clear he wasn't actually trying to get her killed, but in the movie I was like, "What an ass!" :P I warmed up to him later but the thought that he screwed her over was nagging at me. My niece, who has read the book, explained that wasn't the case after we watched the movie. They probably should have made that clearer in the movie.


Sat Mar 24, 2012 1:23 am
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
It probably wasn't intentional but Stanley Tucci had me in stitches throughout the film. This is a great adaptation and is a bit better than the book. I'm glad they changed up the awful cliffhanger ending from the book. Also they handled the romance very well and didn't have it overshadow as it did a bit too much at times in the book. Plus, they did not hold back on some of those deaths. Also a couple of the scenes added to the film (especially the fantastic District 11 riot scene) make the film stand out from its source. Lawrence and Hutcherson are fantastic. ***1/2


Sat Mar 24, 2012 2:21 am
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
jmovies wrote:
It probably wasn't intentional but Stanley Tucci had me in stitches throughout the film.

I believe it was intentional. It's a comic performance, a fun one.

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Sat Mar 24, 2012 2:23 am
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
jmovies wrote:
especially the fantastic District 11 riot scene

I thought this scene could've been so much better. It just wasn't powerful enough. These long-subjugated people finding their courage and rising up. What should've been -epic- played as just another scene, IMO. Very poorly shot, too. (I hear Soderbergh directed it over the course of a day or two. He should've dumped Gary Ross' chosen aesthetic and shot it in awesome, clinical, elegant Haywire-Vision.)

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Sat Mar 24, 2012 2:25 am
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
I'll never forget the EPIC final shot of grumpy ol' Donald Sutherland tottering up those stairs. Gave me chills!

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Sat Mar 24, 2012 2:26 am
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
Johnny Dollar wrote:
It's pretty good mostly but GOD DAMN does Gary Ross not know how to direct and edit an action scene


I agree. The ending fight you couldn't even make out what was happening. In fact, I really hated the hand held type shooting that was peppered throughout the film. Where's the steady cam when you need it?

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Sat Mar 24, 2012 12:47 pm
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
Why did Rue follow Katniss?

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Sat Mar 24, 2012 4:02 pm
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
Bluebomb wrote:
Why did Rue follow Katniss?

Katniss came across to her as a big sister, since she was Prim's age. Plus she was only 12, what else is she going to do?


Sat Mar 24, 2012 4:36 pm
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
MG Casey wrote:
Bluebomb wrote:
Why did Rue follow Katniss?

Katniss came across to her as a big sister, since she was Prim's age. Plus she was only 12, what else is she going to do?

Hmm, how about team up with the other youngsters since they're her own age?

They never explained why she followed Katniss back at the training arena. Or what made her decide to help Katniss out with the tracker jacker.

Also, why did Rue change the leaves twice when Katniss got stung? Did it have something to do with the poison from the wasp stings?

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Sat Mar 24, 2012 4:54 pm
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
Bluebomb wrote:
MG Casey wrote:
Bluebomb wrote:
Why did Rue follow Katniss?

Katniss came across to her as a big sister, since she was Prim's age. Plus she was only 12, what else is she going to do?

Hmm, how about team up with the other youngsters since they're her own age?

There were no other 12-13 year-olds competing.


Sat Mar 24, 2012 5:44 pm
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
Probably because I had zero expectations but I thought it was great.


Sat Mar 24, 2012 8:22 pm
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
jmovies wrote:
Bluebomb wrote:
MG Casey wrote:
Bluebomb wrote:
Why did Rue follow Katniss?

Katniss came across to her as a big sister, since she was Prim's age. Plus she was only 12, what else is she going to do?

Hmm, how about team up with the other youngsters since they're her own age?

There were no other 12-13 year-olds competing.


At that point anyone her age was dead. Her district mate was at least 18 and he was only interested in victory. She was in the trees because that's what she was good at besides also using nature as medicine. Why she helped Kat makes plenty of sense. If she's out to win having tracker jackers and katniss doing all the fighting is her only way to win the game up to that point.

The film really doesn't have time to flesh out many side details besides it being almost 2.5 hrs already. I think the film did get through as much of the book as needed to make it a good transfer to the screen.

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Sat Mar 24, 2012 9:15 pm
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
The main reason Rue followed Katniss, before and during the games, is because Katniss was wearing a mockingjay pin. Rue, being very close to the birds in D11, trusted Katniss.

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Sat Mar 24, 2012 10:28 pm
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
A very satisfying adaptation of the book. Gary Ross does a great job presenting Suzanne Collins' vision, and I was definitely on the edge of my seat throughout (despite knowing how things would go). Much of the credit for the film's success should go to Jennifer Lawrence, whose commanding performance is outstanding. She imbues Katniss with spirit and strength, and a strong female lead like this is such a breath of fresh air compared against the likes of Twilight and its ilk. Josh Hutcherson, of the puppy dog eyes, makes Peeta sympathetic and likable. And, of course, scene-stealing work comes from the likes of Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks (Liam Hemsworth can't make much of an impression due to Gale's brief screen time in the first story). There are a few problems here and there, and of course some of the novel's content has been cut. But overall, The Hunger Games captures the spirit of the book and I'm very much looking forward to seeing Catching Fire and Mockingjay. A-


Sat Mar 24, 2012 11:10 pm
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
Dr. Lecter wrote:
Well, yes. She's the main reason to see the film.


Yes, pretty much. I enjoyed it because of her, this would have been a chore to get through otherwise.


Sun Mar 25, 2012 2:26 am
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
If viewed as an action movie one can clearly fault The Hunger Game's shaky cam cinematography, but I think that misses out on the filmmaker's intention to not make the violence sexy or cool. While this is never clearer than in the first two minutes of the game, the criticism of the audience's fascination with people killing each other is one of the things I liked most about the film. The social commentary about class is also occasionally on point, especially the ridiculously clothed elites of the capitol. Their silly and garish costumes and make up critique the way first-worlders have become seduced by bullshit abstractions. That's probably why my favorite character was Elizabeth Bank's MC and her constant pleading for people essentially on death row to have more manners.

It's definitely not perfect - the CGI is rough around the edges and the scene where one contestant decides to start Monologuing when she could easily kill the protagonist was downright painful - but I find it pretty cool that audiences, particularly younger ones, are rallying behind a dystopian sci-fi that's an effective critique about class warfare and the commodification of violence.

B+


Sun Mar 25, 2012 4:28 am
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
David wrote:
Serious question: When Peeta joined the Evil Tributes Posse, had he just gone full douche? He didn't seem interested in helping Katniss up there in the tree. I thought for sure, when the others fell asleep, he would help her escape. But...he didn't.


I thought he was just doing what he could to survive, he bought her more time when he suggested that they wait her out

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Post Re: The Hunger Games
David wrote:
The game seemed so short; 2 days? Maybe 3? I'm not sure then why so much early exposition was devoted to mastering the terrain, finding food and water, finding shelter, etc. It was more just a matter of murder. ;) Everything "survival" related seemed to be fairly easy for the tributes. Not much woodland resourcefulness was required.


It was at least a week, because in about day two or three, she got stung by the wasps and rue took care of her for another 2 days

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Sun Mar 25, 2012 12:31 pm
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
Bluebomb wrote:
MG Casey wrote:
Bluebomb wrote:
Why did Rue follow Katniss?

Katniss came across to her as a big sister, since she was Prim's age. Plus she was only 12, what else is she going to do?

Hmm, how about team up with the other youngsters since they're her own age?
?


The young ones all got slaughtered at the start, also I would think of you are weak and small you would try to be stealthly.

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Sun Mar 25, 2012 12:41 pm
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
David wrote:
jmovies wrote:
especially the fantastic District 11 riot scene

I thought this scene could've been so much better. It just wasn't powerful enough. These long-subjugated people finding their courage and rising up. What should've been -epic- played as just another scene, IMO. Very poorly shot, too. (I hear Soderbergh directed it over the course of a day or two. He should've dumped Gary Ross' chosen aesthetic and shot it in awesome, clinical, elegant Haywire-Vision.)


I wasn't a fan of Haywire, but I did love the way the fight scenes in it have been shot. That said, this kind of aesthetic could have never been chosen for The Hunger Games as they obviously wanted to avoid an R-rating. I am still amazed at how much they got away with, while remaining PG-13.

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Post Re: The Hunger Games
Dr. Lecter wrote:
David wrote:
jmovies wrote:
especially the fantastic District 11 riot scene

I thought this scene could've been so much better. It just wasn't powerful enough. These long-subjugated people finding their courage and rising up. What should've been -epic- played as just another scene, IMO. Very poorly shot, too. (I hear Soderbergh directed it over the course of a day or two. He should've dumped Gary Ross' chosen aesthetic and shot it in awesome, clinical, elegant Haywire-Vision.)


I wasn't a fan of Haywire, but I did love the way the fight scenes in it have been shot. That said, this kind of aesthetic could have never been chosen for The Hunger Games as they obviously wanted to avoid an R-rating. I am still amazed at how much they got away with, while remaining PG-13.


Violence is good for the masses. It keeps them docile and distracted.


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Post Re: The Hunger Games
Magnus wrote:
question to those who read the books: are the moral and social issues more well-addressed in the books? I feel like they're just glossed over in the film. The entire reality-TV dynamic was really interesting but the film barley touched it IMO.

Not so much in the first book. it builds with each book. 50% of the current fans are totally going to hate the third movie.

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Sun Mar 25, 2012 1:45 pm
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
BJ wrote:
Magnus wrote:
question to those who read the books: are the moral and social issues more well-addressed in the books? I feel like they're just glossed over in the film. The entire reality-TV dynamic was really interesting but the film barley touched it IMO.

Not so much in the first book. it builds with each book. 50% of the current fans are totally going to hate the third movie.

But 150% will love the second. Oh man, it's great stuff.


Sun Mar 25, 2012 1:46 pm
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Post Re: The Hunger Games
I thought the production looked cheap at times and the games wasn't anything special in terms of action and emotion like the hype seemed to suggest. The final battle was pretty ordinary and the rest didn't feel as intense as they should have been. That said, it still managed to be consistently entertaining unlike a couple of HP films which is quite an achievement for this film.

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