The Hunger Games Movie
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!!!
We bought the DVD yesterday and – of course – had to see it immediately. I have to admit, I was a bit reluctant, as I saw some snippets and wasn’t too happy with some of the characters.
One of the joys of reading is that you see the characters in your mind – at least I do. They get a face, a heart, character traits, I hear their voice when I read what they say and because everyone has a different imagination it’s impossible to cast the movie actors exactly as you’ve envisioned the book characters.
I can live with the movie Katniss and Gale. I’ve accepted Katniss, she wasn’t MY Katniss, but she made the character come alive and was convincing. Peeta grew on me, definitely didn’t like him the first time I saw him, but he did the character justice.
Primrose was spot on, sweet, innocent, loveable. Same as Rue (cried my eyes out reading the book ánd watching the movie, though the scene in the book was more elaborate and therefore more impressive to me).
Woody/Haymitch was totally off, IMHO. He just didn’t convince me and was so different from the Haymitch in my mind. Much too young for instance and not as dispicable. Yes, he played drunk, but I hated the book Haymitch at first, Woody was just… Woody.
President Snow.. Nope. Donald Sutherland is a great actor, but he wasn’t Snow to me. I know Sutherland has it in him to play nice while being lethal, and I don’t know if his part in the movie was too small to make the lethal part clear, but he looked like a nice old man. Now, this could be because I’ve read all three books and can’t remember exactly when it became clear that Snow wasn’t a nice man (understatement). Maybe he appeared nice in book 1, if he did, my apologies to Donald Sutherland, lol.
The tributes from the other districts haven’t made much of an impression on me – in the books I mean. They could’ve been played by any actor and I would have accepted them as okay.
I thought that they solved the explaining part in the movie, by using the comments of Ceasar Flickerman, brilliantly played by Stanley Tucci.
When I first saw images of Cinna (and I’m ashamed to admit that I didn’t recognize Lenny Kravitz without his sunglasses) I thought no… but now I’ve seen him, I think he did great.
The ‘computer room’, heart of the Hunger Games: awesome! The almost caricature costumes/wigs: great! Scenery: A+. Missed details, but that’s understandable as they only have so much room in a movie to explain the story.
People asked me which I thought was better Harry Potter or The Hunger Games. First, it’s irrelevant, both series are so different and both are good. Knowing my love for HP, I don’t think there will ever be a book that tops it. What both series have in common is the imagination of the author. The way they come up with, invent, items and incorporate them in life ‘as we know it’.
Overall, a great movie, can’t wait for #2 and #3!
If you’ve seen the movie and/or read the books, please leave a comment. I’m curious about your thoughts on either of them.
Great review.
I didn’t love Gale because I thought he looked too old for the part.
I didn’t like Cinna’s casting at all. I thought he should be… um… gay? I don’t know why, that’s just how I read him.
I LOVE Sutherland as Snow. I think he’ll get creepier and creepier as the movies progress. I don’t think he was obviously foul in the first book, but it’s been a while for me too.
Peeta I have a squishy place for. He’s a “local” actor, from about an hour away. He’s always super sweet when he calls into the radio stations and things. Doesn’t seem effected by the Hollywood Machine. He’s basically grown up on screen and I’ve seen him in so many things.
Katniss I like ok. She does well.
Prim and Rue, I agree, they were great.
Haymitch? No. No. and.. No. My perfect Haymitch is Robert Downey Jr. Sadly, no one asked me.
LOL, you have a soft spot for Peeta, I have a soft spot for Gale, so it’s a draw 😀
I also read Cinna as being gay, but not over the top. What I like about Kravitz’s Cinna is that he has a warm personality and really cares for Katniss.
Glad we agree on most of it. And yes, Robert Downey Jr. would have been a much better Haymitch. I hope they ask your opinion for the sequels 🙂
[…] and you could feel the fear when he stepped into a scene. I’m so glad I got it wrong in my first review. Sutherland is as brilliant as I knew he could […]