Hunger Games Review

Rating: 10/10 (1 December 2015)

Going into the theater, I had not read any book in the series let alone know anything that was going to happen. All I knew was that a bunch of kids were forced to kill each other on live television. The only reason why I went to see this movies is because it is rated PG-13 and my little sister couldn't see it without me. I had low expectations thinking that anything my little sister liked wasn't going to be enjoyable for me. I was very wrong in assuming that. While some say that the first half of the movie is boring, I disagree saying that the first half builds the suspense of the Hunger Games and sets the story up nicely. Once the Hunger Games started, I was hooked. This is the only movie I have ever seen that actually had me at the edge of my seat. Since I didn't read the books, I kept asking my sister questions which she refused to answer because she didn't want to ruin the movie for me. I loved this movie so much that I read all three of the books in less than two weeks. From a film student's analysis, there are some things about this movie that were great and some that were not. The casting and acting in this movie were perfect. I feel like each character was played by the best actor possible and that each actor played the character as well as they could have. Jennifer Lawrence does an amazing job of portraying a stoic and dark Katniss Everdeen. The acting is even more impressive when you see interviews of Lawrence and she is the exact opposite of Katniss. Josh Hutchinson has the build to play Peeta because he is a shorter man but has some strength, like the book describes. Also, Liam Hemsworth plays an acceptable Gale as he is an intimidating figure who is seen as a love interest for Katniss. When it comes to how the movie was filmed, there were some good things and some bad things. One of the negative things is how the movie was filmed with "shaky cam" in mostly every shot. I understand that it is supposed to give the movie a more realistic feel but there are some scenes where the camera shaking could cause some nausea, in particular the opening Cornucopia scene. In order to keep the movie at a PG-13 rating, they can't show the gruesome deaths of all the Tributes so for a minute or two as the carnage begins, the camera is shaking non-stop and cutting from shot to shot very rapidly. They hide the violence but the viewer could have a hard time following what is happening. The whole thing happens too quickly for the mind to process. One positive is that the establishing shots are done very nicely. In the beginning of the movie, they show the slum that is Katniss' District 12, and the audience can tell right away how bad the living conditions are. On the contrary, upon arrival to the Capitol, there is an establishing shot that shows how big and lavish the city is in comparison to the other Districts. A final example of a good example shot is when the Tributes enter the arena. The shot shows the Tributes, the Cornucopia and a little of the woods which covers most of the arena. Something that this movie does well is the use of lighting and colors. While in District 12, the lighting is always dark and gloomy to show how dreary life is for Katniss and her fellow District 12 inhabitants. When Katniss and Peeta get their first exposure to Capitol life, they are overwhelmed with different, bright colors. Everyone that lives in the Capitol has a unique sense of fashion that has brilliant colors and over-the-top accessories. The style is there to show the wealth and elegance of those in the Capitol as opposed to those in the outlying Districts that only wear clothes that resemble rags. The entire Hunger Games arena lacks color and is pretty bland looking. A possible reason why that was done was to show that even though the Capitol hosts the Games, they still involve Tributes from the lower Districts. I enjoyed the book and the film both and for different reasons. Like with most adaptations of novels to films, there is the argument that the book is better than the movie. The book goes into more detail about certain situations but with the movie, they cannot copy the book exactly due to the time restraint. If the movie wanted to copy the book exactly, we would be given a 5-6 hour film. The film did the best job it could in including all of the key components that would allow the series to continue into three more movies. Even watching the movie after I read the book did not make the experience worse for me but actually allowed me to enjoy it more as I was able to understand things I missed the first time through.