Get the books, skip the movies

Rating: 2/10 (30 December 2015)

I planned on watching the final part of the series in the cinema and found out it is based on 3 books, so I got them ... and I must say I devoured them within a few days, back to back. Great story, deep political message, great female lead, interesting development of characters and relationships. Unfortunately, there is not much left of that in the movies.
OK, now on to the details.
The main message of the whole story is about a cruel dictatorship, about poverty and injustice. In the movies, the only way the creators hinted at these topics is by filling the scenes with Nazi style uniforms, Nazi style eagles, Riefenstahl style propaganda and more Nazi aesthetics. The way the people are dressed at the Reaping reminds of Germany 1930. Even the gate of the VICTORS' VILLAGE looks exactly like the one at Auschwitz. Oh, come on. It's supposed to be the future! We see nothing of the actual lives of people in the districts, and even though hunger" is part of the title (!), it is never a topic throughout the plot, neither in the districts nor in the arena nor anywhere.
The books are R rated and emphasize the pointless, gruesome killings of children, their needless pain and pure desperation. They portray war and the rebellion as violent acts. The movies on the other hand look like they target 13 years old boys as their main audience (well, they are, PG13). The "Games" feel like an classroom outing to an adventure park, the revolution like a PC shooter game.
Also the main actress doesn't fit. I pictured Katniss as a tomboy, a cute but boyish girl, not the Lara Croft type of a sexy babe they made her in the movies. But I guess, it's for the 13 years old boys audience again
Then comes the romance part. In the books, Katniss is not really into romance at all and the delicate triangle between Peeta, Gale and her is a lot more about friendship than about romance. Besides that, in the book both guys are portrayed as equally attractive, whereas in the movies, they gave Katniss a 2 inches shorter than her, weak character as a love interest. What's the message? If the unattractive boy is heroic enough, he wins the girl?
Now I wonder if I should fork out money for the cinema to watch Part 2.