Just saw the Hunger Games, never read the books. The movie was pretty good, I actually thought the stuff before the competition was just as interesting or a little more so than the actual combat. The main actress, from the movie "Winter's Bone" another good film for her, was very good and probably will be the next big female actress...but you know how that goes.
Hunger Games, review...
- Thread starter billc
- Start date
I had never heard of the books or the movie until recently, when everyone started talking about it. Checked out the Wikipedia entry; it was a "Young Adult" book? And it sounds like a cross between The Running Man and The Postman, maybe a little Escape from New York thrown in. Some post-apocalyptic world where the US has broken down into different territories and for some reason no one can figure out, they've decided to have an annual contest to the death amongst children (even a little Harry Potter in there?). That about right?
Yeah, no.
Yeah, no.
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The books were good. The movie glossed over the poverty and oppression. And the outright brutality of the ruling party. That's going to be a problem for the sequels, since without those there's no real reason for the revolution.
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Steve
Mostly Harmless
My reaction exactly, but I keep thinking of Battle Royale.
Edit: As usual, elder999 beat me to it. But I didn't like that one and I'm not sure how I could like this one.
went to see it yesterday with my wife, 24 year old daughter and 5 of my daughters friends. I thought they did a very good job of bringing the book to the screen, all things considered. I think they glossed over the poverty also, but they did show glimpses of it without beating you over the head with it. My biggest problem was that I wasn't thrilled with the casting for Peeta. My daughter and her friends didn't like Woody Harrelson as Heywich(sp?), but nobody's going to agree on everything. Just go and enjoy it.
zDom
Senior Master
Haven't read the books yet.
But just based on the movie, I got the poverty and oppression thing loud and clear as well as the brutality of the ruling party (and the Capital?).
I could see a need for revolution in their world.
No, I don't think so.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/la-et-hunger-games-heritage-20120326,0,1424661.story
I question why adults want to see children murder each other. I question why adults want children to see such things either. I'm not finding a compelling reason to want to see that.
Ok, then, read the book and then decide.
Did you read 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, etc. ?
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Did you read 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, etc. ?
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There is a powerful message about the limits of power and the horror of war in these books. In the end, there are no heroes, only victims that slowly pull their lives back together. Considering all of the glossed over and perfect death children see all of the ****ing time on TV, in movies and in the games they play, this represents a shocking turn of worm. It's not appropriate for young kids, teenagers can and should see more messages like this especially before their 18th birthday and they fill out the Selective Service card.
That said, my children (10 and 7) can be innocent for a little while longer. I'll save lessons on violence on what it's like to be punched in the nose.
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Steve
Mostly Harmless
The novella Running Man was excellent. Movie was pretty bad.
Sure. When I was a young adult. I'm 50 now, and dystopian fantasies about teens killing each other don't interest me.
Maybe so. My wife and I have no kids. If we did, yes, I'd be an a-hole daddy, because they would not see any of that crap on TV. My wife and I watch little television. Mostly Discovery, Smithsonian, and Weather Channel. I like to watch cartoons on Friday night when my wife goes out knitting. Sorry, the violence of which you speak? Never saw any of it, I don't watch that crap and have no idea of why people want to see it.
Actually, its a dystopian fantasy about revolution.
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Yes, and "Hustler" magazine was a statement about First Amendment rights. While true, I doubt most people bought it for that reason, eh?
The movie appears to have kids killing each other in a government-sanctioned gladiatorial combat, which appears to be the main, prurient, interest. I find it sick and revolting, and I question why adults want to see that.
Well I saw the movie, not having read the book and I enjoyed it. I was sort of baffled because my daughter loves the Hunger Games books and movie yet she makes fun of my martial arts movies and survival TV shows. I was watching it thinking huh...this is just like a survival show.
I can say that I hate the shaky camera crap they do nowadays. I want to see the fight and dissect it!
I can say that I hate the shaky camera crap they do nowadays. I want to see the fight and dissect it!
decepticon
Green Belt
The reason behind the Hunger Games was that supposedly in the past, District 13 had revolted and was crushed by the government. The government then instituted the Games to remind each of the other districts of how much power the government had over them and how futile revolt was. So not for "no apparent reason", although the books did a much better job of clarifying this than the movie.
I took my 13yo daughter to see the movie after she had read all the books. Which were classified as Young Adult Fiction and are widely included on middle school reading lists. The primary themes of the story are about abuse of power, personal sacrifice, and the importance of hope.
I found the books to be quite disturbing, as I hate stories about situations where parents are unable to protect their children. However my daughter found the books very inspiring. She focused more on the fact that the heroine suceeded due to her intelligence, perseverance, and skills.
In this particular movie, the violence was not just gratuitous. It was a story device used to illustrate how abusive the government had become. A subtheme introduced the concept of how the government was able to victimize some by twisting them mentally to the point that they were willing to victimize others. This was not gore for the sake of gore and many of the deaths were not shown.
The movie has sparked a great deal of interesting dialog among the young people of our nation. Obviously, the question of whether such a scenario could ever happen here. If not that, then where are we headed? Is it okay to harm others for self defense or the defense of others. If American society was cast into the movie, would we be part of the problem, with all our excesses while much of the rest of the world starves and does without? How "real" is so-called reality tv, where days/weeks of activity are reduced to merely hours of viewing, and how does it reflect the director's/producer's philosophy more than that of the contestants? (Interviews with the author reveal that she came up with the story while flipping channels between the reality shows and footage of the war in the Middle East.)
It is not a fun movie, and while interesting and thought-provoking, is not what I would call entertaining. While the violence is a significant part of it, I did not go primarily to see that, and I find it rather insulting that some imply otherwise.
I took my 13yo daughter to see the movie after she had read all the books. Which were classified as Young Adult Fiction and are widely included on middle school reading lists. The primary themes of the story are about abuse of power, personal sacrifice, and the importance of hope.
I found the books to be quite disturbing, as I hate stories about situations where parents are unable to protect their children. However my daughter found the books very inspiring. She focused more on the fact that the heroine suceeded due to her intelligence, perseverance, and skills.
In this particular movie, the violence was not just gratuitous. It was a story device used to illustrate how abusive the government had become. A subtheme introduced the concept of how the government was able to victimize some by twisting them mentally to the point that they were willing to victimize others. This was not gore for the sake of gore and many of the deaths were not shown.
The movie has sparked a great deal of interesting dialog among the young people of our nation. Obviously, the question of whether such a scenario could ever happen here. If not that, then where are we headed? Is it okay to harm others for self defense or the defense of others. If American society was cast into the movie, would we be part of the problem, with all our excesses while much of the rest of the world starves and does without? How "real" is so-called reality tv, where days/weeks of activity are reduced to merely hours of viewing, and how does it reflect the director's/producer's philosophy more than that of the contestants? (Interviews with the author reveal that she came up with the story while flipping channels between the reality shows and footage of the war in the Middle East.)
It is not a fun movie, and while interesting and thought-provoking, is not what I would call entertaining. While the violence is a significant part of it, I did not go primarily to see that, and I find it rather insulting that some imply otherwise.
Well, Romeo and Juliet has kids having sex, fighting and killing each other and then committing suicide. Lord Of the Flies, anyone...I'm not saying the hunger games reaches that level, of course, but this sort of examination of the cruelest behavior of people against each other has been done before. Titus Andronicus anyone...
Juliet was 13, although Romeo's age is not specified. How many people here have read any or all of those books or plays...which used to be required reading for anyone considered to have a liberal arts education...
Like comedy, all things are open for examination, some are just handled better than others. Everyone wants to understand the human condition, at some level or another, some more than others. A book like the hunger games looks at aspects of being human.
In the movie, Battle Royale, I didn't read the book, the government uses the combat to show the masses that the extreme control measures it exerts over the population are due to the basic violent nature of people, as shown through the Battle Royale. There may be more themes to it so others here can comment on that as well...
Decepticon...get used to the insinuations...try the study sometime if you really want to be insulted, just because you disagree with other people...
Juliet was 13, although Romeo's age is not specified. How many people here have read any or all of those books or plays...which used to be required reading for anyone considered to have a liberal arts education...
Like comedy, all things are open for examination, some are just handled better than others. Everyone wants to understand the human condition, at some level or another, some more than others. A book like the hunger games looks at aspects of being human.
In the movie, Battle Royale, I didn't read the book, the government uses the combat to show the masses that the extreme control measures it exerts over the population are due to the basic violent nature of people, as shown through the Battle Royale. There may be more themes to it so others here can comment on that as well...
Decepticon...get used to the insinuations...try the study sometime if you really want to be insulted, just because you disagree with other people...
Says the man who has never even read the books. You'll pardon me if I give your opinion very little weight.
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