The Hunger Games
Discussion
Just watched it this evening and also enjoyed it.
Sanitised violence though but they had it as a '12' on Sky so I guess they needed to target a certain audience.
I've not read the books, but have read and watched Battle Royale. Is BR credited at all in the book? Not sure how this could be claimed as original work.
Sanitised violence though but they had it as a '12' on Sky so I guess they needed to target a certain audience.
I've not read the books, but have read and watched Battle Royale. Is BR credited at all in the book? Not sure how this could be claimed as original work.
Read the book; a bit meh, a slightly generic copy of Running Man with dashes of garden variety fascism, Mad Max, Logan's Run and Battle Royale. It helped pass a few evenings, but along with most of the books I end up reading onboard not really my cup of tea; it seemed to be tailored for a) a movie adaptation(surprise!) b) teenagers. On the plus side it isn't the Twilight series with that awful doormat person, the main characters are actually characters rather than cyphers.
I'm so pleased that I'm not the only bloke who's enjoyed the Hunger Games. I was given a copy and ended up reading all three in a couple of weeks. Yes, I know it 'teen fiction', cos its main protagonists are teens, but it had good deal more character depth that a lot of the pulp airport/crime novels I've read in recent years. And that, is what is where the film is lacking bit. The book isn't jus a tale of life and death in the arena but about the psychological and political games in the characters heads.
Whats missing. The food or lack of it. The point is that the districts are kept in line by the threat of starvation to the point of death. Everyone looks a bit well fed at the start of the movie.
The other districts are more clearly drawn in the book. Who is favoured, who is not and why. The other competitors are given more time to develop and (and its the major theme of the two book that follow) the symbolism of district twelve working together as an act of rebellion is given more time.
The book isn't a great deal bloodier than the movie except in one instance. Cato's death is a long and drawn out affair being torn apart from dusk till dawn before being given the coup de grace.
Lets face it most of the time the book is always going to be the better experience. It's a bigger canvas and uses the mind rather than CGI. The film is a way of cashing in on the book and is really a companion piece.
So far as Battle Royal goes, the comparison is a bit false. BR is a teen exploitation movie and a damn good one. HG on the other hand, with its satire and political undercurrents bears more comparison to say Sparticus or Ben Hur.
Whats missing. The food or lack of it. The point is that the districts are kept in line by the threat of starvation to the point of death. Everyone looks a bit well fed at the start of the movie.
The other districts are more clearly drawn in the book. Who is favoured, who is not and why. The other competitors are given more time to develop and (and its the major theme of the two book that follow) the symbolism of district twelve working together as an act of rebellion is given more time.
The book isn't a great deal bloodier than the movie except in one instance. Cato's death is a long and drawn out affair being torn apart from dusk till dawn before being given the coup de grace.
Lets face it most of the time the book is always going to be the better experience. It's a bigger canvas and uses the mind rather than CGI. The film is a way of cashing in on the book and is really a companion piece.
So far as Battle Royal goes, the comparison is a bit false. BR is a teen exploitation movie and a damn good one. HG on the other hand, with its satire and political undercurrents bears more comparison to say Sparticus or Ben Hur.
rickf_uk said:
HG on the other hand, with its satire and political undercurrents bears more comparison to say Sparticus or Ben Hur.
Possibly, but I've not seen Ben Hur to be able to draw the parallel. I did feel that the political background to the present society was a little glossed over, although you're given just enough of the gist to fill in the blanks. I did love the telling question and ensuing discussion of "Do you know why we have a winner?"...
My eleven year old son is reading the books at the moment. He wants to finish them and then watch the film as part of his coursework this year is to read a book/watch film version and compare.
When he's finished the books my nine year old son wishes to do the same.
I was reluctant at first, fearing they'd be a little Battle Royale-esque. But my eleven year old seems to be picking up more on the political theme of which you speak... And with him, I'm not sure this is a good thing...
When he's finished the books my nine year old son wishes to do the same.
I was reluctant at first, fearing they'd be a little Battle Royale-esque. But my eleven year old seems to be picking up more on the political theme of which you speak... And with him, I'm not sure this is a good thing...
Gretchen said:
My eleven year old son is reading the books at the moment. He wants to finish them and then watch the film as part of his coursework this year is to read a book/watch film version and compare.
When he's finished the books my nine year old son wishes to do the same.
I was reluctant at first, fearing they'd be a little Battle Royale-esque. But my eleven year old seems to be picking up more on the political theme of which you speak... And with him, I'm not sure this is a good thing...
All three of mine ripped through the books, which is fairly unique that they actually agreed on anything. I sat down with them last night and watched the film with them, doing the annoying Dad thing of asking bone questions. They all seemed to have picked up on the political bits, and the authoritarian control mechanisms fairly nicely. The gore in the film is massively underdone, and more suggested than done in detail. Your pair will have done a far better job creating a gorefest from the books When he's finished the books my nine year old son wishes to do the same.
I was reluctant at first, fearing they'd be a little Battle Royale-esque. But my eleven year old seems to be picking up more on the political theme of which you speak... And with him, I'm not sure this is a good thing...
rickf_uk said:
Has anyone else picked up that the Capital is based in Colorado. Is this a nod to Steven King who's end of the world novel The Stand sets the capital of the post apocalyptical world in.....Colorado.
Only if it's in Boulder, surely.I don't rate this film at all but then I've been spoilt by ultra-gore asian films for the past few years. Felt like a Twilight version of BR
Gassing Station | TV, Film, Video Streaming & Radio | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff