Entry posted by Voltex
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The film was pretty good. I could've done with A LOT less shaky camera work during the action/fight scenes and more detail, but I also get that part of it was because the film had to be PG. - WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
Pros:
- The added behind-the-scenes scenes featuring Seneca Crane and the subplot around him as he tried to keep President Snow and the viewers happy despite the actions of Katniss was amazing. Honestly, I'm going to go back and read the book and miss not having these scenes in there. I enjoyed them in and of themselves, but I also thought that they were a brilliant way to give viewers a break every now and then from the consistently shaky, dirty, foresty setting of The Hunger Games themselves.
- Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen: I think she did a very good job of portraying Katniss. In addition, I really enjoyed watching Haymitch and Cinna too. Seneca Crane was, as stated before, also a fun character to see on the screen. Too bad they had to kill him off.
- The District 11 uprising after Rue's death; although it's another thing they added that wasn't in the book (not that we would've known about it had it occured anyway), I think it shows just how close to the edge District 11 is, and will add more tension during the visit there that Katniss must make in Catching Fire.
- The portrayal of the Capitol-Although not strictly what the books described, I think it was a good blend of super futuristic and modern technology, yet it still contrasted starkly against Districts 11 and 12.
Cons:
- Primrose Everdeen; I felt like they made her far too frail and... wimpy, I suppose. I don't remember Prim ever being like that in the books, not even in The Hunger Games.
- The lack of Thresh and Foxface- both were mentioned several times in the book, and I think it would've been neat if we'd seen shots of Foxface hidden in the background, following other tributes and perhaps a scene or two of Thresh doing whatever he was doing.
- Peeta still has a certificate of ownership for both legs, despite the fact that the book clearly states he lost a leg. I'm not sure what could be done with this plot wise, but I guess it could always be said in Catching Fire that it had to be removed later on.
Final Score: 8.5/10.
The film did a masterful job of capturing the feel of the book and did admirably following the plot. In addition, the brand new subplot starring game maker Seneca Crane manages to add a lot to the movie. However, several character portrayals were not done how they should have been, or simply didn't receive enough screentime.
Despite my complaints, I think the score above says that you should all see this movie, especially if you have read the book already. This was one of the most anticipated films of 2012 for a reason, and it'll be remembered as one of the best.
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