posts in category #CouchCritics
3.25.2012
The Hunger Games movie...a review...#CBias #CouchCritics
A couple of weeks ago I had no idea what "The Hunger Games" was all about. Now I'm as Katniss- and Peeta-crazy as any 14-year-old.
I got the opportunity to review the book a couple of weeks ago and just this past Friday (March 23) I went to see the movie.
I got the opportunity to review the book a couple of weeks ago and just this past Friday (March 23) I went to see the movie.
In fact, as soon as I finished the book, I purchased my tickets for the movie through Fandango. The site is user-friendly, and getting your tickets couldn't be easier. You just choose the theater you'd like to see the movie in...
...pay for your tickets with a credit card or PayPal...
...print out your ticket from your computer...and take it with you to the theater.
Easy, right? Definitely. BUT, as is typical with me, while I was running out the door to the theater Friday morning, I forgot to bring my ticket with me.
Problem?
Not at all. If you do happen to forget your ticket, you can just print out another one at the Fandango kiosk in your theater...just make sure you have the credit card you paid for the ticket with on you...that's all you'll need.
I arrived at the theater about 20 minutes before showtime...and I was kind of surprised that I was one of only a handful of people there. It was just 10:00 am, but after seeing the lines for the midnight show, and with a number of schools in the area having spring break, I was a little nervous that the show would be packed.
The people who were there were there were of all ages...people in their 60s or 70s, those in their 20s and some in their 30s and 40s. That was pretty refreshing, actually...I knew this was a story geared toward young adults, but it was obviously reaching across age lines.
To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect when the movie started. I have seen plenty of movies that were based on books, and some have fallen completely flat. It has been my opinion that it's just too hard to express through live action what can be written and imagined.
BUT, I was pleasantly surprised with "The Hunger Games." From the opening scene, I think Gary Ross (the movie's director) captured the feel of Panem (the country in which the story takes place) and it's districts exactly the way I imagined them. The feel of the movie was dark, and lonely and depressing...and the background music was dirge-like. The entire movie felt cold and damp...and I felt myself wrapping my arms around my shoulders to keep warm. Yes, it was that convincing.
During the first part of the movie, before the training for The Games begins, you rarely see any color at all in the scenes...everything is gray, black, white and the green of the forest. But as Peeta and Katniss are brought to the capitol to begin their preparations I was instantly reminded of Dorothy entering Oz...everything became bright and colorful. It was cool and sort of spooky...especially since the Capitol is such a strange, hedonistic place.
The main characters, Katniss (played by Jennifer Lawrence), Gale (Liam Hemsworth) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) were cast wonderfully and believably. And the supporting cast, Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket), Woody Harrelson (Haymitch), and Donald Sutherland (President Snow) among others, did a fantastic job. I especially enjoyed Woody Harrelson. In the book, the character of Haymitch was hard for me to picture. I understood who he was and what he was doing, but I never really "got" him. Woody Harrelson really brought the character to life and made him actually likable as the tributes' mentor in The Games.
I would have liked to have seen the characters' personalities and stories developed a little more, but I understand that there are time constraints when making a movie. Especially one that is trying to capture the focus and attention of all age groups. But the end result is characters that fall a touch flat. For example, in the book, Katniss is a deeply conflicted young girl who is trying to save herself and her family. She struggles internally with doing what is right while keeping herself alive. This is something that can't be accurately portrayed through the movie, and, unfortunately, Katniss seems to be just full of teen angst.
The major events in the book are portrayed really well in the movie, and there are very few things that are left out. Time passes much more quickly in the movie, and there is almost a feeling of being rushed through The Games, but even if you haven't read the book, I believe you can get an accurate idea of what the author (Suzanne Collins) was trying to say.
Haven't read the book? I definitely recommend doing so before seeing the movie. Although I think the movie stands on it's own well enough to be thoroughly enjoyed, I also think you will get much more out of it if you know the back stories, thoughts & emotions of the characters a little more in depth.
Don't have any idea of what The Hunger Games is about?
Read my review here...
Didn't know it was made into a movie?
Here's the trailer...
Now I'm halfway through the second book (Catching Fire) in the trilogy. I'm really enjoying it so far...and I hope it proves to be as good as the first story in the series.
- DISCLOSURE: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. #CBias
3.18.2012
The Hunger Games...a review #CouchCritics #CBias #CollectiveBias
When I first started my Pinterest account, just about a year ago, I pinned a book to my "Books Worth Reading" board...I don't know why I pinned it - I had never heard anything about it...I think I just liked the name. It remained the only book I had on that board for months and months and months...
Then, a couple of weeks ago, I saw a commercial for "The Hunger Games", the movie. I remembered that long-ago pinned book and now I was more than a little intrigued...I mean, if they made it into a movie, then it must be good, right?
Over the past few months, I have heard (or read) bits and pieces about this story...and it sounded really pretty interesting...so I decided to add it to my "READ!" list.
THEN, when I got the opportunity to review the book and the movie for Social Fabric, I figured it was fate...and my boy,Ty, and I headed out to Walmart to buy the book...
They had a huge The Hunger Games display, so I didn't have to look very hard to find just what I wanted.
And the price wasn't too shabby, either...check out our entire shopping experience here, on Google+.
As soon as we got home, and while Tyler was watching Power Rangers next to me on the couch, I read the first half of the book. Yep, the entire first half. And I. LOVED. IT.
The upshot of the story (written by Suzanne Collins) is, in short, a fight to the death between teenagers, each chosen randomly from different areas of their country (Panem, formerly North America), and pitted against each other until there is only 1 teen left standing. The premise is an awful lot like Stephen King's short story, "The Long Walk" (written while he was a freshman in college under the pseudonym, Richard Bachman)...I mean, an awful lot. Like, really a real awful, awful lot. It is also similar to "The Running Man", another short story by Richard Bachman/Stephen King, and later a movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. BUT, the story is still great and it's still a fantastic read.
The main hero (Peeta) and heroine (Katniss) of this science fiction/thriller/young adult book are such likable characters and their relationship is really sweet (if not entirely genuine...well, sorta...read the book). It's hard to imagine that while they are fighting for their lives they can manage to have some tender moments, but they do...and the author has found a way to make those moments refreshing... not sappy...not strange.
The supporting characters in the book are just as interesting and fun to read about as Katniss and Peeta are. And the strange-ish names & wacked-out spaceman-like settings and futuristic occurrences (like hovercrafts and people who are able to control the weather) don't seem weird.
I found myself really rooting for these kids (and for some of the other characters, too...specifically Rue) and I was a little disappointed when the story ended...well, I guess not ended, actually...more like was postponed until I download a copy of the next book, Catching Fire.
I finished the book in just a few days and now I am so excited for the movie! In fact, I've already purchased my tickets through Fandango. Have you ever done that? I hadn't before, but I gotta tell ya, I will definitely do it again. It was so easy!
All I had to do was type in the movie I wanted to see, and then my zip code. It gave me a list of local theaters, I chose one, and then it showed me the showtimes. I clicked the time I want to see the movie (10:00 am in this case...while the kids are at school), and purchased my ticket through PayPal...
OK, that could not have been more simple. Now, when I see the movie next Friday, I won't have to wait in line, hoping that the show isn't sold out (although, I'm pretty sure that won't be the case at 10:00 in the morning). Just a quick note...there is a convenience fee for purchasing your tickets this way, but it is pretty manageable...and, especially if you want to make sure you get tickets for a specific time on a certain date, I would say the fee is definitely worth it.
I'm so happy I read the book, especially before I saw the movie. I like to have my own idea of what characters/settings look like, etc. before the big screen takes away the mystery. But, now that I've done that, I'm ready to see how Hollywood interpreted the book...stay tuned to hear my thoughts on that next week...
Haven't read The Hunger Games? Do it...you won't be disappointed.
Then, a couple of weeks ago, I saw a commercial for "The Hunger Games", the movie. I remembered that long-ago pinned book and now I was more than a little intrigued...I mean, if they made it into a movie, then it must be good, right?
Over the past few months, I have heard (or read) bits and pieces about this story...and it sounded really pretty interesting...so I decided to add it to my "READ!" list.
THEN, when I got the opportunity to review the book and the movie for Social Fabric, I figured it was fate...and my boy,Ty, and I headed out to Walmart to buy the book...
They had a huge The Hunger Games display, so I didn't have to look very hard to find just what I wanted.
And the price wasn't too shabby, either...check out our entire shopping experience here, on Google+.
As soon as we got home, and while Tyler was watching Power Rangers next to me on the couch, I read the first half of the book. Yep, the entire first half. And I. LOVED. IT.
The upshot of the story (written by Suzanne Collins) is, in short, a fight to the death between teenagers, each chosen randomly from different areas of their country (Panem, formerly North America), and pitted against each other until there is only 1 teen left standing. The premise is an awful lot like Stephen King's short story, "The Long Walk" (written while he was a freshman in college under the pseudonym, Richard Bachman)...I mean, an awful lot. Like, really a real awful, awful lot. It is also similar to "The Running Man", another short story by Richard Bachman/Stephen King, and later a movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. BUT, the story is still great and it's still a fantastic read.
The main hero (Peeta) and heroine (Katniss) of this science fiction/thriller/young adult book are such likable characters and their relationship is really sweet (if not entirely genuine...well, sorta...read the book). It's hard to imagine that while they are fighting for their lives they can manage to have some tender moments, but they do...and the author has found a way to make those moments refreshing... not sappy...not strange.
The supporting characters in the book are just as interesting and fun to read about as Katniss and Peeta are. And the strange-ish names & wacked-out spaceman-like settings and futuristic occurrences (like hovercrafts and people who are able to control the weather) don't seem weird.
I found myself really rooting for these kids (and for some of the other characters, too...specifically Rue) and I was a little disappointed when the story ended...well, I guess not ended, actually...more like was postponed until I download a copy of the next book, Catching Fire.
I finished the book in just a few days and now I am so excited for the movie! In fact, I've already purchased my tickets through Fandango. Have you ever done that? I hadn't before, but I gotta tell ya, I will definitely do it again. It was so easy!
All I had to do was type in the movie I wanted to see, and then my zip code. It gave me a list of local theaters, I chose one, and then it showed me the showtimes. I clicked the time I want to see the movie (10:00 am in this case...while the kids are at school), and purchased my ticket through PayPal...
OK, that could not have been more simple. Now, when I see the movie next Friday, I won't have to wait in line, hoping that the show isn't sold out (although, I'm pretty sure that won't be the case at 10:00 in the morning). Just a quick note...there is a convenience fee for purchasing your tickets this way, but it is pretty manageable...and, especially if you want to make sure you get tickets for a specific time on a certain date, I would say the fee is definitely worth it.
I'm so happy I read the book, especially before I saw the movie. I like to have my own idea of what characters/settings look like, etc. before the big screen takes away the mystery. But, now that I've done that, I'm ready to see how Hollywood interpreted the book...stay tuned to hear my thoughts on that next week...
Haven't read The Hunger Games? Do it...you won't be disappointed.
DISCLOSURE:
- This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias. All opinions are entirely my own. I really like this book and I will definitely be reading the other two titles in the trilogy. I just hope the movie can do the book justice! #CBias
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
