Hunger Games Movie Discussion
rubyfalls replied to your post “The Hunger Games Fans Discuss:”
Agreed, but I think MJP2 was a better movie overall.
I won’t disagree they did a better job with the making of MJP2 @rubyfalls, but where they deviated from the book was, in my opinion, so bad that it colored the rest of the movies backward for me.
@sfcbruce said:
In my opinion, the only movie in the trilogy (quadrilogy?) that came closest to the source material was Catching Fire, and even that fell short.
Key points that were missed in The Hunger Games movie: the cave scene during the rainstorm where, it seemed to me, the first true Everlark seeds were planted; when Peeta gets injured (again) in the flight from the wolf-mutts; when Peeta tries to force Katniss’s hand into becoming the sole Victor; when Katniss becomes hysterical on the hovercraft while the medical team fights to save Peeta; and, Katniss’s revelation on the train trip back to District 12, when Peeta finally realizes that the “Star-Crossed Lovers” routine was (mostly) an act on her part.
Key points missed in Catching Fire: the true depth of the tension between Katniss and Peeta in the beginning of the story; the decision to “train like Careers” once the Quarter Quell theme was announced; and the tenderness between Katniss and Peeta after the Reaping.
Key points missed during MJ Parts I and II: the tension and hostility between Katniss and Peeta following Peeta’s attempt to kill Katniss (Peeta telling Katniss “You’re not especially pretty”); Katniss’s military training; and Gale actually sticking up for Peeta when Peeta was making broadcasts for the Capitol.
There were others, but these stuck in my head. And, I paraphrased a lot here, so don’t be too critical if my memory was not the best :-)
and @kleeklutch replied:
I also vote CF.
@historywriter2007 said:
My two cents. Both are seriously lacking Everlark kisses and I wish there was more of the playful back and forth in the first movie. I will admit when I first read Mockingjay I felt it would be hard for them to make it PG13 considering what happens in the capital and what we know happened between Katniss and Peeta in the end. I guess I would say they both have their faults if either had the true kiss count from the books I would give that one the win.
And @geekymoviemom said:
My initial knee-jerk reaction is that they were both about the same. The Hunger Games, being the first movie in the series, had the assignment of establishing the characters, and in my opinion, THG did a lousy job of establishing Peeta’s character. I also have serious issues with the end of the movie. Namely, the lack of drama during the scene with the berries when Peeta’s supposed to be bleeding to death, and the scene where Katniss flips out once they’re up in the hovercraft not being in the movie. AND THE FACT THAT PEETA DOESN’T LOSE HIS LEG!!!
Mockingjay 2 was an okay movie, but again, the ending! The ending makes it look like the cat brought Katniss back from the brink after Prim’s death, which again just downplays Peeta’s character and how important he really was to Katniss. I was really upset when I saw the movie and realized that.
I’ll probably have more thoughts later.
I agree that I thought, of all the movies, Catching Fire was the closest to the source material. I think one thing they all failed at was the relationship between Katniss and Peeta. In building up the tension between Katniss and Gale, they neglected to show the ease that Katniss and Peeta truly related to each other, when he wasn’t hijacked and she wasn’t confused that is, lol!
What you say @geekymoviemom about Buttercup at the end of Mockingjay, YES YES YES and a thousand times YES! It goes back to downplaying her relationship with Peeta through the rest of the movies (I suppose an argument could be made that in Part 1 Katniss’ affection for Peeta was on display). And then... and then... getting rid of their daughter? I will never get over that part either.
As I said to @rubyfalls, the changes they made at the end, from how Katniss got to the Capitol, how she reacted when she killed Coin, her “solitary confinement” (or lack their of), her desperation, Buttercup saving her, the erasure of the daughter all of that contributed to my total lack of love for the Mockingjay movies, and it colored all of the movies negatively for me- because that is where you truly see the vision of the filmmakers. It wasn’t to make the books into movies, but to reframe who Katniss Everdeen was into a Hollywood bad-ass.
Thanks everyone for playing!! I miss the discussions we used to have. Anyone else like to pose a question for us to discuss?
