3.23.2012
Flawless Performances Outweigh the Disappointments: My No-Spoiler Review of "The Hunger Games" Movie
Wow.
In a word, that describes my experience after watching the midnight showing (in IMAX) of "The Hunger Games." I do not want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't seen it, so I have to keep this brief. And "wow" really does capture what I felt.
A good wow, of course. Yes, there were disappointments. Events and quotes do not follow the book exactly (which we knew ahead of time from seeing the trailers, right?). But I was disappointed at how many things veered from the original. Some of my favorite details of the book were either absent, condensed, or changed to give the scene a different feel or meaning. I'm not going to be specific, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little miffed by some of the changes.
That said, the performances were STUNNING. I mean, EVERY SINGLE ACTOR was flawless. They were brilliant. They played their parts so perfectly. The stand-outs for me were Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss) and Josh Hutcherson (Peeta), of course. But even Liam Hemsworth (Gale) made me rethink his character--I'm not a Gale fan, never have been. But somehow Hemsworth made me like him. Seriously! Stanley Tucci (Caesar Flickerman) was exhilarating. Elizabeth Banks was so animated, so perfect as Effie. And Lenny Kravitz (Cinna) was impeccably subtle.
Wes Bentley was a stand-out as Seneca Crane. Really, he was marvelous. His role was a lot bigger in the movie, and I am glad. And Alexander Ludwig (Cato) played his part so well. He made me feel the same way I felt about him in the novel. In every single part, including the end.
I guess I could just list the entire cast here, because, like I said, every actor was perfect. However, Hutcherson was really the one who made the movie for me. Any time his lip quivered, my eyes welled up. Though Lawrence was completely radiant (yes, she was as radiant as the sun) in the movie, it was Hutcherson who got to me. His facial expressions were so incredibly dead-on. But, it makes sense, because it was always Peeta who I empathized with in the novel.
I did not single out Woody Harrelson (Haymitch), though he played the personality of Haymitch quite well. Yet, he also added his own little spin to the character. I can't get past that when it's a novel I love. I don't want the actor to take creative liberties with my beloved literary characters. For those who haven't read the books, he is perfectly contemptuous, sarcastic, and drunk. For me, though, I wanted more from Woody as Haymitch. Like some of my favorite lines delivered. Even though there were still great "Haymitch" moments, they didn't pack the punch that his moments in book do.
Overall, I am pleasantly pleased with the movie. I will see it again. There are so many moments I wish I could have paused and hit the rewind. And without giving too much away, I have to add that Peeta's camouflaging is exemplary. The make-up, costumes, location/setting, music, and cinematography were faultless. Are there some inconsistencies? Yes. Did it ruin it for me? Absolutely not. The added scenes and the impeccable acting made up for the disappointing details.
Did I say this was going to be brief? Sorry!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Tracee,
ReplyDeleteI saw it at midnight in IMAX, too! And, I saw it again this afternoon. I agree with everything you said. Josh Hutcherson was AMAZING!
I haven't gotten to see it yet, but I'm so glad to see your review. Everyone on Facebook has just posted how awesome/amazing it was, but I haven't gotten to read any criticisms.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to have a bit of warning that the movie isn't going to be perfect, because I've been getting so caught up in excitement for it that I don't want to set myself up for disappointment when there are inevitable inconsistencies.
I'm seeing it tomorrow afternoon so I'll be able to share an opinion on the movie then, but thanks for sharing your thoughts.
P.S. I appreciate you making an effort to keep it spoiler-free as well. I know the book inside and out, but I've still tried to keep my mind clear from movie spoilers. :)
Thank you both! Josh really was perfect. But I was shocked that I liked Gale, too.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny because as I talked to some of the students today who had also seen it, you would think that we all hated it because we complained about all the inconsistencies. Yet, as much as they bothered me, I still liked the movie. :) Enjoy it, Victoria! I also told my students to expect things NOT to be the same and have an open mind. I think it does help to know that ahead of time because I really am picky and always set myself up for disappointment!
I'm glad to read your review because there were a few things that really stuck out that I was missing. I agree with you that the performances were INCREDIBLE. Lawrence WAS Katniss to me. Her performance was flawless and all-encompassing. I love, love, love Hutcherson as Peeta. So effortlessly powerful, emotionally-speaking. I tagged you in my (ridiculously long) review on FB. I hope you read it!
ReplyDeleteI just got back from seeing this horrible movie. I am a fan of the books; I was just as excited to see this as everyone else. The acting of below par I hated the actress if you can call her an actress that played Rue. I remember a well written pseudo love story right. That is missing from the movie. All that spinning made me sick. I wish this could be remade with a better cast and better writers. I did not expect the movie to just like the book but I at least wanted the same story. I am a fan of the LOTR books and the movie was just as good not the same but good. I guess it is fun for the mindless and dim-witted.
ReplyDeleteI just got back from seeing this horrible movie. I am a fan of the books; I was just as excited to see this as everyone else. The acting of below par I hated the actress if you can call her an actress that played Rue. I remember a well written pseudo love story right. That is missing from the movie. All that spinning made me sick. I wish this could be remade with a better cast and better writers. I did not expect the movie to just like the book but I at least wanted the same story. I am a fan of the LOTR books and the movie was just as good not the same but good. I guess it is fun for the mindless and dim-witted.
ReplyDeleteSaw HG in huge wide screen as well as IMAX, 'wow' is definitely a good word to describe both experiences. First time in a while i've paid to see a movie twice in a single weekend.
ReplyDelete