We had planned to go see The Hunger Games at the theatre but no one was available to watch the kids so we skipped it and waited for the DVD release. We did not get all crazy and go pick it up at midnight last night or anything like that. The dog needed out this morning so I went and picked it up with the few groceries we needed for the coming week. The kids were still asleep so it was the perfect time to watch the movie.
Both of us have read all three of the Hunger Games books. It started with Stacey and then she got me to read them. In contrast to the Twilight series, I probably would have read the Hunger Games without any recommendations; it would have just been a matter of "when". Regardless, I am glad that I read the books because I did enjoy them quite a bit and will read them again sometime.
I was a little concerned about the film adaptation because I recalled the film adaptations of other books such as Eragon. I enjoyed not only the book Eragon but the entire Inheritance series. The film adaptation of Eragon had a really good cast but it was a definite dud as far as adaptations go. The film was quite a bit different from the book and had some glaring omissions. I would have liked to have seen a series of films but I am sure that there will be no further movies.
How was the film adaptation of the Hunger Games? I thought it was excellent. There are some differences from the book but nothing near as drastic as Eragon. The world of PanEm is represented in very good detail and does not look like a set or some corny stage props. The cast was terrific and very appropriate for the descriptions in the novels. The only question I had was about the appearance of Haymitch because I thought he was supposed to be older. Stacey pointed out that he is probably the right age but is supposed to look older due to all of his drinking. The movie has a nice pace and I never felt bored while watching. Finally, the violence is there but it is done in a non-grotesque manner and does not glorify it either.
In a nutshell - THUMBS UP!
Excellent work, Charlie.
ReplyDeleteDid your wife enjoy it as much as you did?
Yes she did, Eric. She did say the book was better - isn't that usually the case? - but she did enjoy it and I think we're going to watch it again when the kids go to sleep tonight.
DeleteI'm not a big fan of current young adult literature. Maybe I became disenchanted with the Twilight series (which I really hated all the way around) but The Hunger Games restored my faith in the potential of stories geared toward teens. I loved all three books and thought the movie was fantastically done - no real major plot points were cut and I thought the characters were very well cast.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you, Heather. I never felt that the story in the books or movie was dumbed down because the novels are "Young Adult". I hate it when I read something and it feels like I am being talked down to. Thankfully, the Hunger Games dealt with all subjects in a relevant and meaningful manner.
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