Monday, March 26, 2012

Dystopian Bliss On-Screen- The Hunger Games


The Hunger Games

KB, Feeche and I went to see Hunger Games last night. Feeche and I have read the series, which I reviewed here , here.  and here. It's always a toss up about books being made into movies- I generally follow the adage that movies won't be as good as their book, but there is always the exception; the Borne Trilogy comes to mind. So, I'm not wholly committed to that line of thought. Good thing, too because I thought Hunger Games delivered at the theaters just as well as on paper. The characters were believable, the plot well developed and the horror of the Games was communicated, without being gratuitously creepy or violent. Honestly, I thought the trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman was far more distrubing than the Hunger Games movie. Creepy on screen.

I don't often delve in to dystopian lit, I'm melancholy enough all by myself, tyvm.  But I did  enjoy this series. First, I think it's a plausible premise. Secondly, I think we are already offering up our children on the alter of fun, entitlement and self satisfaction, both individually and as a culture. Third, I think we are fast becoming a shallow and frivolous society. As KB said, the capital reminded her veddy, veddy much of Cosmetology School. And, like Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang, there were no kids in the capital, except the tributes and the 2 hellions fighting with a sword (how ironic that the little boy stabs at the girl-chivalry is dead). A culture of excess and frippery rather than generativity and legacy. I mean Effie, really. Lives are at stake and she is worried about her reputation. People are commodities. Maybe excess and frippery lead to mass sociopathy. Probably.

Sure, the movie missed some details. But it kept the main stuff, including good character development. Snow is perfectly creepy, Cinna compassionate, Gale gorgeous and Peeta...good and solid and committed to decency in the face of violating evil. Great stuff to discuss with an older teen.

Final thoughts; the best man won imho, and I don't think she just settled for him either. Love is more than the wow factor (though that's a great place to start and return to) and I appreciate how Collins didn't offer up an easy solution to Peeta or Gale. Real life isn't about easy solutions or always getting what we think we want.

That's my .02 worth. What did you think?

3 comments:

Nicole said...

Was the movie just the first book? Will it be a Trilogy?

laughinglioness.lisa@gmail.com said...

It was just the first book. Plenty of room for the sequels! ; )

Amy @ Hope Is the Word said...

I've been on the fence about seeing it due to apprehension about the violence, though I loved the books. I detest WATCHING violent/disturbing scenes. You've just about convinced me, though, that I might be okay with it. :-)