Wednesday, April 4, 2012


I thought it was silly that they were making Battleship into a movie. I mean how do you actually make a board game in to a movie? I have no idea nor do I care. But then I heard Hungry Hungry Hippos was also being made in to a movie! I don't care how many times I tell that joke I'm using it until SOMEONE laughs at it! Even my 4 year old niece didn't find it funny. Get it, a game about hunger! COME ON! Seriously though, I had absolutely no idea what this movie was about, I had never read the books, I really didn't care, but I went to see the movie and will say after this I may read the books. I have to finish "A Dance With Dragons" first, but they seem interesting. But seriously here's my review of the actual movie.

Plot: there was a rebellion, to punish these districts for rebelling each of the 12 districts must send 2 tributes to an event called the Hunger Games where children ages 12-18 fight to the death. District 12 is where our main character is from, her name is Katniss. She is really good with a bow, she's also incredibly dumb. She decides to volunteer to be a tribute to keep her 12 year old sister from going there and getting slaughtered. The other tribute is a boy named Peeta, he bakes bread and is apparently really strong. His mother hates him. He can also do incredible camouflage with clay and berries.....I guess? He painted cakes so he can make his hand look exactly like tree bark and make his face look like rocks in the wild. still not sure where he got the materials, but whatever.

Complaints
A) Katniss is stupid. I mean it has nothing to do with her saving her sisters life. But you're in a fight to the death with these people, and she befriends them, doesn't take multiple easy kills, and like preserves her humanity throughout the ENTIRE MOVIE! Which ok I guess it'd be really hard to route for a character who was constantly murdering people in cold blood, but it's you or them!
B) From What I understand about the book, it takes place in a society that's incredibly flamboyant? they dress very loudly. Which means this movie should've had really amazing costume design right? WRONG! even in rooms filled with people in stupid costumes, everyone of them looks out of place, with the exception of Donald Sutherland, and the guy who was in charge of the games. better decisions needed to be made here.
C) There was supposed to be a love story I think. The love story in this movie is non-existent. I've been told it's in the book, but throughout this entire movie you have no idea if the main characters are playing it up for the cameras or if they're actually developing feelings for one another. Maybe the director wanted it that way, I just kinda feel like there was SOMETHING that could've been done to help clarify this.
d) I'm just not a big fan of the actress who played Katniss. She did a fine job in what was probably her first major role. I don't care though I just don't like her, that's a personal problem I know.

Apart from that the movie was a lot of fun, there were some "OMG" moments, there were a couple sad parts (despite the fact that they're only sad because your main character is a fricking MORON!) it's really predictable but still fun. Ultimately, everyone reading this knows they'd watch an event where teens are forced to kill each other.

5 comments:

R.Hamilton said...

Hmmm... not sure I agree with you much but then again I did read the books. So firstly, Katniss may be annoying but she isn't stupid. She doesn't take the easy kills because she doesn't need to (the psychos will do that for her) and after all, none of them want to fight, they just have to. In fight vs. flight Katniss takes the flight method but she does kill when necessary.

Secondly, about the love story. Personally I was happy they didn't really focus on it because it's a really boring love story and they would have just turned it into another twilight. Also in the books *minor spoiler alert* Peeta does like her but she pretty much just puts it all on for the camera, liking him just as a buddy (at least until much later in the series).

However it is interesting to read a review from someone who hasn't read the books. My biggest problem was the awful shakycam which I wrote about in my review of it.

Resmo112 said...

That was actually my problem though, I didn't know if it was being played up for the camera or if it was actually a love story. They introduced it but then bever clarify or develop it. It's just there and it doesn't need to be.

As far as katniss being stupid or not, I can see what you're saying and I can agree with that, I just feel like If I were in the same situation I would've behaved more desperately but having never been forced to murder a group of my peers I don't know. I can safely say her reaction is probably more believable.

Jonathan said...

I hated that the organizers had to interfere and put in some stupid dogs and a fire. Typical Hollywood.

Lindsay said...

The dogs and fire were a part of the book as a way to direct the tributes towards each other, hence more conflict. Katniss was heading outwards, and they were controlling her moving back towards the Careers for more 'action'...It was totally legitimized.

Resmo112 said...

Yeah I have no problem with the dogs and fire because I didn't know any better, I can't start those books until I finish the song of ice and fire. But there was nothing that struck me as overly Hollywood