Good for teenage girls and guys trying to get with teenage girls, impress them, or have something to talk about with them. For anybody else, super meh.
#HungerGames is like a mockery of today's reality shows or the whole showbizness for that matter. Totally lived up to VERY HIGH EXPECTATIONS! ❤
Ok enough when considering that most movies based on popular books tend to be a let down. The script dose not come close to the book, but that is to be expected. The casting was ok enough, and the actors did the job as expected. All in all...good enough entertainment for an evening in front of the TV.
I didn't like the shaky cam and the final fight because I couldn't see clearly what was happening but other than that the rest was good.
It is a nice movie showing us how far reality shows can go in a society where the poor have no choice but to serve the rich and watch their children die. Violence is an entertainment people have to watch and death is just a game.
7.5/10 - I thought this would be boring to rewatch but luckily it isn't :) The 4K version on Amazon Prime video tempted me to rewatch all of the movies again. It doesn't really look like 4K (not sharp enough, too dark, too much film grain, etc.) and the intense camera shaking at the beginning is annoying but other than that the quality is fine (it's already 10 years old so obviously it cannot compete with current movies).
Anyway, IIRC this movie made the battle royale genre(?) really take off.
It's nice to have an intro film about the Hunger Games inside this movie :D
That hand gesture really gives this meaning (it's just much more powerful than applause).
Haymitch is a cool character. He starts of as a drunk mentor that is through with life and doesn't care about anything but then he really gets invested and does a good job helping them.
Cinna is super nice - since the beginning. He really seems to be a big exception form the other people of the capitol.
Kinda funny that usually no one seems to care about district 12 but they get the penthouse :D
"Make sure they remember you."
They definitely did and now everyone does :D
The slowly starting relationship between Katniss and Peeta is nice but it sucks that there's Gale as well (and he's a nice guy too).
"Well that's bad luck."
Quite unbelievable that Katniss survived being out for a couple of days while Rue cared for her - Katniss surprisingly didn't look really shocked that she was out for that long.
The "funeral" that Katniss made for Rue was really quite something! <3
Katniss and Peeta did indeed show them up at the end but WTF did they think?!? You cannot introduce that rule and then simply revoke it at the end... :o :D That was a dumb move! Sure, they only wanted to give them hope and didn't intend for both of them to survive but then they should've either scripted or rather manipulated things better or accept their failure.
PS: Caesar is also fun/entertaining.
Two victor rule revoked, wtf?!?
Showed them up
I let myself be carried away by this horrible outpouring because I had heard in some places that the film was "not bad at all".
But: This work of art is a waste of time. Maybe a movie for teenie weenies who don't know true classics of similar themes (like "Running Man"). But for me, this is the worst rape of my sense of aesthetics and beauty.
I can't even bring myself to leave constructive criticism. This sprawling bullshit doesn't deserve it.
There were too much shaky cams !
When you say you love Hunger Games, you don't actually mean it..... do you?
This look likes our world!! Workers and poor people work for rich people happiness. Poor countries work for rich countries. We live in a hunger game!
watched Battle Royale (sorry for the obvious comparison) when it came out and liked it. Watched it again recently and it's still enjoyable. I decided to watch this. I wish I had never bothered. What slightly annoyed me about Battle Royale was a lack of depth in describing the wider situation. I always thought it was a missed opportunity. Now I'm glad it focused on action, adventure and simple tension because it may have turned into something as tedious, unimaginative and boring as The Hunger Games. Jennifer Lawrence was poor. All the performances were meh. The story felt dumbed down and progressione was more like simplistic box ticking.
Dont understand what was the big fuss around this movie..its nice, but nothing special
Boring as fuck. Better watch Battle Royale again.
Rewatching the movies before going to the cinema to watch the sequel movie. I remember watching this movie for the first time years ago and being amazed by it. I have felt the same again seeing it now years later. This is one of the first sagas I really got into.
MUCH more enjoyable of a watch if you've read the book. + something about this movie (especially rue's death) makes me cry so bad
This movie will forever give me the chills.
Katniss is definitely one of my favourite protagonists of all time; she’s strong, capable, compassionate, smart, confident, sweet, brave and beautiful.
I don’t blame our short king Peeta for being completely obsessed with her because honestly… ME TOO!
One absolutely Thrilling, dystopian movie.
Twists and turns during the movie - I can't believe I hadn't of thought to watch this movie.
I had to watch this for school - And might even go ahead and watch the next movie for the enjoyment.
Had sacrifice - Which was crucial, I have to write about Dystopian books, movies and short stories and connect them all together, for example in this movie was when Katniss stepped in for her sister so that she doesn't have to go - she had faith in herself that she would be able to survive.
Also when Rue created that smoke for a distraction that meant that there was the possibility that she might die, but this overall lead to victory.
9/10 - Great Movie and Highly recommended - Would watch again.
"May the odds be ever in your favor."
I don't look back fondly on the Hunger Games movies, but after rewatching one I found myself enjoying it more this time. The 2010's was obsessed with teenage survival movies and this one had high expectations. I wish there was a heavier rating version of this, but overall it was alright.
Taking a step back and comparing this film to other films based off of books (Harry Potter; Twilight); I would have to say The Hunger Games turned out to be a better enjoyable film then those other two series. While I felt like the story line at the beginning of the film was lacking a bit, the acting was much better than anything I have seen in the other series. Once "The Hunger Games" started in the film is when the movie started to pick up a bit in my opinion and after the film was over it got me intrigued to see what happens next in the next two films. Overall, I have seen better films so far this year in 2012, but I also have seen much worse than this and I enjoyed The Hunger Games.
THE GOOD: 'THE HUNGER GAMES’
WRITING: 80
ACTING: 80
LOOK: 85
SOUND: 65
FEEL: 70
NOVELTY: 65
ENJOYMENT: 80
RE-WATCHABILITY: 85
INTRIGUE: 85
EXPECTATIONS: 90
THE GOOD:
Part of the magic of this film series is the contrasting visuals between the colourful glamour of the Capitol and the bleak, rough and natural look of District 12. The film captures these different worlds very well, which helps the audience identify with Katniss, Peeta and Gale.
Director Francis Lawrence has a clear vision and lets the audience in close with extreme close-ups and carefully chosen angles. That makes the challenges that Katniss faces all the more palpable.
Jennifer Lawrence is spot-on as Katniss, but Woody Harrelson is even better as the alcoholized and selfish former Hunger Games winner Haymitch.
The script follows the novel surprisingly faithfully, taking logical narrative shortcuts while retaining the spirit of the original story. The most important worldbuilding elements are still there and the script moves from one significant event to another with great pace, ensuring that viewers remain interested.
I’m happy they allow the pre-game stuff to play out properly, establishing character relationships and laying down the groundwork for the rest of the series. The script doesn’t just jump straight into the games.
I love the added scenes between Snow and Seneca, providing further exploration of their personas. These help us understand President Snow better.
Despite not being a particularly action-packed film, The Hunger Games packs a punch in terms of tension and dangerous situations, keeping the audience alert at all times.
THE BAD:
Part of the problem carried over from the novel is the triangle drama between Katniss, Peeta and Gale. It just never works for me, because it never feels real for Katniss’ part and then it’s later ruined for Peeta as well.
They rather butchered the mutated dogs from the climax; they were easily the most disturbing part of the original book. Nevertheless, I can understand why they decided to change the dogs for the film adaptation.
THE UGLY:
Also known as Survivor: Panem.
THE VERDICT:
The first Hunger Games movie is a faithful, tense and thrilling adaptation of Suzanne Collins' bestselling YA novel.
79% = :white_check_mark: = GOOD
Hey Mitch, Katniss is makin my Peeta Snow
The book isn’t about teen romance at all so why the fuck do they keep showing shots of Gale looking angry when Peeta and Katniss do anything remotely romantic??! It completely misses the point of the book and has no effect on driving the plot forward.
Was good but not as good as the book
Really didn't expect to like this film, it's not my usual type. But in fact I actually quite enjoyed it, so much I persisted to watch the others in the series too. None of which lived up to this one.
If you want to get me interested in a movie, then cast Jennifer Lawrence in the lead. I so loved her in Winter's Bone, that I watch it over and over.
But, it was not just Lawrence that was worth seeing. Woody Harrelson was amazing as Haymitch. He brought us a much stronger character than was portrayed in the book. Stanley Tucci was perfectly cast as Caesar Flickerman, and you could definitely see the evil in President Snow as played by the great Donald Sutherland. It was these four that really held the film together as they used their experience to give weight to the characters. The remaining cast seemed to flounder through.
The film touched on some interesting themes: the contrast between the 1% and the 99%, and the sacrifice of the poor to give their children for war in exchange for food were the strongest, but these were subtle and probably missed by reality show aficionados who would focus on the fake love as they would in shows like The Bachelor.
The fast cuts during battle scenes were really distracting; probably as not to offend younger viewers with the realization that children were killing each other.
It was good film all in all; even if it was superficial.
Great movie... Probably my favorite movie ever.
It was alright, I Like the Book A lot better. The Connection Between Katniss and Peta just was not there for me in the movie, Along with the Emotional impact of Rue, There was no why her death screwed with Katniss, in the book the impact is greater because you feel for them.
This film reminds me of the 1987 running man. However running man mainly focused on the fights between contenders. Hunger games is focusing on the society in which those games are allowed and takes a deeper look beneath the surface.
Loved the first part of the movie very much. But after the fighting begins everything seems to be falling apart! And What the hell happened in the end! I was expecting too much from the movie and I am totally disappointed :(
If you seen the japanese film "Battle Royale", then you might find "Hunter Games" very familiar. "Hunter Games" is an Action/Sci-Fi/Drama with a pretty similar story to "Battle Royale" but what set the film apart is the more dramatic in depth approach that this film has in the lead characters...The story runs pretty smooth and gives the characters an in depth that makes you actually care for the characters and their actions. With the good acting and the good chemistry, "Hunger Games" is a very entertaining film to check at least once.
Nothing worthwhile is present in this movie. A massive waste of time. Time that should've been spent elsewhere. It's extremely dull and simple. Only dumb people will give this movie anything above 6.
The fact that our short king Peeta found the time and supplies to cosplay as a rock while almost dying will never stop being funny to me
it has such a promising story but they fail to deliver. camera movements are a little bit off in some important fast moving scenes.
The Hunger Games exceeded my expectations with a unique storyline and compelling characters. The film’s action scenes were impressive, delivering an engaging experience, complemented by some decent special effects. The film’s dystopian world is brought to life with impressive visuals, however I expected the special effects to be a bit better. The storyline is ultimately what created the hype for this film.
While the film is not as good as the novel (common occurrence), this is fun to revisit. The right level of nostalgia paired with the always great Jennifer Lawrence will forever make a pleasant rewatch.
Rating: 4/5 - 85% - Would Recommend
Having not read the books, I had no expectations.
This was a rewatch and my experience is definitely different from the first watch.
Good performances by everyone.
Seeing the kids kill each other was horrifying.
For me the Katniss and Peeta relationship was unnecessary. Also There was too many moments that felt convenient to the outcome rather coming across naturally, especially for one character.
Honestly, for something that’s made for teenage girls, it’s really not that bad. The concept and socio-political metaphors are unlikely to blow the adult mind (it’s of course very reminiscent of Battle Royale), but they work well enough. Sometimes it holds your hand a little too much, or the dialogue/sequence of events feels too melodramatic, but given the intended audience I can look past some of that. I also quite like how it wraps up by using this theme of popularity by having the protagonists use it as a currency to cheat their way out of a broken system, even if that robs the film of a more genuine, emotional conclusion. There’s also some pretty intricate worldbuilding going on here, and the main characters are all pretty well defined. I especially love how cartoonish and exaggerated Panem feels. However, I’m less into the directing of this film. Sometimes the shaky cam/fast edit approach feels very distracting, or it’s used to cover up the violence. There’s a rough aesthetic to the film that mostly works in its favour, however sometimes it feels cheap (e.g. CGI fire dress). I also feel like because of that the second half of the film doesn’t entirely deliver on the excitement that’s promised in the first half. The film’s pretty well paced, but I still think it’s generally too long (how many scenes do we need illustrating that Peeta is better than Katniss at handling the media?) The acting can also be a bit rough, especially from the younger cast. Thankfully, like the earlier Harry Potter installments, the experienced veterans are never far away to elevate the material. Bentley, Sutherland and Banks aren’t being challenged here (in fact, their looks do most of the work), but I appreciate any YA film that doesn’t exclusively pander to the YA audience.
5/10
Even though I would call myself a fan of Jennifer Lawrence, I never warmed up to the first "Hunger Games" film. There are certainly aspects that I enjoy, but the film is ultimately too long, too poorly directed, and too dull to be interesting. The camera is also way too shaky for my liking. To make matters worse, it takes what feels like an eternity for the actual Hunger Games to begin. The movie could have been saved if the other tributes had gotten a little more character development, but it just wasn't enough for me. The franchise had potential from the start, but it was never realized in the first installment.
The direction of the movie, makes that looks so under compared to it secuels
It’s quite good, the actual “game” was a bit underwhelming, apart from the start. Costumes and set designs were awfully good though. That flaming dress…
Watched 3 times before reading the book. I enjoyed every time.
Then, I watched it again after reading the book. There’s so much left out. Many important details are missing.
I’m not a fast reader by any means, but I was shocked when the first 5 chapters that took me a few hours to read, where gone in the first few minutes of the film.
It's alright. There are some pretty severe flaws that keep this from being a solid film. There is a solid plot underlying the film, but there are some strange pacing stutters that kill the momentum, and a really stupid conclusion to a heavily-hinted-at plot (where one would assume there would be a major reveal) tipped the odds ever against its favor.
However, the sound design is incredibly creative and steals the show for long stretches of the film, making even some of the more laughable or incredulous (or dizzying--that cinematography is something else) moments of the film fairly watchable.
After ten years, I finally watched this movie.
The script is clearly based on some solid material, and the writers did a decent job translating that to film. The acting was good.
Despite all that, the cinematography was borderline unwatchable. Fast, blurry cuts made the action impossible to follow. There were times I had to defocus my eyes or look away because what I was seeing was overstimulating.
I imagine this would have been more fun to watch when it came out.
I've always thought the hunger games movies are overrated. While they are well executed they lack a lot of the backgrounds and emotion experienced while reading the books. This movie is visually stunning though, I can't deny that.
Hmmm this makes me wanna buy the books
Great movie adaption of a very good book. Amazing casting and acting and just brilliant execution of the source material. I love how realistic and gritty the movie looks.
Good start to the films, really establishes the world well
That was a lot better than I remembered. Actually a fun watch.
As is with many book-to-movie adaptations, the translation from written word to visual storytelling turned what was great sauce material into mediocrity. I did quite like the acting from all those aside from Jennifer Lawrence.
when going into a book to movie adaptation I'm always worried that it won't do the book the justice it rightfully deserves. However this one is different, it took the great story that we all ready had and expanded upon it greatly. With an amazing cast of actors and actresses such as Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen and my favourite book to movie actress Amanda Steinberg as Rue.
I think one of the greatest things about this movie is the stunning Cinematography that we are presented with, it is truly mesmerising.
to anyone who hasn't watched this film yet, what are you waiting for?
Surprisingly grim, gray and bleak considering the target audience, this is as close to dystopian as PG-13 gets. An inordinate amount of time is invested in world building and scene setting here, which makes for some great, functional locales, but also relegates the plot to secondary status.
Jennifer Lawrence is well cast as the brooding, bow weilding introvert Katniss, but the rest of the cast underperforms - especially Woody Harrelson, in a role he was seemingly perfect for, as her pathetic, booze-drenched advisor Haymitch.
Readers with a fresh memory of the novels will get the most out of this interpretation, which assumes its audience knows most of the finer points of what's going on and summarily neglects any form of deeper investigation. It's gorgeous, though occasionally a bit too eccentric (some scenes in the capital look like they were ripped right out of a Final Fantasy cutscene) and non-fanatics will probably find it too narrow and fluffy.
I really just love how much the movie stays true to the book and how well done it was , I usually dislike movies based on books because it ruins my ideas based on the book but hunger games just feels like it brought the book to life
I love this movie. The camerawork is phenomenal, there are so many great moments and twists that are actually really faithful to the book, the music and sound design are amazing, the actors are great, and they truly manage to capture the absolute despair, fear, casual disregard for human (childrens'!) life, and the spark that lights the fire that will burn the Capitol down (to borrow a phrase). Sure, there's some moments where the coincidences are a bit convenient, but a. I, personally, can give some leeway for this considering it's a story, after all, and b. many of those cases are in the arena where it actually makes sense for things to play out in a narratively convenient way (such as the dogs killing Thresh so that the 12s don't have to) because, after all, the arena is controlled by people who are literally only there to make the show interesting.
The Hunger Games was a bit of a surprise for me when it came out. I didn't know Jennifer Lawrence, nor did I know the writer of the books and the books themselves.
The movie I enjoyed, even though it's huge success felt bitter, having read stories like these in other formats (that were better in my opinion) not getting any glory whatsoever, with exception to Japan's "Battle Royale" franchise. But hey, that's what life is, right? Not counting unless it get's into Hollywood.
THG gave us a post-apocalyptic world which has an interesting premise, The Hunger Games, an annual event where each (of twelve) districts have to sacrifice one of their young'ns to keep their district alive. All a penalty for a once failed rebellion. Character building happens during the games, since we end up there pretty quickly and that all works well.
I liked most of the characters, I was however not a fan of the "love triangle" which not only didn't feel right (because it wasn't a triangle at all), it just felt forced into the movie at every moment. I get it's a big deal in this sort of Young Adult franchises, and in its books, but it just didn't fit at all. I loved the surprises the games had to offer, the fire, the falling tree, the Tracker Jackers. The way they were able to control the game was a nice touch, make it flow like they want. Reality television without the bad forced acting!
The film had a great run, it was interesting and fun from beginning to end, I didn't feel bored at any moment. Although, all together, the film lacks some distinction from other movies in its genre (with exception from the kids killing each other). It had an interesting world, with everything/one in it, but somehow it felt too generic for its own good.
The one thing it did the best, was leaving me to want more. Not per se of these characters, but definitely in this world, and these events.
While being a pleasurable movie, it ultimately doesn't deliver to be a good movie. Hence my score;
6 (fine)
This moderately engaging adaptation of Collins' first novel plays like a pre-teen spin on Battle Royale but with cheese.
Movie was ok, would have been better with less shaky cam. Storywise it is similar with Battle Royale, which I liked a bit better than this one.
Initially I had no intention to watch this movie but kept reading again and again that the book(s) and movie(s) was / were great. Therefore I finally gave it a shot, but had no big expectations.
Those expectations however, were surpassed by far and I can understand all the fuss about the Hunger Games now! I agree with Jajan AlephTav that the Hunger Games are also a travesty of all those crazy and sick reality shows and the freighting thing is that I think that, given the right circumstances, mankind is capable of letting something like the Hunger Games happen in the future!
Definitively going to watch the sequels and perhaps even read the books when starting the next fantasy saga.
Great movie!
Jennifer Lawrence nailed it
I love this movie! It's such a great example how an amazing book can turn into a truthful adaptation! Great actors, especially my favorite one Jennifer Lawrence and some great roles from everyone! :) Highly recommend to watch it!
The Girl on Fire + Peeta Bread = TOAST!
I'm not fund enthused during watching. Don't get me wrong acting was great, but the story...
After it i grabed the books and read it. And asked me if the person that wrote the script has done it too.
It's a nice movie but not more.
peeta mellark is the cutest nicest most genuine caring strong kind ray of sunshine best person in the entire world i love him
Best film I've ever seen
It does a great job considering the books that it's based on were written for preteens. This is one of the rare cases where the movie is better than the book
Warning Shakycam - Good movie but don't sit too close.
There is a very well made film here that appeals to the target audience of the book, but has plenty to offer those who haven't. As Ross has stated, there was a tremendous danger of creating a straightforward glossy action film, which would have destroyed the intent and subtext. Instead, Ross manages to create a deep sense of unease throughout the first half of the film, constantly reminding the audience of the true horror of what is to come. Wisely when the games begin, the film does not become gory, offering brief shots of the violence and leaving much to the audience's imagination, which is equally as effective. Jennifer Lawrence makes a very effective heroine but equally important is that the film spends time to develop a number of other key players in the Games and by shooting handheld shots for much of the action, the film never attempts to glorify or play down the reality of the violence shown.
I'm far more impressed than I expected. The Peeta character seemed to lose some strength in the last third for me, but I recognise the abbreviated writing of a film that is based on a book that should really be read first.
At first I did not want to watch it because of the hype. Now the hype is gone, I decided to watch it and was impressed. I will probably order the books and read them too.
Checked in again before yesterday's second part. Still I'm not disappointed as we often are watching movies again.
I was quite disappointed when I first watched this movie. The book was much better and I'm also not a big fan of the cast.
Better than Twilight! I'd actually wanna rate it 6.5 but there's no 6.5 on the heart-o meter.
Shaky shots take away from the potential of the visuals in the film. The lack of the tension and richness of the books really takes away from the story. If there had been less action shots and more backstory this film would've ended up being much more memorable. Despite its flaws it is still very entertaining to watch. I must comment, it is not a ripoff of Battle Royale (great film by the way)- it's just a different take on a similar concept.
Great interpretation from the book
Watched it with my girl & thought it'll be whack but it actually surprised us , one of da best movies i seen!
Book was much better. So much missing from the film.
Loved every aspect of this movie! The actors/actresses were perfect!
That was better than I expected!
I enjoyed the film at the time and having now watched it again after reading the books I think it's very good. On the surface it does have echoes of Battle Royale and Running Man but there is more to it than that which is only hinted at in this first instalment.
Great movie. I didn't read the book, so I don't know if it make justice. Btw, it left me curious about the next book.
Decent and entertaining enough. The characters could've been more fleshed out; I felt nothing for any of their deaths. Might be better if you've read the book.
Decent story that holds your attention throughout. complete by itself, but it still makes you want to know what will happen next.
Watching this now...what a strange society
Good film, but too long
Meh; don't get all the hype.
Really felt like they rushed through a lot of scenes. They could have spent more time with Gale. They way they presented him makes him seem not important to the story, which may be a problem with the second and third movies.
Good flick close to the book.
Bit too long to be just entertaining
Mediocre. Good performance from Jennifer Lawrence.
The shaky cam in the beginning made me motion sick. The rest was actually pretty good.
I really liked it. They did a good job with the first hour by making us care for these characters.
It is not that bad, but no big deal. It's a movie for teenagers.
Liked it a lot more than I thought I would.
Really loved the first half of the movie, before the "big event" starts, Woody is great.
After that it plummeted a bit for me, I did not care for how the characters behaved in the situation they were in.
I have not read the books, I think the movie did a good job at explaining the premise of the story.
I gave it a score of 7.
Going into this, I honestly was only aware of it because of Jennifer Lawrence's involvement and I was very apprehensive. Along with Kristen Stweart, I think Lawrence is among the best young actors working today, but I feared this was going to be another Twilight. A young adult novel franchise that would side-track a good actor from being involved with better projects. However that isn't the case with this movie.
I didn't read the books, but I think this movie works incredibly well. Great filmmaking, great performances, and I have to say even some of the casting choices I initially thought were odd, really work (Woody & Lenny). There are times that I think the plot gets a bit lame, which echos some of the criticisms I've heard of the source material, but overall I think it succeeds as a movie. Looking forward to seeing Lawrence in the sequel.
Now if only Kristen Stewart would stop making very bad melodramatic movies about sparkling vampires.
Nice flick, very entertaining! This is true for a reader of the books (my wife) and for me too. Despite all the criticism, I liked the performance by the main characters, as well as the excellent visuals - art direction.
Pretty good movie. Haven't read the books. But I probably will after I finish A Song of Ice and Fire. Very strong performances. You could realy feel the director was trying to invoke disgust towards the cityfolk and the organisers. Strong messages and nicely done. So I approve :)
And the shakycam stuff was only at the beginning. At least noticeably.
Shout by riverboat2001BlockedParent2013-01-27T01:47:32Z
Watched it after reading and enjoying the book.