‘The Hunger Games’ Deserves a Second Viewing
Early warning: SPOILERS AHEAD!
Before I saw ‘The Hunger Games’ for the first time, I found myself constantly annoyed at the people who were saying that the movie was completely ruined because it had been confirmed that Madge Undersee had been cut from the movie. Couldn’t these people see that a very minor character with maybe three lines in all three books really didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things?
Then I walked into the Nokia and watched a lot of the most precious things I held near and dear to me from the books given the same treatment as the Mayor’s daughter.
There was no goodbye visit from Mr. Mellark with cookies. No lamb stew. No Cinna twirling his finger at Katniss in silent support or tapping of his chin to tell her to hold her head high. The Capitol electrical current hair dryer didn’t make it. The District 11 bread gift was eaten by the editors along with Haymitch’s goodie basket. The mutts were merely dogs. Katniss doesn’t run into Haymitch’s arms after recovery and receive a “Nice job, sweetheart.”. She never bangs on the glass in a desperate attempt to get to Peeta and she never accepts a handful of flowers from him before breaking his heart.
As Kimmy turned to me and said, “Wasn’t that amazing?!” I could only muster a nod because I was so conflicted and mad at myself and shocked that it was already over. How could I have let that happen to myself? Why did I go in with so many specific scenes cemented into my head? I guess I just couldn’t help myself.
Yet I knew in my heart that the movie had still managed to stay astonishingly true to the book, the story of Katniss, and the larger message of the books so there was no denying that the movie was fantastic. It was just a different experience, something I thought I knew going in, but didn’t realize fully until Thursday night. All those changes were understandable and in the two weeks I had to think about it, almost all of them were in the grand scheme of things, necessary.
I went to the midnight showing at my local theater here in Hawaii and found that with all the expectations, tension, and anticipation gone, I was finally able to just relax and watch the movie. It no longer felt like I was watching it on fast forward. After the Games is still a bit too rushed for me, but in general, my second viewing was so superior to the first that I’m pretty sure a lot of people are going to see ‘The Hunger Games’ twice. Plus, I picked up on quite a few things I’d missed the first time. I cried way more than I did the first time as well.
If you’re not planning on seeing it again because you’re just mad about everything that was different about it, believe me when I say that there’s a good chance you’ll change your mind if you go again. If you’re anything like me, you’ll need that first time just to “loosen up your corset” and the second time to experience it for real.
I’m going to see it for a third time tonight in IMAX with my husband and a couple of friends and may even go again with my mom (who I just got into the books this week!) on Sunday, which would make it the only movie in my entire life that I will have seen four times by the end of opening weekend.
Happy Hunger Games!
The movie could have been 30 minutes longer, and so many details could have been added and given the 24 tributes more screen time. Maybe there will be added scenes in the DVD release. I didn’t like the shape of the cornucopia, to ‘sci-fi’, entirely wrong shaped and color, not a golden horn ! Still loved the movie and the next will be brilliant.
felt exactly the same way, first viewing i liked it but felt like it missed some things of the book, and was watching for every detaill but my 2nd viewing it was amazing, much better than the 1st time as was more relaxed and the anticipation was over & my 3rd time seeing it i loved it even more.
I saw it on Saturday and have not been able to stop thinking about it since! I can’t stop trying to “figure out” how I felt about the movie. After reading this – I feel SO much better! I’m not alone!
Honestly, I absolutely loved everything they added and didn’t mind SOME of the things that were changed or left out – no Madge, no real characters from the prep team, just a glance at an Avox, what the Cornucopia looked like, etc.
What bothered me the most was the “fast forward” through The Games. If I hadn’t had read the book, I don’t think I would have been able to “feel” some of the relationships. I certainly wouldn’t have bought into Katniss and Peeta in the cave.
My biggest gripe with the way The Games were rushed through was that it didn’t convey how exhausted they were. We never see Katniss searching for water, almost passing out from dehydration. Both Katniss and Peeta are 100% by the time they spend one night in the cave and go to the Cornucopia for the final battle with Cato.
The physical, mental and emotional toll this has on these characters is a large part of who they become.
I’m hoping that seeing it a 2nd time will help me decide how I really feel about the movie once and for all!
Thanks Crystal and fellow fans, reading this post and subsequent comments has been a form of catharsis for me as I felt bad for being disappointed on the first viewing. Even though we all know character development is usually this first thing to go in book to film adaptations I wasn’t expecting most of the best dialogue from the books to not be there. I have to give extreme props to Josh H. for drawing us to Peeta despite the complete lack of of Peeta’s lines… couldn’t they have allowed 2 secs for “frosting, the final defense of the dying.”( I didn’t even think they made it clear he fought Cato so she could escape) I definitely enjoyed it so much more the second time and when I just watched it as a movie instead of a fan who had worked myself up.
Saw Hunger Games the day it came out and yes was disappointed after spend a week reading all three books… but you are right about seeing it again, it does make a difference. Thankfully I stumbled upon a great site which shows Hunger Games for free so in the past week I think Ive watched it at least 7 times without having to leave my room. What disappointed me the most was the cave scene which could have been drawn out a little longer. Ive read so many posts saying that K/P were just “acting” to get gifts but I truly feel this is where Katniss fell for Peeta. But because these scenes feel rushed…what should have been the most romantic part of the movie was kind of blah for me and I left hoping that Catching Fire would have a little more to offer in the romance dept. I also thought the movie could have been a little longer so we would get “the full effect” (a la Titanic).JMO
Deserving Peeta–ITA about Josh H. He was the perfect choice to play Peeta. I remember when I saw the first “Journey To the Center of the Earth” movie…my exact words to my bf was omg he is the next Michael J.Fox. Just watching his interviews in the past few days, you can tell he is charming and talented and puts his all into every role.
I just saw Hunger Games for the second time and really loved it — I liked it a lot the first time, but fell in love the second time.
This time I saw it with open captioning and that made it easier to hear the parts where the dialog gets very soft (like the cave). As I began to pick up the subtle visual and background sound cues, I really saw the artistry of the film. A lot of people have complained about the CGI effects. I thought the fact that the fire on their costumes looked not quite real was exactly right. It WASN’T real — it was Cinna’s artistry. I also loved a lot of the additions even more the second time around. On the real-not real front: seeing the mutts created as holographs in the control room, plus the glee on the gamemakers faces, really brings home how the gamemakers have lost their humanity in their search for ratings and a creative ‘show’. Little bits of added dialog, like Katniss saying the darkness in the area was ‘the finale’, underscored this point.
Tammy, I think Katniss doesn’t realize that she’s really in love with Peeta until the Mockingjay. Other people like Haymitch and Finnick realize that she’s fallen in love with Peeta when Katniss completely breaks down after Peeta is shocked to death and resurrected in the area.
But in the Hunger Games movie, I think Ross, Josh H and Jen did a great job capturing the ambiguity of Katniss’ feelings for Peeta. In the first book she really does not know who she loves, if anyone (except Prim and Rue). The part that did not quite work for me was the strength of Peeta’s feelings for Kaniss and his willingness to sacrifice himself for her — that did not fully come through in the movie, though it was crystal clear in the book.
I cried when Rue died in the Hunger Games <3
Hunger games is by far the best movie/book i’ve ever watched/ read! btw, hutcherson is my real lastname hehe
i love this movie omg i am going o see it ag ain for the fourth time <3
When I watched the movie for the first time, I had only read the first 2 chapters, but I thought the film was fantastic! I LOVED it, thought it was amazing seeing the Gamemakers in the control room and the Haymitch parts e.g while he watched Katniss when she got burned and interacting with sponsors. I remember being confused at the part where Seneca is left in the room with the berries the first time I watched it, for some reason I didn’t get it lol. But that was fine, I soon caught on. Think I was just in awe of the film so much I daydreamed or something.
As for the cave scene, I thought the kiss could have been a lot more passionate, and a couple more wouldn’t have gone amiss. But at least there was a kiss on the cheek too. Better than just one kiss, I guess. As for the chemistry between them, to me, it felt a little lacking.
In fact, I thought Peeta and Kat connected most in the moments where they just looked into each other’s eyes, e.g when Peeta applies the medicine to Katniss’s forehead and when they wake up together the next day and turn to each other, smiling. I LOVED that part there! The little details, they make all the difference, and it made up a little for the parts they cut out. Josh just IS Peeta, no doubt about it.
I also loved the music playing at the final interview and when Seneca is about to be executed. I downloaded it, I loved it so much. Really added the perfect foreboding atmosphere to the scene, what with Katniss’ action of rebellion.
One last thing – Caesar Flickerman – Tucci was EPIC playing this part, those scenes were one of my favourite parts of the movie, loved the trumpet music for that too.
Ok, all you hunger games fanatics, I’ve got a quiz for you. I saw the movie twice, although neither time was in the theatre. (Not because I didn’t want to, but I have issues with crowds in theatres, plus I adore my “pasue” button.) So I waited until it came out on DVD. I rented it the very first day from Redbox, and I watched it once before returning it because I also reserved it from netflix, but had to wait a few more days for that to arrive. Here’s the thing, it was different the second time around. Initially I thought I might be trippin’ or that I had just made up those things, but after watching again, I knew there was parts missing that WERE there the first time I saw it. I know because some of the scenes I remembered were not a part of the book, or were of characters who weren’t in the book so how could I remember seeing something that never existed until I saw it?? Further, at least one scene was of something I don’t actually even remember from the book. Some examples of these missing scenes are; when katniss gets up and waves with peeta as they enter the capitol. Katniss breaking the vase and injuring Peeta’s hands after the interview. When katniss falls out of the tree after hearing peeta with the careers on the first night in the games. Cesar laughing and commenting on the banter between katniss and the careers when she climbs up the tree. Rue saying she “never had a whole one before” when katniss gives her more food. Katniss sharing the sleeping bag with rue. The overhead shot of Rue after Katniss decorated her with flowers. Peeta’s face in the mud, how Katniss says to close his eyes/mouth and do that again. Seeing the mut materialize into reality inside the game controllers room before being sent into the arena. (Mut is wearing a dog collar with a district’s number on it) Finally seeing the crowns split when President Snow is about to crown them victors. . . Now given, at least one of these could have been my imagination, but it seems VERY doubtful that I would imagine all that. I specifically remember thinking how I was in awe about what a good job they did in sticking to the book, and those scenes were important to me. In an effort to quiet my complaints, I re-rented it from Redbox this weekend, but the version was the same as the Netflix one. Has anybody else noticed this difference? Does anybody know where I can get the full version that I saw initially? I’m totally willing to spend the $30 or whatever to get it, but I want confirmation that I’m getting what I want when I buy it.
@Cynthia: Seriously? I went to the movie not knowing almost anything about the books (which I’ve read and loved since) and not even being sure if there’s just one book or more; but when I saw the ending, I realized that there have to be sequels, because that didn’t look like an ending at all, it looked like a setup for the bigger story of the upcoming rebellion/revolution in Panem. The hints were there with the previous rebellion in D11 (one of my favorite scenes in the movie and best additions), Katniss’ position as someone who defied the Capitol, and Snow’s sinister behavior and remark about Katniss’ mockingjay. Not to mention the romantic conflict being also set up with the two boys obviously in love with her, while Katniss is a close friend with one and has to pretend to be in love with another, and the ambiguity of her feelings for Peeta, i.e. if she felt something real for him after all.
I saw it for the first time on opening weekend and for the second time soon after the DVD came out. Either way, I wasn’t concerned about comparisons to the book, but I did notice a lot more the second time.