I need to publicly thank my daughter's English teacher, who made THG required reading last summer. We had 10 months of enjoying this series before it became a sensation and it made the movie experience that much more satisfying.
Of course we had tickets for opening day but at the very last minute we decided to brave the Midnight release. What a great decision! Parking was easy and seating was immediate. Lots of daring souls came dressed as Capital citizens and there was even one Katniss, perfectly replicated.
We spent 2 hours bonding with those around us, while we played angry birds and waited patiently for 12:12am.
The audience was obviously split between the 99% of us who had read the book and one poor soul in front of us who hadn't. She laughed at all the wrong places and was shocked at the violence but she was a fun addition to the group.
The plot fell almost perfectly in step with the book. The additions of the games from the Capital perspective was refreshing and actually helped tie the written narrative together. My biggest concern was how the director was going to handle all the internal dialog that is written in the book. I shouldn't have worried because it was handled perfectly. I didn't feel rushed and the silence wasn't awkward.
The movie was perfectly cast, save for Woody Harrellson, who was really good, but I still see him behind the bar with Shelly Long. Just a generation glitch. We had to sacrifice some character development due to time constraints, but that is why you just cannot see this movie without having first read the book.
And, as my 15 year old daughter commented on our way out of the theater at 3am, the movie is almost a perfect reflection of our world today. We in the United States sit in our own Capital and gorge ourselves on frivolous entertainment and stupidity, while the districts around the world struggle for survival, ignored and abandoned by those in power who could rescue them. Let them be hungry. Let them suffer with diseases. Let them create my toys, dig my diamonds, satisfy my disturbed passions and supply my table while I take their existence and value for granted. The Aid we send them does not compare to what we take from them and the world will not stay satisfied forever.
It was a great night.
Great review MT. This is a colorful and entertaining film, and I was constantly wrapped up in it as a drama. It isn’t the kind of bombastic event we usually get as a franchise blockbuster and for that I’m thankful. It also helps that the ensemble cast is nothing short of amazing either, and that Jennifer Lawrence's career will hopefully totally hit super-start status after this because she's great as well. Check out my review when you can.
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