The Hunger Games

[SammyBirdland]

My wife, daughter and older son went to go see it and they like it. I had no interest in seeing after I saw the amount of teenage girls waiting in line for the first showing. I may see it once it hits Blue Ray, but I don't have any real interest in seeing the movie.

I will say this, this is no Twilight. You'll enjoy it.

[allstar1579]

This was one of the 5 worst films I've ever seen in a theater. Boring storyline, terrible dialogue, the camera was shaky, very poorly shot, etc. etc.

Went with two colleagues, the theater was packed. These two younger girls were in the back laughing at the more ridiculous scenes. This was enjoyable.

This is actually the FIRST bad review I've seen of this on here and in about 35 reviews on FB this weekend. Not for everyone I suppose.

[allstar1579]

I will say this, this is no Twilight. You'll enjoy it.

Yeah very common misconception that it's a lovey dovey girl fest. NOT in the slightest. I can't explain without giving away key plot points though so I won't.

Another reason why you'll see a ton of teenage girls is because a lot of middle/high schools are teaching this series in the curriculum right now, so a TON more teenagers are into this series then normally would be.

[Loophole]

My wife, daughter and older son went to go see it and they liked it. I had no interest in seeing after I saw the amount of teenage girls waiting in line for the first showing. I may see it once it hits Blue Ray, but I don't have any real interest in seeing the movie.

Box Office Mojo sez the audience was 61% female, while Twilight is 80% female. Having a female main character will tip the scales, but there isn't really anything gendered about a bunch of teenagers brutally murdering each other.

Anyway, I thought it was alright. If the cinematography didn't suck, it would've been a lot better -- you never really get a feel for the world because 90% of the film is a closeup on someone's face, and you don't understand the action because the shakey cam makes everything incomprehensible. Someone needs to tell the cinematographer to put down the Bourne movies and relearn how to frame a shot.

[waroriole]

Yeah very common misconception that it's a lovey dovey girl fest. NOT in the slightest. I can't explain without giving away key plot points though so I won't.

Another reason why you'll see a ton of teenage girls is because a lot of middle/high schools are teaching this series in the curriculum right now, so a TON more teenagers are into this series then normally would be.

I hope they're teaching this as an example of mediocre to poor writing, and what not to do. That's really sad.

[allstar1579]

I hope they're teaching this as an example of mediocre to poor writing, and what not to do. That's really sad.

They are teaching it as a modern take on the Lottery which has been taught for decades, but the kids today don't relate in the slightest so they don't read it. Assigning books that are popular with that particular generation entices them to read because "everyone is reading it" kinda thing. Same thing for why they teach Harry Potter and the Percy Jackson series. In a day and age where you have to fight and force kids to read, you take any opportunity to get them to read that you can.

[square634]

I think they should teach Ender's Game over Hunger Games, but that's just me. My girlfriend was flipping through the book to check a fact, and I had forgotten how annoying and jarring the first person present tense was.

[DuffMan]

Is the lead actress as "wooden" as she was as Mystique/Raven in X-Men First Class?

[SammyBirdland]

Is the lead actress as "wooden" as she was as Mystique/Raven in X-Men First Class?

She played a pretty stoic character, so in this case wooden might not be a bad thing.

[Spoonless]

I think they should teach Ender's Game over Hunger Games, but that's just me. My girlfriend was flipping through the book together check a fact, and I had forgotten how annoying and jarring the first person present tense was.

They absolutely should teach Ender's Game! There's a woeful lack of science fiction taught, at least in public schools where I am. Heck, I didn't even read Fahrenheit 451, 1984, or Slaughterhouse-Five until well after high school.

[waroriole]

They are teaching it as a modern take on the Lottery which has been taught for decades, but the kids today don't relate in the slightest so they don't read it. Assigning books that are popular with that particular generation entices them to read because "everyone is reading it" kinda thing. Same thing for why they teach Harry Potter and the Percy Jackson series. In a day and age where you have to fight and force kids to read, you take any opportunity to get them to read that you can.

Wow, that's a shame. You would think a failing grade would be enough motivation to read things you don't want to read. Otherwise I would relate Heathcliff to the cartoon, and not Wuthering Heights.

[square634]

They absolutely should teach Ender's Game! There's a woeful lack of science fiction taught, at least in public schools where I am. Heck, I didn't even read Fahrenheit 451, 1984, or Slaughterhouse-Five until well after high school.

I got 1984 in sophomore year and Slaughterhouse Five in senior year.

[allstar1579]

Wow, that's a shame. You would think a failing grade would be enough motivation to read things you don't want to read. Otherwise I would relate Heathcliff to the cartoon, and not Wuthering Heights.

You'd think that, but not really. In this age of quick answers, cliffs notes and the internet, the % of kids that actually READ the assigned book is staggeringly low. It's a battle teachers are having left and right because they can get kids to read things that are relevant today, but good luck getting an 11 year old kid to read a story set 80 years ago with absolutely nothing that resonates to them. The teachers try to teach relevant stories, and then the parents complain and whine to the school board to have them stripped from the curriculum. Basically the parents have a disconnect, they don't understand it's not their generation anymore, and they know they can bully teachers by throwing enough of a tantrum.

[lorgen]

I love the book series. I have caught the movie in its advance screening and it was great.

Though the experience was probably made better with the lot of hardcore Hunger Games fans that made sure that everyone had a great time.

I mean, they had a lot of stuff going with their own version of Hunger Games and a lot of trivias going around it.

[Frobby]

They absolutely should teach Ender's Game! There's a woeful lack of science fiction taught, at least in public schools where I am. Heck, I didn't even read Fahrenheit 451, 1984, or Slaughterhouse-Five until well after high school.

I know 1984 is still required reading in Montgomery County -- my 16-year old son just read it, and loved it.

My 22-year old daughter, who is quite literate, picked up The Hunger Games about a month ago and couldn't put it down. She ended up reading the whole trology in about a week, saw the movie (which she also loved), and is now re-reading the series. And she is nobody's girlie-girl.