Just watched The Hunger Games for first time.

TonyTurbo78 · 20 Jan 2016 at 01:04

Friends have been telling me for years to watch it because they thought it would be right up my street seeing I'm a huge fan of Battle Royale......and I mean huge. I Imported the original way back in the early 2000's with loads of collector extras, I still think it's one of the greatest movies ever made. Now, maybe it's wrong of me to compare it to BR, but because my friends were saying it's very similar, I guess I expected to much before watching it.

I'd never read the books before, but decided to cuddle up with the wife for a watch. In all honesty, I was massively disappointed, especially the way this movie and Jennifer Lawrence had been previously hyped up by the media in the past few years. The film is simply not a patch on BR end of. The story did nothing to explain to me in detail about the hunger games, apart from a very loose description of what it is. It did nothing to make me care about the other 11 districts, and the other contestants. It was just so black and white, good and evil, right and wrong. To a certain degree, it just feels so simple and dumbed down for today's society. Thiis film was meant to be about survival, every man/girl for themselves, yet we see a typical playground bully story unfold and a lame love story to boot. She has the best weapon in the contest, she's meant to be a Billy bad ass with it,yet we hardly see her use it, when she does its just in self defence. What, did Hollywood not think the audience could handle the pretty chick killing in what's meant to be a brutal contest of last man standing.

And that's another thing, the kill scenes, where did they go, all we get is more of this horrible shaky camera nonsense and a cannon going off to signal the death of someone in the zone....pffffffft please, just so lazy.

All in all, hugely disappointing film, and I really like Jennifer Lawrence, but this film was so poor in comparison to the brutal film Battle Royale

5/10 and that's being incredibly generous just because of JL and WH.

C.R.A.Z.Y · 20 Jan 2016 at 01:35

Agreed, it's rubbish compared to BR.
Another good foreign film which I think is under rated is the great Azumi (2003)

Scam · 20 Jan 2016 at 08:01

They're a big ol hype train because of J Law. Quite entertaining but nothing on battle royale.

SixTwoSix · 20 Jan 2016 at 08:04

C.R.A.Z.Y said:
Agreed, it's rubbish.

Corrected that for you

Cosimo · 20 Jan 2016 at 08:16

Managed about thirty minutes of it and...

C.R.A.Z.Y said:
Agreed, it's rubbish

scorza · 20 Jan 2016 at 08:18

It's a film for teenage girls, so unless you are a teenage girl then it's not surprising you were disappointed by it.

Vonhelmet · 20 Jan 2016 at 08:46

It's made to sell to teenagers so obviously it's going to tone down the violence. In terms of back story, the books are better for that.

Anyway. I said it at the time and I'll say it again - it's lazy to compare it to Battle Royale. The two are very different stories for very different markets.

Freakbro · 20 Jan 2016 at 08:49

It's complete rubbish, after the first I didn't bother with any of the others.

Josh · 20 Jan 2016 at 08:57

Never seen them but the books are next on my list after I finish the GoT books.

Tombstone · 20 Jan 2016 at 09:15

C.R.A.Z.Y said:
Agreed, it's rubbish compared to BR.
Another good foreign film which I think is under rated is the great Azumi (2003)

Going to agree there, I loved Azumi and Azumi 2

Raymond Lin · 20 Jan 2016 at 09:20

It's BR lite.

brendy · 20 Jan 2016 at 09:31

Or watch it in the light it was intended... dont pick holes in em. Remember the Age rating for them is pretty low.
I love the James Bond movies, I dont sit and shout "No disguised swearing" at the screen every time there is a hole or technological oddity in the film.

Mak3R · 20 Jan 2016 at 11:43

I recall reading somewhere it was filmed much more gory/violent but then they had to cut and remove it all to make it more friendly for younger audiences.
I agree you hardly see any in it, my gf was watching it last night when I came in and I did ask "does she actually kill anyone with her bow"? As I couldn't remember, apparently she did.

tom_e · 20 Jan 2016 at 11:45

Managed to get through a little bit of the first one but turned it off in the end, done nothing for me.

neoboy · 20 Jan 2016 at 12:00

Just a teen borefest really.

joey1211 · 20 Jan 2016 at 12:05

Another over-hyped american series I can strike off the list.

MookJong · 20 Jan 2016 at 12:40

I thought it was brilliant until they went to the city and started training, then it all got very silly indeed.

ganesh · 20 Jan 2016 at 12:56

Tried to watch the first one quite some time ago, and it quickly became apparent the target age for the audience is distinctly in the tween/teen girl area, which is reflected by the story line, actors and acting. Thus ended my interest.

TonyTurbo78 · 20 Jan 2016 at 15:18

glad I'm not the only one that wasn't the slightest bit impressed with it. Feel like putting on BR again now.

Q: What do they call The Hunger Games in Japan?
A: "Battle Royal with cheese!"

and for those that have never watched one of the greatest movies ever.

csrogue · 20 Jan 2016 at 15:20

I've watched them all. They arent great, but they do appeal to younger folks so parents and relatives get pulled in to watch them.