A Very Special Snotty Literati ~ The Hunger Games, The Movie

We were so blown away by the book that we immediately watched the movie, and here’s our response.

LK

How Jennifer WISHED Lenny looked in HG. Image from tumblr.

Jennifer:  Okay, my big thought is this: They totally missed the boat with Lenny Kravitz (Cinna). If you’ve got him, use him.

Lara: Hang on a minute, ohmygodthisfroyoissoooooooogood.

He definitely needed more. More everything. Dialogue. Hair. Clothing. Wait… maybe less clothing. I did like the gold eyeliner on him, though.

My biggest thing was everything was set up too fast and you didn’t get to really know everyone like you did in the book. And that’s typically a problem when books go to film.

Jennifer: Yes, everyone knows—even my husband who I’d never leave in a million years—that I’ve got a thing for Lenny, who embodies the best of postmodern man. Oh, no. I just looked him up, and did you know he toured with U2 in 2010—and I saw U2 with the Black Eyed Peas who sucked? What is wrong with the world? How did I miss Lenny?

Sorry. Yeah, they needed to show some tats, some piercings. Where was the guitar solo when Cinna, his character, entered?

Back to the movie. I thought it was pretty good, but movies just don’t measure up. I did like the rebellion in District 11 when Rue (Amandla Stenberg) died, which was not in the book. The Capitol was nicely done. Woody Harrelson was well-cast as Haymitch. I don’t know if I felt much emotional involvement.

Lara: Back to U2… I got to see them with the Black Eyed Peas, and I loved Bono and Fergie! I think you are wrong on your concert assessment. My dream would have been to see U2 with Lenny or Snow Patrol. I love me some Snow Patrol.

And cut.

Back to the movie. This is feeling a little jumpy, kind of like the camera movements. That could have been handled better. As for little Rue, the youngest tribute to fight in the games, I really liked her relationship with Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) in the book: very sweet, like she was surrogate younger sister for Katniss, the sister who Katniss was fighting to protect—the movie glossed over that too quickly.

Harrleson was expertly cast as Haymitch, as were Peenis. You know that right? That the Hollywood moniker given to Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Katniss was Peenis?

Hottie Hottenstuff. Lara could eat him up as fast as that froyo. Forget she could be his moth… Just look at how adorbs he is! Google image.

Hottie Hottenstuff. Lara could eat him up as fast as that froyo. Forget she could be his moth… Just look at how adorbs he is! Google image.

Jennifer: I did not know that. Yuck.

Well, it was fun. For me, the emotional moments were when the tributes were first chosen by gory Effie (Elizabeth Banks). It seemed like Thresh was making some kind of emotionally-charged death speech at the end. Peeta was cute, much like Fred Savage was cute in The Wonder Years. Seriously. I’m too old or something. Where was Harrison Ford? Get me Han Solo now!

Lara: Gross, I know. And maybe that wasn’t Hollywood, but haters of the Hunger Games. What? I know there are some. We were ones. Once.

Peeta was such a cutie patootie! I could have eaten him up. Kinda tiny, but like a pocket pet. I could carry him everywhere and just nibble nibble. Mmmmm. Super adorbs and showed some decent acting chops. And, of course, I wanted more mush between Peeta and Katniss. And! OMG! I wanted the tension of the book’s ending in the movie. WHY ON EARTH DID THEY NOT END WITH KATNISS BEING UNSURE OF HER FEELINGS FOR PEETA?? Dumb.

Jennifer:  And Lenny can be my pocket pet.

I agree we needed to go further at the end. I’m not sure the romance was what needed to be further. Since there was obviously more, I would’ve ended with scenes from the Districts—miscellaneous scenes of squashed rebellion. With a fierce rock n’ roll soundtrack. Not some sappy love song, but a little raw rock thing.

By the way, I think I’d outlive you if we were in The Hunger Games.

Lara: Before you get all big for your britches declaring victory over me, I want to point out one other thing I actually liked better in the movie than I did in the book. The movie made the whole Games-as-Reality-TV much clearer to me. Sick and twisted Reality TV, like the total degradation of society, but it was definitely a clearer part of the plot in the movie than it was in the book. Didn’t you think?

Jennifer: Maybe. I thought the book did okay with it. For me, the movie’s portrayal of this as societal entertainment seemed a little unbelievable. I know we spoke about the suspension of disbelief in the book. I wasn’t able to suspend it as much with the film. I kinda thought, People aren’t going to just let this go on—watching kids kill other kids! I think I wanted more depth. I can be made to believe this; I just didn’t.

Before we forget! Product Placement: Zoyo Frozen Yogurt, L-R: Lara’s Zoatmeal Cookie with dark chocolate chips and waffle cone pieces, and Jennifer’s salted caramel with a whole bunch of yummy chocolate schtuff and toasted coconut. Ridiculously good. Image by Snotty Literati.

Product Placement: Zoyo Frozen Yogurt, L-R: Lara’s Zoatmeal Cookie with dark chocolate chips and waffle cone pieces, and Jennifer’s salted caramel with a whole bunch of yummy chocolate schtuff and toasted coconut. Ridiculously good. Image by Snotty Literati.

Anyway. I did quake in fear a bit when I thought of myself being dropped into the arena.

Lara: I can see your point and I think the uprising is to come. I think that is Katniss’ role in the subsequent books. But we will see. Well, I will see, because I am actually going to read them.

And, yeah, you are right. You would outlive me in a match-up of physical strength. But if The Hunger Games was a verbal match, I could take you down. I would talk you down and out of the arena. It would be epic. I would win just because you would want me to shut up. And I am totally okay with that.

Jennifer: Anyway, I’ll definitely go see the next movie.