About two years ago, my sister-in-law started recommending I read these books which I knew nothing about. When I asked her to explain them to me she said it was very difficult to describe but picture "Survivor meets Lord of the Flies."
About a year and a half ago, I gave in and started to read them. Less than a week later, I was finished and officially HOOKED! (some may call it obsessed...call it what you wish). I quickly made every person I have ever known read them, including my parents, and gladly passed on the books to my friends and the children of my friends.
For any of you who have not read it yet here is a quick breakdown: Katniss is a bad-ass teenaged girl who has to take care of her younger sister after her father dies in a minning accident and her mother goes into a great depression. Katniss and her sister, Prim, live in District 12 of the country of Panem, which is post-apocalyptic North America now ruled by The Capitol and divided into 12 districts each responsible for a needed part of society. (ie: mining, agriculture, electronics, fishing...) As part of The Capitol's power and control, each year they hold an event called the Hunger Hames where two "tributes" – a boy and a girl – are drafted from each of the twelve districts to be brought to an arena and fight to the death. The events are all televised and the rich sheltered Capitol folks bet and sponsor kids in the arena. They can pay to send them knives or bread or medicine, if they feel they are being entertained enough by this Tributes performance. Each year the families in the districts are made to watch the Games too and know what they might expect if their names are called. It is an intense book that is told from Katniss' perspective and so we get to read and feel how strong she is and how no matter what she wants to make sure she shows them that she's more than "just a piece in their Games."
About a year ago, they announced that they would be making a movie of the books and obsession really began! Of course I followed all of the casting announcements and when they signed Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss I immediately rented Winter's Bone to check her out and see if she would be good enough. Based on that prefomacne alone, I knew Katniss was in good hands. Next was Liam Hemsworth as Gale. While he is dreamy and could pass as her "cousin" when needed, I still do NOT like his connection to Hannah Montana. (I guess I'll get over it) Then came a lot of debate about Peeta, the kind-hearted, smooth-talking, love-sick baker's son. They had talked of Alex Pettyfer and Hunter Parrish in the role and finally decided on Josh Hutcherson. I have loved him since Bridge to Terabithia and he was GREAT in The Kids are Alright, so I knew he would do Peeta justice.
Some of the other casting that came out was Elizabeth Banks as Effie, Donald Sutherland as President Snow and Stanley Tucci as the "Ryan Seacrest-esk" TV announcer of the Games. The two casting announcements that worried me the most were Woody Harrelson as their coach and mentor, Haymitch, and Lenny Kravitz as her stylist and friend Cinna. (Let me just say... any concern I had about either of them was SQUASHED in the film.. they were both pretty darn perfect!) I had always seen Haymitch as the big red-headed guy with one eye in Harry Potter. But as friends who have also read the book have reminded me... Haymitch was a Tribute too, Woody did a great job in the movie.
The movie has had a lot of hype leading up to it, being compared to Harry Potter and Twilight. I am glad to say it lived up to that hype. In my opinion, it was directed PERFECTLY! They way they filmed the TrackerJacker scenes and the drugged out chaos that comes with it...was great! They did a phenomenal job with The Reaping, I wanted to vomit the entire time it was so intense and really well done. They put in all of the important stuff and kept it PG-13. The overall content of the books and therefore the movie is very dark and bloody and intense and I think the film did a great job at showing that but also making you feel the injustice of it as you are suppose to. A few parts that they changed, I think are okay. There is one part I am a little concerned about, because they changed it in the first movie and it is suppose to come back up and have A LOT of meaning in the second and third books, so I wonder how they will wrap that back in. But overall, I HIGHLY reccommend going to see it. I know I will be going again really soon!
