Matthew: The Hunger Games

After The Harry Potter saga came to an end this past Summer, I was left with a void that needed filling. I had asked around, searched high and low, and after trying (and failing) more that once I finally found the perfect replacement. A friend of mine told me that the best way to get out of my Harry Potter funk would be to pick up a copy of The Hunger Games, and boy was he right.

I was doing some traveling this past August that involved spending a lot of time on trains and I figured that would be the perfect opportunity to start a new book, that was when I became obsessed. I read all three books in no time, and currently my copies of the trilogy are making there way to their 5th set of hands, and I want them back because I need to re-read! I'm not going to give anything away, but they are the perfect books if you're looking for something easy and entertaining. If you need to shut your brain off from the day to day grind, and escape to a different world then do yourself a favor and read this series.

I'm sure you can image the excitement that rushed through my veins when I found out that there was going to be a movie. It was something like 'OMGOMGOMGOMGAAAAAHHHHHOMGOMGOMG- I hope it doesn't suck'. Whenever it's announced that Hollywood is turning a beloved book into a movie, there always seems to be a mixed reaction of anticipation and dread. Some are horrible, some are amazing, and I prayed to the sweet baby Jesus that this one would turn out. And it really did.

For those of you who aren't familiar with The Hunger Games, there is an underlying love story BUT it's not the main storyline, and my biggest fear is that the movie would take the Hollywood route and create it into something that its not, a mushy lovey "Twilight" kind of gross thing. Thank Jebeus himself, because in my opinion, the movie did a phenomenal job at staying true to the grit and darkness that the book has. It never got mushy and soft, it was intense straight from the get go, and the stakes where high. About 20 minutes in I became so nervous for the characters that I actually had to pee- and those nerves didn't leave until the very end (I still had to pee tho).

Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen

You can't write a review of this movie without mentioning the cast and how spot on they all were. Jenifer Lawerance was the perfect Katniss Everdeen. She was spot on, and not for one moment did she ever weaken or alter the integrity of the character. Another highlight was Elizabeth Banks as the out of touch Effie Trinket, she did an excellent job at providing moviegoers with a little comic relief. And of course Stanly Tucci was hilarious as T.V personality Caeser Flickerman. Before seeing the film, my only reservations as far as casting was concerned were with Liam Hensworth as Gale, and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch. My reservations weren't because I thought they didn't have the chops, but mostly because they didn't match with my imagination. Hensworth was fine as Gale, in the end the part wasn't really that huge anyway.I just didn't really see it because Liam Hensworth is too pretty! In the book the author says that Gale is really handsome, and Hensworth is, BUT, you also have to believe that Gale has been working with his hands for his whole life, and that he hunts and works in a coal mine. I don't think Liam Hensworth has ever gotten his hands dirty, let alone missed a waxing appointment. And Woody Harrelson proved me wrong. He was great as the alcoholic, tough loving Haymitch- although, the film did cut much of his material out, and they did sort of downplayed the alcoholism. BUT- I was fine with it.

After all is said and done The Hunger Games was a pretty damn good movie. Like any book turned film there were parts that didn't make the final cut, however; they were the right cuts to make. Well cast, directed beautifully, and a pretty good screenplay to boot, The Hunger Games was a triumph.

The Hunger Games: 4.5 Side Braids/ 5 Tubes of Gold Lipstick  

-Matthew
@thematthewjames