The Hunger Games

[tszuj]

I just wanted to slap Katniss every time she was all, "BUT WHAT ABOUT MY BOYFRIEND?" Katniss, millions of people are being slaughtered and kept as slaves. Keep things in perspective.

I understand that she has PTSD. But it just came across like she really didn't even think twice about anyone else, even after meeting the people in the hospital then seeing it bombed because of her. Didn't come across that way in the book.

[Babycakes]

I've finally come around after actually hating book!Katniss for so long. We have to remember that Katniss is only 17. There is a world of shit being laid at her feet. People are looking at her to be the savior/leader of a new world order when she wasn't looking for any of that. She didn't have the social skills to rally people to begin with. Katniss was already suffering from PTSD after her father's death, and her mother's depression/neglect. Peeta was the talker. He knew how to spin his words to sway people. He was the one that could have been the voice of the rebellion. I think it's unfair to judge a traumatized 17 year old for not having her shit together. I think it goes farther than wanting to get her boyfriend back. Peeta was the only person that understood her completely. He understood what she suffered. He was also the only one that wasn't looking for anything from her. She felt like she owed him for being willing to sacrifice his life in the first arena, and she was willing to sacrifice her life for him in the second arena. He was caught by the Capitol and made to suffer brutally because he was someone that mattered to Katniss. Just as an entire population of people (District 12) was annihilated to stick it to Katniss. That's a lot for anyone to handle.

[GoldenFleece]

"The Hanging Tree" sells 200,000 copies in its first week, debuts at #12 on the Hot 100. It sounds like it might get a radio push. I wonder if they're planning to give it a "Summertime Sadness"-style remix or will just stick to the alt/triple-A sort of stations.

[lea1977]

I wonder if Gwyneth is fuming?

[Mugsy]

Yeah, I agree with Babycakes. Katniss is still a kid, and it's like she said, "All I wanted to do was save my sister." She figured she'd volunteer for Prim, die in the Games and that would be that. She didn't sign up thinking, "This will be my chance to spark a nation-wide rebellion and help my district." But she did and she took on that mantle reluctantly, which they showed repeatedly. Her concern for Peeta over the nameless citizenry is normal for a teenager, normal for most people. And like Babycakes said, she felt she owed him since he was ready to sacrifice himself for her in Games 1 so she assumed everyone was working to save Peeta in Games 2. Plus the PTSD on top of that, everything you know is gone and the most powerful person in the world - President Snow - is taunting you with his creepy white roses.

A rebellion would have happened in a world like that eventually, but having the districts linked by the Games (ironic, since the Games are supposed to be Capitol's control) and a power player from the Games just set it all into motion. Secret symbols, whistled tunes and hand gestures showing support just pushed it.

I didn't think this movie was boring filler or that nothing happened. Having re-read Book 3 recently, I'm glad they split it into two movies, because I think there was a lot of setup and explanation required in this movie to get to the finale. Cramming Katniss's inner battles, Peeta's situation, explaining the how/why of District 13, the attempts at propos, the initial battles, and then the final battles into two hours? Ugh, no. It would be a mess.

[kostgard]

I finally got around to seeing this. Don't know why I could never get my butt to the theater since I was looking forward to it.

Overall, I enjoyed it. They certainly don't shy away from showing that war is hell. I've read some reviews that complain that Katniss is too passive, but considering she's a 17 year old kid who has gone through a monumental amount of shit, anything above sitting in the corner eating her hair is a triumph.

Thank God they expanded Effie's role. She provided much needed levity. I was living for the way she gave Coin the once-over through her sunglasses. Which she was wearing in an underground bunker. I love her.

I seem to be one of the few people who likes JH as Peeta, so all that worked well for me. I'm okay with Katniss obsessing about him - it's gotta be easier to worry about one person to whom you owe a solid than the masses of people Snow might vaporize to give you bad day. Plus, as Finnick pointed out, she does love him (romantic or platonic, doesn't matter at this point) and Katniss allows herself to love very few people (basically, Prim, Gale, and Peeta, Haymitch and Effie to a lesser extent), so any loss of a truly loved one is devastating to her. I thought they did a good job with tracker-jacked Peeta and on a weird note, I really liked that they realistically bloodied her eyes after he choked her.

Poor Friend-Zoned Gale. He was all pouty about it all movie long.

I am looking forward to part two. So many characters in this one were low-key and shell shocked. I need pissed off Johanna and could-murder-Katniss-at-any-time Peeta to liven things up.

There were a few scenes where PSH looked and sounded really rough. Very sad.

[kostgard]

Trailer for Mockingjay Part 2

They don't really touch on the Peeta stuff, but maybe they are keeping that for a surprise.