The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

I thought with the other being derailed a bit and reviews starting to come in, why not start the season off proper...

Please continue pre-release discussion here.

Movie:
"The Hunger Games" (Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson)

Release Date:
3/23/2012

Rating:
PG-13 (for intense violent thematic material and disturbing images - all involving teens, constantly picturing Jennifer Lawrence as ‘Mystique’, and unfair comparisons to ‘Battle Royale’ throughout)

Running Time:
142min. (2h. 22m.)

Budget:
$100 million (estimated)

IMDb Synopsis:


IMDb Info and Rating:
8.1 (13,331 votes as of 3/25/12)

Rotten Tomatoes:
Fresh:183 Rotten:31 (86% as of 3/25/12)

Metacritic:
68 metascore ('Generally favorable reviews' as of 3/25/12)

Trailer:
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Poster Art:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/scott1598/HG.jpg

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

Wow, reviews looking good so far. Have to admit I'm looking forward to this.

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

I was going to make a similar reviews thread, except I wanted to put a "I'll just stay home and look up steamy pictures of Jennifer Lawrence on internet."

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

Finally! A Reviews Thread for a good movie.

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

I'm glad this is getting good reviews. I'll probably wait for the Blu-Ray, though.

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

I think we will have to wait until at least Thursday to see if the good reviews stick. Only two major critics have signed off as liking it, and the rest have blurbs that make them seem like they're plants or desperate critics trying to get noticed, possibly both.

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

It's now down to 90%, but there's quite a few reviews in and several positive ones from major critics . Looks like it will end up "fresh" but with a lot of "three star" ratings saying its merely a solid movie. One consensus that is running is that Jennifer Lawrence deserves to be a star.

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

She certainly does with dat body

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

Hanging in there at 91%. Not bad.

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

This body?

http://www.celebful.com/photos/jenni...458-medium.jpg

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

I will likely see The Hunger Games but would love to see her in The Naked City.

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

She's got a firm behind too, hope this boyfriend taps it often. http://vpqv.net/wp-content/uploads/2...0202010045.jpg

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

I personally don't see what the obsession is. She's got a typical body for a white girl who isn't fat (Which I guess is an accomplishment in this day and age). Nothing really stands out, and I mean that both figuratively and literally.

Which is surprising...I recalled her being bustier in First Class.

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

Any way to make this guy vanish?

In terms of bust, ever heard of a wonder bra?

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

Just press the ignore button and stop wasting your precious time replying to me then. You can go back to oogling average Hollywood actresses.

And, Wow no, Doctor of Digital Video Discs, I've never heard of a Wonder Bra. :lol:

Fucking ridiculous.

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

:lol: I'm starting to like this guy.

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

Is that the guy from "About a Boy"?

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

Roger Ebert gave it 3 out of 4 stars. Ebert's Review

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

kind of looks different but he was Beast in First Class. And is in that new Singer film, Jack the Giant Killer.

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

Seems to be sitting steady at 87% . I guess also of note is that it's maintaining its fresh rating by having a lot of three out of four star reviews. http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_...pe=top_critics

Going this afternoon, hope my audience isn't hyper.

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

I think the film started off great, however, once you get to the actual Hunger Games... well... the film nose dives instantaneously.

Pros:

• The film has a great "retro" '70s science-fiction look to it a la films like Logan's Run, Westworld, etc.
• Any scene with the adult actors (Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz, Wes Bentley, Donald Sutherland, etc) come off as rock solid. The scenes showing the behind-the-scenes mechanics of the games are the best the film has to offer.

Cons:

• The film is geared too much to those who have read the books. It plays more as a companion piece to the novel rather than a stand-alone film.
• The film gives no emotional weight or face time to its characters that are not named Katniss and Peeta (and even they're not given much depth). I could've given two shits on who lived and died.

• If any film needed an R-rating, this is it. A film about kids killing each other? SIGN ME UP. However, there's very little killing and most kills are off-screen other than a sweet neck breaking.
• Most anti-climatic climax I've seen coming from a motion picture event in ages.
• Worst IMAX DMR conversion I've ever seen. Wow. The amount of DNR applied to any scene involving CGI was frightening. Imagine the Predator Blu-ray blown up to be shown on a seven-story screen.

This is what I don't grasp. How can Kenji and Kenta Fukasaku take Battle Royale, a 700-page book with over 45 unique characters, and cram all of that information into a 114 minute film? A 114 minute film that's regarded as one of the best cinema has provided us within the past decade. Looking at Wikipedia, The Hunger Games is only 374 pages, with less than half of those unique characters, and fails at making a worthwhile 142 minute film?

Battle Royale hits on every single point it needs to as its firing on all cylinders. The Hunger Games becomes two films rolled into one. A great film with adults and the politics of the future alongside a shitty film with kids trying to kill each other and survive. For every inch of potential the film has, Ross manages to go two steps backwards with it.

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

Nice review, Matthew. I never read the books so now I'm wondering if I should bother, especially being a big fan of BR.

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

Good review, Matthew.

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

Just for the record, Anne Thompson says the budget was $80 million:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsono...mmakers-did-it

Re: The Hunger Games (Ross, 2012) — The Reviews Thread
 

... and I can see Lionsgate doubling that for Ross with the sequels.