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I read The Hunger Games and found it tolerable, but not good enough to make me pursue the other parts of the trilogy that were sitting in my Kindle. Basically I considered it silly. Maybe because it was written on a sixth grade level (graduate school for those in the government system) the book seemed kind of flat. It lacked the character, background and plot development I usually complain about.

I actually found the movie much better than the book. The movie created the atmosphere that supported the story. The main problem was that, as usual, Hollywood sanitized the characters. It’s like real people make us too uncomfortable; we have to give them the “palm beach look” while they are living in apocalyptic squalor. Believe me, I lived in District 12 and the people there didn’t look like MTV. Jennifer Lawrence was too old and too fit for her character. She did a good job as the heroine, but she didn’t bring the emotional wallop of her performance in Winters Bone. Her partner in the games seemed more like her little brother than a serious romantic contender.

The movie did begin to drag in the last hour. Twenty minutes of scenery and dramatic pauses could have been cut or better yet, devoted to character development. Obviously you can bet on a body count of at least 23 participants; nevertheless the gore was handled tastefully.

I give it four stars. With all the schlock that comes out of Hollywood, anything that doesn’t send you reaching for the barf-bag, running for the fire-exit, or feeling you need a bath gets two stars. Hollywood has trouble with apocalyptic movies these days. They seem to close to reality.

She wasn’t too fit for her character.

Her character should have been an athletic outdoorsy girl.

She has a big butt and thighs that they spent the whole show hiding.

She looks like she is a “jogger trying to cut weight” not a runner on semi-starvation diet.

She did a decent job of it - but she looked like her character would look - after 2 kids.

After the movie - I though it was OK - they had to make it for mass market. But I would LOVE to see an X rated movie version - that let it get as dark as the thinking behind it is. Would be a masterpiece.

Also - the film editing - ever shot was like 5 seconds long. And close cropped.

I disagree. I read the Hunger Games and the other two books. I found the first book made me want to read the two other books. The second book, Cathing Fire delivered. The third book, Mockingjay wasn’t as engaging in my opinion but I enjoyed it.

I don’t think it was written on a sixth grade level even though that’s the target. I think many 11/12 yr olds would find it tough to understand. Heh, your govt sch knock is noted. RME.

You lived in District 12? I wasn’t aware of any part of the US being post-apocalyptic. I doubt you lived in the district 12 portrayed in the book/trilogy. You may eventually but you haven’t and don’t right now.

I saw similarities to various sections/regions of the US, as was the point since the story takes place in the future of what is the US/North America after the fall and after about 75 years under a dictatorship.

I thought the main character, Katniss, was hard, harsh. Hard to like, since she wasn’t mushy in any way in the first two books (I wanted to strangle her character in the thrid book).

I kept having to remind myself that she was a 16 yr old. A teenager who for the last half of her life had to provide food for her mother and sister in order to survive. She had to be the adult in her family after the dad died when she was 10 or 11 yrs old. And the books were from her point of view.