In-Depth Review: The Hunger Games Movie as an Adaptation

In broad strokes, The Hunger Games movie follows the plot of the books closely. However, ultimately, it failed to deliver the powerful, emotional impact that comes with the book. If you have read the books, here are several (mostly nitpicky) reasons that the movie failed to live up to the book. If you haven't read the book, read further at your own risk--spoilers abound.

Stylists & Portrayal of the Capitol

In the book, Katniss gradually bonds with all of her stylists (not just Cinna) enough so that by book three, she’s more understanding towards them and passionately defends them when she finds them imprisoned. So it was a little bit disappointing to see that not even a kind word from them was offered in her direction (other than Cinna). Showing the human side of the Capitol is just as important as showing how incredibly self-involved and non-empathetic they are towards citizens from other districts. It's important that, by the end of the book, it's clear that there are enemies and friends on both sides.

Riots in District 11

This scene just should not have happened in this movie at all. It was too soon. In the book, District 11, the district that Rue and Thresh are from, sends Katniss bread in recognition for what she did for Rue. Instead, the movie cut to riots in District 11, which if I remember correctly, do not happen until Catching Fire.

The bread from District 11 would have been much better as it helps to set up the reason for the riot later in the series. The fact that one district is trying to help another district’s tribute is HUGE and important to the storyline. I don’t know why this was cut.

The Rule Change Scene

In the books, when Katniss realizes that both she and Peeta can win, she shouts Peeta’s name instantly. She doesn’t even realize what she’s doing, her first thought is just: find Peeta immediately. And then her next thought is “Oops!”, and she covers her mouth and realizes what a horrible mistake she’s made—and then she’s lucky enough that it doesn’t cost her anything.  Then, after all that plays out in her mind, she thinks out how finding Peeta is strategical. Maybe it’s a stretch, but I felt like in that scene, we get a glimpse of Katniss’ … maybe not “love,” yet, but her care for Peeta.

It doesn’t happen quite like that in the movie. It’s probably nitpicky on my part, but I really loved how in that scene, Katniss kind of loses control and exposes feelings she doesn’t even realize she has yet.

Katniss &Peeta/Ending

For the most part, I thought the Katniss and Peeta scenes were good and generally stayed true to the book.

However.

The book was vague about Katniss’ true motives because Katniss really doesn’t know how she feels about Peeta. She doesn’t want to get married or have kids--romance is just not a top priority to her. And yet she feels a certain safety with Peeta; she dreads having to let go of his hand. That’s how the first book ends. She breaks his heart, because she’s confused, but then she doesn’t want to let go.

The movie is completely different. It’s lame. It’s not tense enough. Katniss needs to break Peeta’s heart. It needs to be clear that he is heartbroken because, as if there’s any doubt to be had in the first place, it reveals that Peeta was never acting, he really loves her, and he wants more. Meanwhile, the book ending reveals Katniss’ own confusion, how she thinks she doesn’t want to be with Peeta that way, but then there are little things that hint that she might (like how she already misses him and doesn’t want to let go of his hand).

In the movie, when Peeta asks what they do now, she says, “We try to forget.” But it’s not clear what she means by this. Is she talking about the horrors of the game in general? Or is she also lumping in there the romance that blossomed between her and Peeta? Peeta’s next line doesn’t help clarify: he says he doesn’t want to forget. Well, it seems like an odd response, considering the Hell that they went through: him almost dying, the wolf mutts, everything. Sure, having read the books, I know he’s referring to the fact that he doesn’t want to forget the moments he had with Katniss. But it just sounded a little strange and unrealistic. The conversation that happens is completely different in the books. Peeta is angry, betrayed, deeply wounded by the realization that Katniss was just acting. That doesn’t come out at all.

Overall

The problem with the movie is that in trying to stay true to the main plot points, they trimmed off the subtle details that would have pushed this movie to a higher level. Ultimately, as a friend pointed out, they just did not take this movie to the edge. They’re guilty of playing it safe, just like the filmmakers of The Golden Compass. They didn’t deliver, they didn’t commit to that extra mile that would have taken the move from “good” to “amazing”. The ending lacked the tension and the punch that it needed.

Hopefully, when they get a good turnout—and they probably will get a better one than TGC—then they will be able to afford to ramp it up and do what they ought to do with the rest of the series.

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Hungry for more about The Hunger Games? Check out the posts below!

• The Hunger Games Book Review
• Let the Hunger Games Begin!: Overall review of the movie
• The Hunger Games: Casting and Performance