Hunger Games: Book vs. Movie -- Discuss -- MERGED thread

[martaszemik]

I'm anticipating the Hunger Games movie in March, but I'm fearing it will not live up to the books. I read the first one almost three years ago, patiently waited for the third one to be published later, and the story lived with me for a long time.

Now, I'm afraid the movie may spoil the book (although the trailers look promising). It's rare that movies live up to a reader's expectations, so I'm debating whether to see it.

What are your thoughts?

[nogdog~6op6ou]

If we extrapolate based on the long history of Hollywood converting books into movies, I'd say we have about a 99% probability of the movie not being as good as the book. All I ever reasonably hope for is that it is not too terribly worse than the book.

[Patricia]

Is the movie based on the first book or the whole trilogy?

[martaszemik]

I believe the first book only. I'm pretty sure they'll make Catching Fire and Mockingjay as sequels. The story is just too long and complicated to fit into one, plus think about the $$$ they'll make. This is the next Twilight.

[me3boyz]

This is the next Twilight.

I'm rather hoping it'll be the next Lord of the Rings. But I never expect the movie to be better than the book. I loved the LotR movies, yet still watch them and wish certain things were in the movie. We'd need two intermissions for Return of the King if they didn't stop where they did!

[purplepen79]

Judging from the previews, it appears that the moviemakers did a good job with both the casting and the set design (at least the visual effect of the preview matched or enriched what I imagined when I read the books).  Of course, visual effect can be far different from overall effect for me.  For instance, I loved the visual effect of Avatar but didn't care for the script.  Still enjoyed the movie though for its visual cornucopia, especially the dragon sequences.  I felt like I was really flying on a dragon, watching it.  After seeing Avatar, I desperately wished someone would make Anne McCaffrey's Dragonflight into a movie.  Going back to Hunger Games, the parts in the arena were filmed near where I live in western NC, so that's an added incentive for me to want to see it.  Was Suzanne Collins involved with the movie at all? 

[Zackery Arbela]

If we extrapolate based on the long history of Hollywood converting books into movies, I'd say we have about a 99% probability of the movie not being as good as the book. All I ever reasonably hope for is that it is not too terribly worse than the book.

Given that the first draft of the script for Twilight basically threw the book aside and turned it into a run of the mill actioner that only kept the characters names, I'd say you are right. From what I read, Edward was a badass vampire warrior, Bella was a Buffy clone, and the whole thing ended in a giant gun battle on jet skies...luckily (or not, depending on your opinion of Stephanie Meyers) they went back to the drawing board and stuck more closely to the source material.

Given that track record, we should be thankful that Katniss isn't a cyborg in a bikini fighting an alien invasion. Or that Michael Bay isn't directing, other wise all bets would be waaaay off...

[Jan Strnad]

For some reason, I'm totally unenthusiastic about this film. Maybe my excitement will grow as the film gets buzzed, but right now, the idea isn't doing anything for me and the trailer I saw didn't change that apathy.

[Sean Patrick Fox]

If we extrapolate based on the long history of Hollywood converting books into movies, I'd say we have about a 99% probability of the movie not being as good as the book. All I ever reasonably hope for is that it is not too terribly worse than the book.

+1

The quality of the script, the acting, the directing, these are all important factors. But in my experience, more so than anything else, the biggest issue in book-to-film adaptations is the time limit. You just don't get to see the characters grow and the story unfold like you would in a book.

[martaszemik]

That would be awesome if it turned out to be like Lord of the Rings (my all time favorite!), but that's some big shoes to fill. If it gets anywhere close, I'd be happy.

The Hunger Games characters are so unique, I hope the cast can pull it off.

[Jan Strnad]

Jennifer Lawrence is terrific, so there's hope.

I just have this sinking feeling that it'll be too pretty and "Seventeen magazine-y" for me. But then, I'm hardly the target audience.

[Lursa (aka 9MMare)]

I believe the first book only. I'm pretty sure they'll make Catching Fire and Mockingjay as sequels. The story is just too long and complicated to fit into one, plus think about the $$$ they'll make. This is the next Twilight.

It's not that complicated and will be even less so in a screenplay.

[Lursa (aka 9MMare)]

Panem was never described in nearly as much detail as the world in the LOTR books. I only wish! That is the main reason I read the books.

OTOH, I think the author did a good job keeping the scope of that detail within the parameters of her story. *I* wanted more but then that's what I look for in dystopian books.

So they'd have alot to create to make it 'epic' like LOTR.

[Harry Shannon]

I have a feeling they have assembled the right team and cast. Jennifer Lawrence is pitch perfect, Woody Harrelson seems right, on and on. The co-writer on the script is Billy Ray, who is best known for adult fare. It may be more intimate than epic at times, but that also suits the books. I'm looking forward to it.

[cegesmith]

I am eagerly anticipating the movie and have made my "girl night" plans to see it opening day already since my husband balks at this kind of stuff.

I guess I am going into it with the expectation that it won't be as good as the book, but that it is going to bring to life the characters that I loved so now when I reread the series (which I will) I will be able to truly "see" them.  I think it is incredibly difficult to cram all of the character development and plot twists into one short block of time, but from what I've seen from the previews (and a new trailer was just released a few days ago) it looks like they are staying very true to the book.

In my mind, they can't deviate from the formula much at all without alienating the fan base that will bring in the oodles and oodles of money that the studio is expecting.

[marianneg]

I'm also not expecting it to be just like the books, but I am looking forward to it.  I love the casting, the music is wonderful, and the trailers gave me a thrill.  I already told DH that we were going 

[Brad Murgen]

I think it would be really hard for them to screw up this movie.  The book is perfect for translation to the big screen... skimps on world details so filmmakers can take more liberties, has plenty of action and violence, teen characters to bring in the kids, good casting.  I think it will be an entertaining film, which is all you can ask for.

[flipside]

Hard to tell.

I think they've made good trailers.

But we've also seen horrible movies with great trailers.

So yeah, will reserve my judgment upon seeing the actual film.

[bxs122]

Most movies can't replace the story we see through our reading of the book.

Interesting observation – my son has read the series twice (loves to read). Yesterday, while at the movies, he approached the new Hunger Games movie poster – his mouth open in an aww yeah expression. He ran his fingers over the gold images and smiled. He liked what he was looking at. But then he turned his face up to me and in a flat tone said, the've got the wrong actors.

Now I haven't read the books, but from what he said, he felt the actors picked were too old to play the main characters of the story.

What my son had visualized while reading the series is likely very different from what others had visualized while reading the series.

Bottom line, to those that read the series, they will find something disappointing in the movie – it may be small or it may be big. And to those who never read the series, they will base their opinion solely on how good the movie is.

[Jorja Tabu]

I have high hopes because I love the actress in the lead role--Jennifer Lawrence.  Even though she doesn't look the way I imagined Katniss, I think she's talented enough to capture our heroine well.

[sandrasstories]

I've never read the books, but I hear they're really good. The movie, at least, looks good. I want to buy the books before I see the movie, but I have half a dozen other novels to read. Including Sherlock Holmes, The Night Circus, Pathfinder, and Jane Eyre. Getting behind. Sigh.

[4eyesbooks]

I just finished Catching Fire and now I'm reading The Mockingjay.  After reading the book and seeing the trailer for the first movie I thought they nailed casting Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss.  My only disappointment was Peeta.  He didn't look like I had pictured him from the book, but we'll see.  Lenny Kravitz is Cinna and Woody Harrelson is Haymitch so I'm excited about that casting.  I think from what I've seen of the trailer they are staying very close to the book, but the movie can never capture every experience as richly as the novel.  I will still be there in the theater to watch with my buttered popcorn in hand 

[planet_janet]

I think it's going to be a good movie (from what I've seen and read thus far).  I can't wait to see it!

[KateEllison]

I certainly hope so!

Personally, I think the story will translate well to the big screen, as it's action-packed and straightforward (plus author Suzanne Collins was a TV writer before she was a novelist anyway). Since the book is so popular, they'll probably stick closely to the original narrative (which ruins some movies in my opinion since books and movies are totally different mediums with different needs in terms of a narrative), but because of the book's style and structure I don't think that will be a weakness here.

Also, there are supposed to be 4 films total. 1 for each book with the last book being split into 2 movies just like HP and Twilight. Believe me, Lionsgate is going to milk this cow for all it's worth.

[foreverjuly]

This is the next Twilight.

This is absolutely the danger that this movie faces. The beauty of Susan Collins's work, according to Time Magazine, was that it could be "all things to all people." If they make it so that it's only a love triangle for teenage girls (which the trilogy eventually devolves into), they will have abandoned much of the story's potential.

"I volunteer as tribute," will go down as one of the worst lines of dialogue ever delivered in a movie. Jennifer Lawrence sounds like an automated answering machine message, and from watching the trailer I really don't see any way they could salvage it.