In general, movies that originated from books disappoint many readers due to the obvious plot changes. However, “The Hunger Games” managed to present many of the necessary elements of the book that made the readers initially fall in love with the series. Katniss Everdeen’s challenging journey through the film presents opportunities for viewers to experience all kinds of emotions-hope, sorrow, animosity, and more.
Set in the future where the citizens of Panem are divided into districts that are dictated by the Capitol, Katniss fights everyday to provide for her family. However, the Capitol forces her to leave her family after she volunteers as tribute for the annual Hunger Games.
Each year, the Capitol randomly picks one boy and one girl from each of the twelve districts. When Katniss’ sister, Prim, is chosen, Katniss immediately steps forward to take her place. The Hunger Games were created after one district rebelled. The games serve as a reminder to the citizens of Panem of the power that their government held over them.
Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Katniss, portrays her character just as author Suzanne Collins describes her. Hard-working, protective, and stubborn, Lawrence displays the obstacles that Katniss must face throughout the movie. Lawrence perfectly fits the image of Katniss as some readers pictured her. Along in the arena with Katniss was Peeta Mellark, played by Josh Hutcherson, the other tribute from District 12. Hutcherson managed to pull off the bravery and affection described in the book without fail. Peeta’s love for Katniss was plain to see through the way Hutcherson portrayed his character.
As a dystopia, the book describes many of the difficulties the poorer districts suffer through. The movie enhanced these abuses, especially during the actual Hunger Games. The thought of kids fighting each other to the death is already horrible in writing, but when actually seeing it makes the idea more real. During these games, almost everyone dies, not just the innocent and harmless children.
Despite the excellent acting and portrayal of struggles faced in Panem, some small details were left out that could have satisfied more readers. Although these components were minuscule, they would have made the plot even more captivating.
For example, some parts of Katniss and Peeta’s relationship didn’t truly blossom. Some of the actions that made readers fall in love with Katniss’ determination weren’t accurately portrayed the way they were in the book. The impulsive decisions she made that appealed to many people unfortunately were not made as evident as they should have been.
Another disappointment was the absence of smaller characters. Even though these characters did not have plot-changing roles, they still added the extra emotions that audiences love. These characters also offered the audience a chance to see Katniss treating others with more compassion and affection than she normally does.
Despite the drawbacks, the movie still had many entertaining aspects. With thrilling action scenes, convincing actors, and a decent plot, “The Hunger Games” still appealed to a lot of people. However, because of the lack of certain ideas, the book definitely defeats the motion picture in terms of entertainment.
