Hunger Games: Catching Fire

[MisfitBanana]

Originally Posted by katygirl68

Who said Peeta and Gale are equals? They are exactly right compared to the book characters. Gale is tall, strong and good looking, very much like Katniss. They're both from the coal miner side of District 12, both taking care of their families by illegal hunting, both very strong. Peeta was a baker's son, not as hungry and desperate as Gale and Katniss, but he has social skills that they lack. I thought the casting was brilliant.

I think they cast Peeta perfectly - it's a little too bad that Josh Hutcherson is so short, because I don't think Peeta was supposed to be small (I think he's supposed to be really strong and burly, able to throw 300 pounds around like no big deal, and hoist giant flour bags over his shoulders), but his facial features and his acting are exactly how I pictured Peeta when I read the books.

I don't like Gale a lot. I think I pictured someone who looked a little more world weary - sure, he's young, but he's lived a pretty hard life, and Liam Hemsworth is just too sweet faced - Gale seems like he'd make his living modeling, not working in the mines.

[theoldnorthstate]

I liked catching fire and thought it was cast perfectly. And it tells the story well. Part 1 of the movie hit the hurt and degradation of the characters and Part 2 shows that even Katniss wasn't prepared for the battle to come. Before had been child's play.

But this movie series is one that you should read the books before seeing the movies. It is hard to get the depth of characters and their pain from the movie because these parts in the movie are muted, as they would be if it really happened. But the deeper meaning is inside which doesn't show.

If you haven't read the books, how can you know how deeply Katniss is broken in her soul and Peetra is broken in his heart? Or how hurt good reliable Gale is? Gale is hurt but not broken. In the movie, you get a hint of it but you don't get the unfairness of it all that these children who had to kill children thought they were safe to find the controlling state can reach them anyway.

Then in the second half of the game, you can't know the game within the game to which Katniss wasn't even privy. She was playing one game, Peetra another, and everyone else a third.

And you see Snow interacting with Katniss but if you read the books you see the manipulation and mutual understanding for both.

But I agree book 2 was a bore compared to 1 and 3 but it does explain why events happened in book 3 and i guess the same for movies 3 or 4

[jim9251]

Finally saw this tonight. Wow, very good. I was also impressed with the ending. Katniss is PISSED.