The Hunger Games has opened around the world, and we’re betting some of you took the time to check it out.
Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister’s place for the latest match.
We want to know what you think? Was this a great adaptation, or did the movie fail miserably?
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I may be the only one thinking this, but this feels a lot like Twilight to me, as in the author watching something on TV and saying: “Hey’s that’s obscure enough that I can rip it off and no one will notice!”.
Much like Twilight is a rip-off of Buffy (minus the female empowerment or superb dialogues), Hunger Games is a very obvious rip-off of Battleroyal (1st book was released 2 year after the Battleroyal movie and 9 years after the 1st Battleroyal book) adding reality TV like aspects doesn’t make it original, just more annoying….
Well, clearly Collins did something right otherwise Battleroyal would have sold a zillion copies rather than Hunger Games.
Popular doesn’t stop it from it been a rip-off, Lion King was a huge hit but a rip-off of Kimba the white lion none the less.
American Idol is very popular and has been emulated all around the world, doesn’t make it quality TV tho.
Like I said: “Hey’s that’s OBSCURE enough that I can rip it off and no one will notice!”.
Releasing an “homage” ,or whatever the hip kids call it when you steal an idea and put a tiny twist into it, and release to people that have never read the source material and call it “original” really annoys me.
Appealing to teens by adding extra romance to a proven formula isn’t THAT hard if you’re trying to selll books…
It’s funny you’re saying Battle Royale in this argument because it seems like most people your memory is only of the past 10 years. There’s plenty of things you can say Battle Royale ripped off as well if you want to pull that card.
Lets not forget the Running Man or the Long Walk. If you don’t know the long walk here’s a quick description: Ray Garraty–along with 99 other teen boys–has entered the Long Walk, a grueling march at four miles per hour that continues until only one person is standing. The losers receive bullets to the head.
Sound familiar? I would think so. I’m not defending Collins but everything is derivative of something else. She did a decent job in making an entertaining book. Fanboy up yo!
So, You liked Hunger Games better back when it was called Battle Royale?
That’s okay, I won’t knock you for it, I liked Battle Royale better when it was called Panem et circenses, or in english, Bread and Circuses, or Bread and Games.
I mean, sure, you’ve probably seen lists of over-simplifed bullet points of why the two are the same, but let us compare BR and the original Roman Gladitorial games.
-In Both, contestants are often chosen at random from a pool of possible contestants.
-Sometimes, winners go back into the games.
-They’re both a competition to the last person standing. Or living, at least.
-There are a vast amount of spectators.
-Criminals or other undesirables can be used in the games.
-Some are trained and prepared, some are not.
-There are different types of fighters, with weapons issued by the game-runners.
-The arenas vary in size.
-The games are a method of controlling the population, keeping them in check.
-Some are given much better equipment than others.
-There are artificial hazards introduced to the arena, sometimes in the form of animals.
– Both men and women fight.
– The majority of the time, the fighters don’t have a choice in being in the games.
In reality, Battle Royale Doesn’t own the Thunderdome, not even close. We’re talking about a theme in fiction that goes back to at bare minimum Roman Times, likely well before, with the Romans just being the first to institutionalize it. That’s right, we’re not talking about a book being very similar to a book that was written 9 years or so prior, we’re talking about a concept that’s been a mainstay of fiction for over a thousand years, with hundreds upon hundreds of stories written within that framework.
On top of that, the author claims to have never seen or heard of Battle Royale until after she’d published Hunger Games – and frankly, I’m inclined to believe her, since as you said, it’s obscure(though I’ll add, to most of us in the western world, I assume not so much in Japan).
On top of that, the author claims Three main inspirations – Flicking back and fourth between the Iraq war and a reality show, Greek Myth, and the actual Roman Gladiatorial games.
I’m inclined to believe her, since the books are RIFE with references to the latter two, with the story itself showing clear inspiration from the tale of Theseus, the multitude of similarities to the original gladiatorial games(many of which, admittedly, BR shares, but for the HG shortlist – the entire above list, along with Mentors, volunteers, food tributes being thrown into the arena, survivors often gaining some level of celebrity, so on), the fact that half the characters we meet have Roman-styled names(and almost everyone from the capitol does), the people in the capitol being rich and flighty, overburdened with luxury while those out in the rural areas do it tough is drawn almost directly from Juvenal’s ten satire(from which the phrase “Bread and Circuses” originates), the fact that the nation is called PANEM in reference to the phrase, with both Bread and The Games being a big part of the culture, and the fact that the government is literally using bread and circuses to control the population.
Come on, man, I can see where you’re coming from with the similarities to BR, but the comparison is lazy and falls apart under all but the lightest scrutiny.
Holy crap, I suddenly know how Matthew feels.
Hey it’s how I feel, doesn’t make it “the truth” as Matthew and you I guess :) would put it YMMV.
It just really, really annoys me for some reason.
Like I said, I can see where you’re coming from, yeah, and I appreciate that you feel that way, but that doesn’t mean you’re right. I mean, I FEEL that I’ve got a few million bucks in the bank, but I’ll bet you next week I’ll still be stretching the tail end of my small-time freelance writer’s paycheck.
What you’re saying is simply most likely not the case, and despite what you feel about that being the case, reality does not change to accommodate this.
I really don’t want to be hard on you about it, I’m doing my best not to be harsh or mean here, but it’s really down to that – While your opinion and feeling is noted, your input appreciated, it is almost absolute in it’s likelihood that what you’re saying is vastly incorrect.
Meh, I’ve been proven wrong a million times what’s one more? I’ll still feel they way I feel abd no amount of logic can fix that.
I just have to accept that I’m now old enough that anything “original” will cause a little voice in the back of my head to say “wait a sec, didn’t I see the exact same thing but with biker rats from mars as a kid?!”
Now that is a feeling where I’m entirely with you, man. It seems that in everything I see nowdays, I can spot the bits that came from things before, what’s inspired by what, who was inspired by who, and how this is similar to that. At times it almost – and I stress both “At times” and the word almost – makes me wish for when I was a younger man where everything was somewhat fresh and new to me.
But I’ll be honest with you – I just ignore it. Fuggedaboutit. Just judge each thing on it’s own individual merits. Sure, Hunger Games is simpler and not quite as well executed as Battle Royale, but it’s still a very competent Young Adult novel, and it’s a pretty decent movie.
And really, if I was picking one or the other to hand to my entirely hypothetical kids, I’d pick Hunger Games over BR, since I don’t feel BR is quite suitable for the audience HG is aimed at – But if I’m picking something for my own entertainment, I’ll be more likely to go with Battle Royale. When we bust it down to that, then it’s really entirely situational and personal, rather than being a one-size-fits-all judgement call.
(Since I’m new to commenting on Major Spoilers, I don’t know in advance how this comment will appear, and to make it clear, it is in response to Rico’s comment that starts with “Meh, I’ve been proven wrong a million times what’s one more?”)
You mean by saying you don’t want to be that guy, and then proceeding to be THAT guy? It’s okay… it happens…
More of a post hoc realization, but I’ll cop to it, it’s a fair call.
The Greek myth you are thinking of is Minor demanding tribute of seven young men and women to be sent into the Labyrinth of the Minotaur.
Yes, The myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. Retribution for the assassination of Minos’s son, if I recall, the bravest and strongest seven young men and the most beautiful seven young women were sent to Crete as tributes.
I read books one and two and as far as a book to movie adaptation I feel the movie did a good job. The scenes that they added that were not in the book were fine not over the top and I feel were a nice touch to the movie. There was only one scene I was not pleased with only because I feel it jumped the gun (don’t want to ruin it).
They filmed most of the movie not far from where I live. Great economic boost for the area and there are a ton of guys that I know with teen and “tween” girls that have already got them tickets to go see it. I didn’t read the original to make a comment on the adaptation.
I’m afraid that I won’t be able to see it until next weekend at the soonest, but I enjoyed the books a LOT. More YA targetted at girls should have heroines that exist for something more than being a love object/reader proxy and a universe that feels, if not really unique, then memorable enough to stick with you. Plus, there’s lots & lots of well-written violence. I resent the way the ad campaigns & magazine coverage are playing up the love triangle, which is a B-plot at best until the third book (which, admittedly, I enjoyed less than the earlier two). So far, I’ve heard good things about the adaptation, so the sooner I can see the movie, the happier I’ll be.
And when I saw the number of comments, I thought “Gee, I wonder how many are from people who’ve never read the books, never will read the books, and dismissively compare it to Twilight/Battle Royale.” Answer, as I suspected, is most.
I liked it.
Without having read the books, which I intend to fix post haste, I’d say the movie did a good job of establishing the setting a characters without trying over hard to explain everything. For instance there is a recurring hand gesture that is never explained but seems to bear resemblence to the V of British history. Also Jennifer Lawrence carries this movie. I want to see more of the series and this actor.
Thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve read all three books (which I highly recommend) and this is a fantastic adaptation. You don’t have to have read the books to enjoy the movie, but if you liked the movie, give the books a try. A lot of fun, but with some substance behind it.
Moie wasn’t amazing, but it’s a good play on gladiators in the American Idol gen. But, a lot of people are going to say this is the best movie ever, maybe a sequel will be more interesting. Sadly, for those who haven’t read all the books the film doesn’t actually explain enough, long sections don’t make sense, or seem to not have any reason they are happening. The world also doesn’t really get explained, in a movie over 2 hours that’s problematic to say the least. But it’s still worth watching, some really interesting ideas all in all. Great acting throughout, obviously child actors are still not very good, but they don’t get in the way of the story, too much.