More detailed THG reaction post - Part 2/2
Continued...
-- The rapid-fire editing during the initial brawl at the Cornucopia: made it kind of hard to get a read on the scene (though perhaps that was the point), but you still see enough to cringe away from the brutality.
-- Katniss found water a little too quickly, IMO. But I suppose the filmmakers thought Katniss basically living in the woods in District 12 more or less covered those particular survival skills of hers and wanted to focus more on her actually facing up against the other Tributes and the Gamemakers.
-- I kind of wish there'd been a little more with Katniss reacting to Peeta's perceived betrayal with the Careers.
-- Seneca Crane gleefully tossing obstacles in Katniss's path... brilliant and horrifying. Since we can't see Katniss's thought process on the Gamemakers' motivations, it was interesting to see the actual machinations in action.
-- Liked seeing Haymitch trying to woo sponsors.
-- The trackerjacker scene was spot-on in every way. Katniss's physical pain and frustration as she saws the tree, the resulting frenzied horror when the nest explodes.
-- Did not expect the sudden trackerjacker-induced flashback to Mr. Everdeen's death and its aftermath. o_O
-- I could have done with at least one more scene with Katniss and Rue together.
-- Even with that, I (and others in my audience) was brought to tears again with Rue's death. Katniss's crying, the lullaby, the flowers, the salute... and then seeing it spur the angry outcry in District 11. Wow. Catching Fire, indeed.
-- Cato snapping the District 3 boy's neck. o_O
-- Snow's comment about seeing the type of underdogs they have in the outlying districts, and how "you wouldn't root for them either." Perfectly Snow.
-- Haymitch being the one with the idea to change the rules for the "star-crossed lovers." Interesting.
-- Katniss's soft and desperate "Peeta" when she realizes they can both live. <3
-- They left so many of Peeta's good lines out: "You here to finish me off, sweetheart?" and "Frosting, the final defense of the dying." Alas. I loved that they kept in his camouflage skills, though.
-- I wish the cave scenes had run longer. There really wasn't much time to build up the urgency of Peeta's injury, and it's so important to establishing his and Katniss's relationship. I did love Peeta observing how fitting it was for her to feed him (in a moment of need) when he'd once helped feed her, and the moment of genuine tenderness when he applies the ointment to her wound. The way he looks at her there... *sigh* There were moments you couldn't tell how much of the affection was faked for the games, and some you couldn't help but see was real - just like the book.
-- Cutting to Gale's reaction to the affection between Katniss and Peeta. Again, I almost feel for the character, even if I think he's all wrong as a romantic partner for Katniss.
-- Thresh killing Clove. Again, o_O Not remotely glamorous or cool, just as brutal as it needed to be. I don't recall a single audience cheer or "yes!" when a tribute died... if it wasn't stunned silence, it was horrified gasps or the sound of sniffling tears. Well done, Gary Ross.
-- Katniss screaming angrily at Peeta then embracing him fiercely because she'd thought the cannon blast was his death, not Foxface's... another moment where you have to question how much is "real or not real?" Katniss's terror was genuine in that moment.
-- I would have liked the final battle on the Cornucopia to go on longer, and to have included the revelation on just who/what the Mutts represented. I was glad they at least kept Katniss "sparing" Cato from the Mutts.
-- Seneca's implied death, locked in the room with the Nightlock berries... BRILLIANT.
-- "What happens now?" "We try to forget." "I don't want to forget." Ohhh, Peeta.
All in all: I give it probably an 8-8.5 out of 10. Well done, Gary, Jennifer, Josh, and company! Bring on Catching Fire!
-- The rapid-fire editing during the initial brawl at the Cornucopia: made it kind of hard to get a read on the scene (though perhaps that was the point), but you still see enough to cringe away from the brutality.
-- Katniss found water a little too quickly, IMO. But I suppose the filmmakers thought Katniss basically living in the woods in District 12 more or less covered those particular survival skills of hers and wanted to focus more on her actually facing up against the other Tributes and the Gamemakers.
-- I kind of wish there'd been a little more with Katniss reacting to Peeta's perceived betrayal with the Careers.
-- Seneca Crane gleefully tossing obstacles in Katniss's path... brilliant and horrifying. Since we can't see Katniss's thought process on the Gamemakers' motivations, it was interesting to see the actual machinations in action.
-- Liked seeing Haymitch trying to woo sponsors.
-- The trackerjacker scene was spot-on in every way. Katniss's physical pain and frustration as she saws the tree, the resulting frenzied horror when the nest explodes.
-- Did not expect the sudden trackerjacker-induced flashback to Mr. Everdeen's death and its aftermath. o_O
-- I could have done with at least one more scene with Katniss and Rue together.
-- Even with that, I (and others in my audience) was brought to tears again with Rue's death. Katniss's crying, the lullaby, the flowers, the salute... and then seeing it spur the angry outcry in District 11. Wow. Catching Fire, indeed.
-- Cato snapping the District 3 boy's neck. o_O
-- Snow's comment about seeing the type of underdogs they have in the outlying districts, and how "you wouldn't root for them either." Perfectly Snow.
-- Haymitch being the one with the idea to change the rules for the "star-crossed lovers." Interesting.
-- Katniss's soft and desperate "Peeta" when she realizes they can both live. <3
-- They left so many of Peeta's good lines out: "You here to finish me off, sweetheart?" and "Frosting, the final defense of the dying." Alas. I loved that they kept in his camouflage skills, though.
-- I wish the cave scenes had run longer. There really wasn't much time to build up the urgency of Peeta's injury, and it's so important to establishing his and Katniss's relationship. I did love Peeta observing how fitting it was for her to feed him (in a moment of need) when he'd once helped feed her, and the moment of genuine tenderness when he applies the ointment to her wound. The way he looks at her there... *sigh* There were moments you couldn't tell how much of the affection was faked for the games, and some you couldn't help but see was real - just like the book.
-- Cutting to Gale's reaction to the affection between Katniss and Peeta. Again, I almost feel for the character, even if I think he's all wrong as a romantic partner for Katniss.
-- Thresh killing Clove. Again, o_O Not remotely glamorous or cool, just as brutal as it needed to be. I don't recall a single audience cheer or "yes!" when a tribute died... if it wasn't stunned silence, it was horrified gasps or the sound of sniffling tears. Well done, Gary Ross.
-- Katniss screaming angrily at Peeta then embracing him fiercely because she'd thought the cannon blast was his death, not Foxface's... another moment where you have to question how much is "real or not real?" Katniss's terror was genuine in that moment.
-- I would have liked the final battle on the Cornucopia to go on longer, and to have included the revelation on just who/what the Mutts represented. I was glad they at least kept Katniss "sparing" Cato from the Mutts.
-- Seneca's implied death, locked in the room with the Nightlock berries... BRILLIANT.
-- "What happens now?" "We try to forget." "I don't want to forget." Ohhh, Peeta.
All in all: I give it probably an 8-8.5 out of 10. Well done, Gary, Jennifer, Josh, and company! Bring on Catching Fire!