I do love that in this movie the arena is actively trying to kill them. AND FUCK THOSE BABOONS FOR SERIOUS. The nerve gas was pretty horrific too, although it washed away really easily so we wouldn't have to look at our pretty actors covered in boils. Also the moment when Katniss shoots the lightning arrow at the forcefield was fucking awesome. Baddest of all badasses, Katniss Everdeen.

You know, I did not think the world needed a remake of Robocop, but that trailer is pretty sweet.

So we got back from seeing Catching Fire. I'm trying to formulate my reaction (it always takes me awhile). But let me leave with a couple of thoughts.

Jena Malone (Joanna) was the fucking BOMB. That is all. LOVED her. I also loved Finnick. I was not all that thrilled after seeing the pic of the actor, but he pulled it out. He will do just fine in the remaining movie(s). I thought Tucci was FANTASTIC. I also really liked Beetee and Wiress.

I find Peeta kind of limited as an actor, and Plutarch was eh. I feel like PSH just showed up on set, put a comb through his hair said his lines and went to his trailer.

I think the movie doesn't really hit all the points that the book does from a societal critique level and some important details. I had to explain nearly the whole movie for Beau - and he had seen the first movie. Now for spoilers: Beau thought that Snow recruited all the old tributes to kill Katniss. He felt like the game was rigged because they were all out to kill her. I told him: it is actually the opposite: the game is designed to have one victor and about half were there to PROTECT Katniss & Peeta. The game designers always put in traps for the contestants. On the 30 minute drive home, I had to re-explain the movie based on the writer's intent. He also didn't understand why Katniss was having nightmares. I think it is possible the movie didn't fully demonstrate how terrifying the experience was in HG and how traumatized the returning recruits were - both because of the what they had to do in the games AND because of how the Capitol exploited them. Beau also wanted to see more of the unrest in the districts. I told him because the books are first-person, we saw/knew very little of the full extent of it until Book 3.

And that's when I figured what they will do with the sequels. I think the first movie will be all District 13 and the resistance. The 2nd movie will be the Capitol assault. I can't think of how else they would split this up .

I liked the movie over all. I probably enjoyed the movie more than Thor 2 (because I understood what was going on to a greater degree). I think CF could have been shorter, or they could have made different choices to include more context.

Whereas the non-readers I saw it with were more "I'm so glad they explained why people were randomly helping her, but it was a bit Mary Sue." They understood it perfectly, I think--we probably explained more about the first one than this. By the end of the movie, most everything was made clear (except why a society watches kids kill kids, but I contend FNL).

Yeah I think Beau was trying to figure why Snow was presented as being so incompetent. That is why he assumed that something else was up.

In a screeching 180 degree change of direction, Mother of George sounds like it could be beautiful(ly heartbreaking) if it lives up to that review. Where to see, where to see...

I think what's maybe not coming across to non-readers is 75 years of lockdown. Three quarters of a century and no one has dared step out of place. If Katniss hadn't been walking around when she shouldn't be, she wouldn't have known about dissidents elsewhere. What she represents hasn't happened since Panem had the shit beat out of it--Snow has been good at his job. This is unprecedented.

Ooh, le n, I bet you are right about the next movies.

Burrell,

further, I bet the next movie ends with Peeta trying to choke her out. That would be dramatic and set up the final movie.

You're good.