I read the trilogy and it’s definitely a commentary on present and future totalitarian government. A modern day Atlas Shrugged perhaps.
I was VERY surprised at how much I liked the first movie and how much of it has ‘stuck’ in my brain. A lot of, ‘What would *I* do in this situation?’ thoughts. A good brain exercise! I was seriously expecting some Chick Flick, ala the ‘Vampire’ movies that were all the rage for a while there. *Rolleyes*
Sounds like I’ll like the second installment even better! I also see it as a modern take on Atlas Shrugged.
Kinda surprised Hollyweird green-lighted this one, LOL!
President Snow Job
It only matters if we win elections.
The book series is much better than the movie(s). I liked the books, except the last one, but didn’t care for the movie. I will be seeing the new one and hope if follows the book better.
But yes, the parallels are interesting. The first book was published in 2008, so considering the author is a woman, I would guess she was writing it from a “Bush” prospective. It’s just a happy accident that it really parallels the Obama administration better.
My 13 year-old daughter loves the books, and it’s given us many opportunities to talk about oppressive government and the duty of the people to resist tyranny. Now, when watching the nightly news, she understands the parrallels I draw between what’s going on in this nation, and the dystopian future she’s read about. Sowing some major seeds for future champions of liberty!
FYI - fans of the first movie might want to check out “The Hunger Games Bad Lip Reading” on youtube...absolutely hysterical.
Oh no. It’s the world that would come if the Tea Party got power. Stick to the narrative.
In the supposed criticism of our celebrity-worshipping culture, the book fails completely. Katniss has a makeup and wardrobe team, luxurious quarters and food before the games - that's not criticism, that's pandering to girls and women who want to have their cake and eat it too - who want glamor and acclaim and to be treated like princesses, and yet to be at heart something better, a deadly competent, noble Artemis, worshipped by two men. Would the book have been so popular if Katniss had been simply dropped grubby and unpampered into the arena? Absolutely not.
Rollerball with Bows and Arrows?
I have zero interest in female action heroes... at least not this kind. This movie is for the 15-30 year olds who think gay marriage is perfectly normal.
I’ve read through this thread with interest. I don’t think the political stance of the writer matters as much as the time in which the story was written. Science fiction tends to reflect the thoughts and worries of the time, and the popularity of the books reflects the worry that an all-powerful centralized government will reduce the United States into colorless districts that provide 100 percent of its productivity to a distant elite who rule with totalitarianism combined with bread and circuses.
In that sense, it’s about us. One of the only parts of the United States experiencing expansive economic growth is the capital. Otherwise, most of us are either going nowhere or going downhill. The story reflects the fears of where that will lead. The sullen resentment in District 12 sure as hell reflects a lot of what I hear around me from most everyone, right or left.
The story itself is Theseus, however, and in that respect it’s timeless. I found the book a little dopey, but I’m no longer a kid. I can see a kid latching onto the big government as dictator theme easily, though, so that’s good news. However, that was also the theme of the French Revolution and the Octoberists, so it’s not necessarily all good. It’s just a reflection of where we are now.
Personally, I liked Star Trek better.
Quite an endorsement...