The Hunger Games, Round Two

I visited Panem again today. I was still a very enjoyable experience! (Believe me, it was, despite what I'm going to say next.)

Movie-Peeta is still a bit whiny and sissy. I spotted the key scenes that kind of make him lame and not right for me: 1) When he says he knows he can't win, and even his mom thought so. He sounds bitter at Katniss, like he was making himself a martyr. He should be calmer; hurt, of course, but hiding it, for Katniss. That's how I always saw it in my head. 2) When he waves at the Capitol people from the train, smiling idiotically. Haymitch's comment saves a lot, even though to me Peeta really doesn't look like "he knows what he's doing", he just looks like he likes the attention and the shiny Capitol. 3) When they show his score; again, he cares way too much about himself and a stupid score, and looks happy and relieved that he didn't make a fool out of himself. He should've just made some dry comment about sacks of flour as lethal weapons. 4) When Katniss finds him by the stream and treats his wounds and it looks bad. I can't get over the absence of "You here to finish me off, sweetheart?"... The scenes in the cave make Peeta look weak and fragile, a simple little boy, and he really is not that.

On the other hand, I also paid attention to the things that made Peeta feel like the real Peeta. He's not a total loss... 1) Joking with Ceasar in his interview. 2) The "I don't want them to change me" speech. 3) When he screams for Katniss to run in her "hallucination". 4) The bow joke. 5) When they announce that there is only one winner after all, and he tells Katniss to shoot him. 6) When he touches her braid. I also liked the final scene better now than last time. I mean, it really isn't that clear that it was mostly a game for Katniss and Peeta is extremely hurt, but chooses to be the bigger man and all that, but if you know what is going on in the characters' heads, it works quite well.

Jennifer is still the perfect Katniss.

Seneca Crane's beard still held my gaze every second it was on screen.

The District 11 scene was still spectacular, and the goosebumps were terrific.

...Ahem. This really was not the kind of post that I was supposed to write. Really. I guess I just care too much about my Peeta. But I don't think it's a coincidence that three out of three of the people I know who saw the movie but didn't read the books weren't very amazed by Peeta. And as you know, among the fans of the books, Peeta is probably the biggest favorite. I suppose I should be extremely mad that they didn't get him 100 % right in the movie (I certainly thought I would be if this were to happen), but nah, I don't know. It's just the movie. The real Peeta is still the most lovable thing ever, and nothing can take that away.

I feel like reading the books, again.

EDIT// I actually turned my laptop back on to write this. Haha, obsessive much? Anyway, about Haymitch! He wasn't drunk enough. Or mean enough. After his first scene he pretty much turns into a jolly fellow, who very clearly likes Katniss. No "Stay alive". No "Did I actually get a pair of fighters this year?". No "You've got about as much charm as a dead slug". It is actually easy to like the movie-Haymitch, which means something is definitely wrong.

...Oh my god, can you see what I'm turning into? Next I'll start nit-picking about Buttercup being black instead of orange. Or about Effie not saying "It's a big, big big day!" even once. That was quite a shame, actually... Aw, bed! Now woman!