The games have officially begun. In Part 2 of our discussion on The Hunger Games, we move beyond the setup and dive into the Capitol, the training center, the arena, and the moments that begin turning Katniss Everdeen from a tribute into something much more dangerous to President Snow. We break down Peeta’s ability to play the Capitol’s game, the star-crossed lovers strategy, Katniss firing an arrow at the Gamemakers, the Careers, the bloodbath at the Cornucopia, and how the movie handles the brutality of the arena compared to the book. We also get into Rue and her relationship with Katniss, whether her death hits as hard as it should, the very questionable camouflage abilities of Peeta Mellark, the feast, the mutts, Cato’s final moments, and of course the nightlock berries that quietly change everything. Was Katniss intentionally rebelling against the Capitol, or was she simply refusing to let the Gamemakers control her? How much of Peeta and Katniss’ relationship was real, and how much was survival? And did the movie soften the Hunger Games too much compared to the novel? There is plenty to agree to disagree about. Next up, we continue the series with The Hunger Games Catching Fire.
