“Why are we watching this?!” was our mantra for this movie. Between the three of us teenagers who started out in separate seats, and ended altogether smashed on the couch, clutching blankets and each other; we must have repeated this phrase continuously every three minutes or so, each taking turns pondering the question aloud, and wondering “What on earth possessed us to watch this movie?!”
Thus was my basic account of “Catching Fire”. Everything was fine in the beginning, almost boringly so, then it gradually started getting more and more uncomfortable. We’re not talking, “Oh this is good-uncomfortable! The movie is causing us to feel emotions in relations to the characters”, more like “Oh help, can we just turn it off?! Should I cover my eyes? Oh there’s more blood-- I’m not feeling too well. Gahhhh...... Somebody hug me.” Gale gets flogged--uncomfortable. But not unbearably so. Peeta and Katniss get married (sorta)--Wow. Really? Sucks to be them. Baby-- Wait what? Peeta...what? WHUT? Finnick--Meh. Disappointing. Cinna--No! Not Cinna! Joanna--HELP. JUST HELP. I think it all started with Joanna. Yes, Joanna started the inevitable descend down the hill of doom. Blame Joanna.
The Fog blisters were disgusting, as they should be, but the mandrills were incredibly predictable. The third in our party, who had not even read the books stated, “And now they’re going to get attacked by the baboons. Yup! I was right!”. Then after the mandrills, everything just rolls together in your mind, smashing the entire rest of the movie into an endless bloody massacre of people killing other people, and you seeing every lovely detail whether you want to or not. Physiologically, it is rather distressing to witness, because everything is happening so fast, that the general mental image you obtain is just blood, blood, mauled bodies, dead bodies, blood, gaping wounds, blood, and more blood. And there’s even blood rain. Which is really quite scary if you think about it. Blood, pouring from the sky, choking you, blinding you, oozing, sticky, blood. Running down you back, into your shirt, wondering where this blood is coming from, is it something’s blood? SOMEONE’S blood? And don’t forget the Jabberjays. *Shudder*
Back to the crazy, foul-mouthed, stripper girl Joanna, who no amount of “bleeping” can disguise what she was really saying. For a PG-13 movie that includes psychological fear, so much violence, a nude scene and TWO f-bombs, this equals an R rating if you ask me. Also, the movie is advertised as a “Action, Drama, Thriller”. If this is so, then why pray tell, am I getting a “Horror” movie? I came to watch a primarily action movie. I instead got a horror movie that just so happened to have people killing each other that classified as action. I am not a squeamish person when it comes to movies. I am not easily frightened. I do not cry. And I hated this movie. Every second of thinking “It can’t get any worse, it’s got to get better...” I hated it. Everyone at school saying “It’s a great movie! You should see it!”, and I hated it. I don’t care. You can’t force me to watch it again. I hate it. I am mentally scarred.
The Hunger Games is a series that seems to shape Teen Books, Movies, and Pop Culture in general. Merchandise floods the stores, billboards, shirts, you can’t seem to get away from The Hunger Games phenomenon. Why? Why, do we glorify a book where kids like myself are forced to slaughter each other? Why do we award the movie adaptation that leaves me with a sick feeling in my stomach and a horrified expression on my face? Why does everyone at school think it’s the best thing since Starbucks? Two words: Bandwagon Effect. “Everyone else is reading The Hunger Games, so why shouldn’t I?” “What does everyone like about it?” “I should find out.” I followed these thoughts, I jumped on this bandwagon along with the millions of other people. And now I want off. If this is what everyone is so stoked about, what everyone else’s “favourite books” are, I want no part of it. I want off the bandwagon, and believe you me, I will take the wheels with me if I have to. The Hunger Games Trilogy Bandwagon needs to stop.
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