Senior Ellie Stewart looks at the clock. It’s 11:59 at night. She has been waiting in line all night to get into the midnight premier of “The Hunger Games”. She pre-ordered her tickets weeks in advance in anticipation of tonight. Ellie is just one of the millions of people who saw “Hunger Games” on its opening weekend.
“The Hunger Games” is the newest phenomenon taking the country by storm, a movie adaptation of the best selling book by Suzanne Collins. It made $152.5 million opening weekend, and that’s only on its American release.
Students at Blue Valley Southwest have taken a great interest in the blockbuster sensation as well, with many reading the books or seeing the movie.
“I’ve seen the movie once and read the whole series once, but I’ve read the first book twice,” sophomore Sydney Haas said.
“I’ve read the book once and saw the movie twice,” Stewart said.
These are only two of the many students who have read or seen The Hunger Games, and with two more movies on the way, the series won’t be leaving anytime soon.
This poses a question of whether the movie can match the quality of the book.
“I liked some of the changes they made from the book to the movie,” Haas said. “During the movie I was worried about the outcome of the games even though I knew what was going to happen.”
Of course, the movie must resemble the book if it is to capture the audience’s attention.
“I liked the movie because it was so much like the book,” Stewart said. “All of the little details were included and nothing really was left out.”
Like all moviegoers, fans all have their own favorite part of the movie.
“I thought it was one of the best movies I’ve ever seen,” junior Kyle Pepper said. “The way the director perceived the districts and the action was pretty realistic.”
As shown, girls are not the only ones who enjoy The Hunger Games. “I loved how it (The Hunger Games) didn’t tone down what happened in the book,” freshman Wyatt Hendrickson said.
The question remains: Which is better, the movie or the book?
“Even though the movie was really good, I think the book was better,” Haas said. “It gives more details and develops all of the characters better.”
Sometimes imagination is all you need to bring a book to life.
“The book is better because you get to imagine what everything looks like and basically play out the games in your mind, Stewart said. “The book sucks you in and you can’t put it down.”
“The Hunger Games” is quickly gaining popularity and isn’t planning on slowing down anytime soon. If you want any further insight, see the movie for yourself. If the revenue isn’t lying, you won’t be disappointed.
