Don't Sleep On The Hunger Games

[Mitch Henessey]

So I was browsing the internet for some movie news, and I found this article:

"The Hunger Games" has just, well, eclipsed "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse."

The upcoming Lionsgate thriller has surpassed the third installment in the hugely successful "Twilight" movie series in first-day ticket sales, surpassing the record set by 2010's "Eclipse" on movie-ticket site Fandango.com.

Also read: "Hunger Games" Onslaught Begins With Advance Ticket Sales and Mall Tour

It remains to be seen whether the movie, which is based on Suzanne Collins' series of young-adult novels, can sustain the momentum, but as of now "The Hunger Games" has posted the highest first-day advance sales in Fandango's 12-year history.

Also read: Simon Beaufoy Working on Script for "Hunger Games" Sequel

Advance tickets for "Hunger Games," which stars Jennifer Lawrence and Liam Hemsworth, went on sale Wednesday at Fandango and MovieTickets.com. The film is still a month from its March 23 release date.

According to Fandango, "The Hunger Games" has already sold out "hundreds of showtimes."

"'The Hunger Games’ is off to a fantastic start,” Fandango's executive vice president and general manager Rick Butler said in a statement, deeming the movie's performance "especially impressive for a March release and a non-sequel.”

Unlike "Eclipse," "The Hunger Games" does not have the benefit of a popular predecessor. It is competing against advance ticket sales for "Tyler Perry's Good Deeds" and "Act of Valor."

MovieTickets.com has not yet responded to TheWrap's request for information on advance ticket sales of "The Hunger Games."

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/hunger-games-beats-out-eclipse-first-day-advance-sales-35683

The Hunger Games will hit theaters in a few weeks, this one has received some hype, but people aren't foaming at the mouth for this film. The Hunger Games is seemingly flying underneath the radar, but a good amount of people are interested in this film, and the success of the advanced ticket sales proves this.

March is typically a dead zone for mainstream Hollywood films, but The Hunger Games could have a nice run at the #1 spot. John Carter might be in the mix a few weeks from now. John Carter is a Disney production, and they are desperately trying to build tons of hype for this film. John Carter could be one of the more successful blockbusters this year, but The Hunger Games should knock this film out of the top spot, when it hits theaters. The Hunger Games will probably see some tough competition from Mirror, Mirror and Wrath Of The Titans (both of these films will arrive in theaters one week after The Hunger Games), but still, The Hunger Games should be able to fight off the competition. Anxious moviegoers are snatching up the tickets fast, and fans of the books will surely support this film, so The Hunger Games will draw some good sized crowds.

The Hunger Games does feel like something different. The premise is very intriguing and unique, Jennifer Lawrence is a solid young actress, and she should deliver with leading role in this film. The Hunger Games should be one of the more successful mainstream films this year, and the excitement is there, because people want to get their hands on the tickets early.

The trailers look good, and The Hunger Games should be an enjoyable sci-fi fantasy film, but there isn't a great amount of buzz surrounding this one. This film is being released in the same year as The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, and The Amazing Spider-Man. May 4th (the release date of The Avengers) is two months away, but the major summer blockbusters have already eaten up every ounce of attention. The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, and The Amazing Spider-Man will dominate this summer (especially The Dark Knight Rises), the box office numbers will be unreal, and moviegoers do have some pretty high expectations for these films.

It's easy to see how this one could get lost in the shuffle this year, but The Hunger Games should become an impressive box office hit. The big summer blockbusters (especially The Dark Knight Rises) will overshadow any success for The Hunger Games, but this film could be something to remember, and The Hunger Games should become the surprise box office hit this year.

What are your thoughts? Are you looking forward to The Hunger Games?

 

[hatehabsforever]

Heading to see the premiere of The Hunger Games in a couple of hours. Should be a superb movie. The trailers look excellent, and all three books were really interesting. Personally, I think it is going to do really well at the box office, blowing John Carter totally out of the water, and I think it may even challenge some of the summer box office blockbusters.

Anyone else heading to the movie tonight, and anyone else psyched for it?

 

[Dave]

The Hunger Games​

I hated this movie.

My girlfriend was really excited about this movie and, hesitantly, I trudged along with her on he day of the UK release. But fuck me, was it ever boring!

Now, don't get me wrong, I've sat through my share of her choices. We seen Crazy, Stupid Love and The Vow not too long ago and I always found something to latch onto and at least want to see the resolution. This film just stinks of pre-teen enthusiasm. It has every single cliché in the book and I, for one, hated every single moment of it.

However, I can see that it is going to make it's money. It is going to ride the same pre-teen, hopeless romantic horse that Twilight did and will continue to do for many a year. It's going to be one of those films that our girlfriends are always going to want to see and one of those films that we're always going to have to see... For their sake.

So, for whatever failings this movie has, you just better get used to pretending to like it. It's either that or a damaged relationship. Take your pick.

*​

This is my review of The Hunger Games. As you could probably see, I wasn't a fan of it.

That said, I can't really see how it has managed to achieve something of this magnitude. I like Twilight, to be honest with you. I think they're interesting at points and I'm digging some of the aspects of the films.

However, I just didn't like The Hunger Games whatsoever, I had never even heard of the film before my girlfriend mentioned it. She seemed to think that it was going to be an amazing movie and even she came out of the theatre disappointed with the outcome.

But that's neither here nor there. It is a massive accomplishment for a March release. I didn't think that it deserved the accomplishment but that's just my opinion. I've heard people going wild about it already. To be honest though, I just expected a lot more from this movie. If this is what I've got to look forward to this year, then I'm going to save my money.

 

[LoudClearVoice]

I have not read the book(s) but the preview looks just ok to me... From what I'm hearing so far from friends, relatives, movie reviews, etc., people that have read the books liked the movie, people that haven't thought it was ok.

I will probably see it but I'm not dying to see it.

 

[AndThat'sTheBottomLine]

It's not really a bad movie. It didn't really hold me in a vice grip but it held my interest.

 

[BK Styles]

I was intrigued by the film, so whilst at work on Saturday (I work in a newsagents that sells books) I gave the book a read on my break. I promptly bought it, finished it today, and bought the next two. It's a really good read, with some very interesting and fleshed out characters. And the writing in the actual games is excellent; the description is so good you can visualise the arena with little difficulty. The ethical side of it is very thought provoking, and is very well presented in the backstory of this near-future with a dark twist.

I can definitely see the comparison with Twilight in therms of the love story, but I do think Hunger Games does it better. Then again, I am biased, as I hate Twilight. As far as I'm concerned, any love story in a film is better than 'I can't pick between the vampire or the werewolf.' The love story in Hunger Games is much more complicated than just 'who should I pick?' and is more about the rammifications within the world they live in. It just seems like a more intelligent look at it in my view.

But even with enjoying the book so much...I dunno. I'm not overly keen to see the film, mainly because of how much I've enjoyed the book. I'm worried that my expectation, having read it, will be too high and I'm gonna be disappointed (as the trend usually is with books into films).