Maybe reviewing a trailer isn't the best use of one's time, but I consider it an opportunity to convince you to check out an intellectual property. Most of the time, when someone suggests you check out a young adult book series, you balk. There is a stigma attached to literature written for that age group. Witness the scorn many hold for the Twilight series as evidence. Now, I have read the Twilight books. They were an easy and fun read. Were they highly intellectual? Nope. Were the characters realistic and deep? Not at all. Was it still a fun stack of pages? Oh yeah. Regardless, the term "young adult fiction" is not usually a positive endorsement. That is about to change.
If you are looking for something to read, you need to go pick up the Hunger Games. The story revolves around a teen girl who is sent as tribute. In this reality, there are twelve districts, and each year, they must offer up two tributes, one boy and one girl, aged anywhere from twelve to eighteen. These twenty-four young adults must then fight until only one remains standing.
I had heard about the book trilogy and was intrigued. When I found out they were making them into movies, I hesitantly picked up the first book. I stayed up all night reading it, even though I had to work early the next morning. I couldn't put it down. It was gripping. Sadly, I didn't have the other two books at the time to immediately immerse myself in. That's probably good, as I had to go to work about two hours after finishing the first one. Let me assure you that working in the bank, handling people's money is just plain scary on only two hours of sleep.
Needless to say, I went out the next day and picked up the two other books. Now, I am a fan of some bad books and some terrible movies, so I immediately feared I was just being dumb by enjoying those books. To find out, I had Mark read them. You know what? He loved them. Usually, Mark is a pretty good judge, when he's not spell-jamming.
Now, let's get to the preview. The preview does an excellent job of establishing the world that Suzanne Collins created in her novels. You get to see where Katniss, the main character, lives. You get a general idea of the district she is from. You are also introduced to a few of the main characters, which will delight anyone who has read the books. Haven't read the books? That's okay, the trailer gives a pretty succinct synopsis of the movie without exposing all of the exciting bits. The character design is impressive and intriguing. You won't need to have read the books to enjoy the film.
If you have read the books, you do get something extra from the trailer. The theaters have installed a new type of technology specifically for this trailer. When the preview starts, everything is as normal. After the trailer passes the fifty second mark, a fine dust is blown throughout the theater that only affects the patrons who have read the books. It will cause you to get a little choked up, maybe even misty eyed. At least, that is how Mark explained his reaction to the trailer to me.
Even if you don't read the books, go see the movie. The cast is respectable and the source material interesting. The trailer itself makes a good case for seeing the film. If any of you have seen the trailer but not read the books, I would love your input. I can't be completely unbiased because of how much I liked the books. I would like to know what someone who has no previous knowledge feels after viewing. You can find the trailer on the Cinema Blend website. You can always find it on Youtube, as well. Well...unless Sopa passes.
(Moved from FB - January 19, 2012)
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