not a bad start for this saga eh? *THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE* and *SMILE* are both available for Early Access and Full Length on Patreon! www.patreon.com/professorreactions

In the book it lets you know that she misses at first because she was used to her homemade bow and arrows and she had to re-adjust to using such a good bow.

"That is mahogany!" - "No it's misogynie" 😂

For reference at 36:24, Haymitch pulled a stunt that the Capitol didn’t like in his games (used a forcefield to win). Because of this, they killed his entire family. Saying “they don’t take these things lightly” is an understatement

Good news: after this first film, the shaky-cam calms the HELL down and the camerawork and overall budget gets MUCH better. :) The only scene in this film that I think actually NEEDED the shaky-cam was that initial bloodbath at the start of the Games - because it captured the sense of panic, chaos, and confusion that Katniss was feeling once everyone immediately started slaughtering each other.

Honestly Cato’s last scene made me cry so much. At that point you get to see his humanity, how he’s also just a kid, but he’s been brainwashed since birth to believe that the greatest honor is to win the Games for his district. It’s so normalized for the children to train for years and years, then volunteer and one of them always comes back. They win almost every year, so why wouldn’t he, the strongest tribute from his district, win? He finally becomes disillusioned, realizes that he’s been dead since he started training as a young child. He’s always been the Capitol’s pawn, and now even if he did win, he would be traumatized from the Games. Just as he’s finally pouring it all out to someone who will listen and understand, he gets shot, punched, and mauled by these horrifying mutts. He was the main villain inside the Games, and he was a huge asshole who seemed to enjoy killing at first, but we have no idea what inner conflict he began to have. I just can’t help but remember that he was a product of his environment and again, just a kid.

You’re right that there are plenty of moments where Katniss could have killed many tributes. The book explains all of Katniss’ internal struggles with violence and killing. She’s got a lot more anger than they show in this film but she’s deeply troubled by the prospect of having to kill.

In the books Peeta buried himself practically naked under mud and roots directly by the riverbed, which makes a whole lot more sense than the rock-camouflage 😂

One thing the movies dont explain well is the games are televised, yes, but viewing is mandatory. You have to watch. Also, everyone is so hard on Haymitch. But he has been a mentor every year since his games. And district 12 hasnt had a winner since him. So he's spent a long time training, caring about and getting to know 2 kids each year and watching them die. Anyone would be messed up after that.

In the book Katniss actually kind of likes Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tuccis commentator character) because he makes a genuine attempt to help every tribute shine in their interviews. The general conclusion being that it's basically the least harmful job in the key hunger games staff and the fact he's good at it just helps individual tributes chances with sponsors.

if you think the fashion is outrageous it’s even more in the books- believe it or not it’s toned down. in the books here are some of the things described about the capitol citizens: dyed skin (blue, yellow, pink, etc.), whiskers, talons, gems embedded in skin, tails, etc.

It's so funny, I never noticed how shakey the camera was until I started watching people react to it. Honestly, I think it's because it matched the chaos in the book so well, it just fits for me 🤷‍♀️

I'm sure your Patreon has already told you, but just in case: the books make it clear that there have been riots in the districts over the years. The problem is that they were isolated to the individual districts because the capitol has made sure that they can't really communicate with each other. They're all also highly focused in their individual industries, so no one district has access to all the resources they would need to rebel effectively. The ones that are better resourced the capitol takes the trouble to give preferential treatment to so they're less likely to rebel. Those are the districts from which the "career packs" originate.

when you understand that Cesaer's whole job is to sell the kids so that they can get sponsors and have a better chance to live longer in the games

Those mutts released at the end of the games are more terrifying and disturbing than you think. In the books Katniss started to noticed they had familiar features, when one tried to jump up to catch Them on the cornucopia, Katniss realized it was Glimmer. The capital mixed the DNA of the fallen tributes with animals to create the muttations, mutts for short.

there is no time limit to the games but it’s mentioned in the book that if it gets boring in the eyes of the capitol they will do something to spice it up. like a natural disaster or pushing tributes closer together. also why katniss immediately knew the mutts were the “finale” they will cause something to make it interesting.

The shaky cam and excessive editing was the director's method for attempting to include as much implied violence as possible while maintaining a family-friendly rating. It was definitely a bit much but I'd like to think that it would have been reduced if it could have been. Peeta is even cooler in the books. The movies don't do him justice while they give Gale too much credit. But, they do a great job with handling trauma, PTSD and the morality around violence and resistance to oppression. You should definitely continue. I think that you are going to love these.

If you take a bag that isn’t yours, that tribute will follow you. They need to take their own bag and bolt too. If you take your bag and run, the others are more likely to let you go in favor of grabbing their bag. Only Thresh grabbed two bags because he already killed Clove and he wanted to face Cato one-on-one.

a bit of a backstory in haymitch that’s not talked about in the movies: he won the games in a way that the capitol didn’t like, so they killed his entire family. he’s also the last person from 12 that had won before katniss and peeta, so he has to continuously go through meeting children who inevitably die. all of that turned him to drinking and kinda made him a justified asshole. that’s also why he was so worried for katniss after the games and why he said “they don’t take these things lightly”. he’s not the only person who’s family they killed either

i keep commenting along my viewing but one detail about the three finger salute and rue’s death: the salute is explained in the books as a symbol of district 12 that they use at funerals and the such like it’s a sign of love, remembrance, grief, and goodbye. rue’s death was such a big deal in causing that riot because it was a moment of district solidarity beyond an alliance. it was someone truly caring for someone of another district and it was a reminder that it’s not the districts vs each other as the capitol has engineered but the capitol against the districts. in the book district 11 is very very poor like district 12, but after katniss’ burial of rue she receives a sponsor parachute of a signature district 11 loaf of bread meaning that even though they were poor they all pitched in, probably several, to buy her that bread in thanks.

The girl playing Prim was really incredible at screaming. Best scream until Samara Weaving in Ready or Not

Here’s my thoughts on how they were able to get away with it for 74 years: At this point, there are still people alive who remember the war, and how badly it went for the Districts. They remember the carnage and think it’s better to sacrifice twenty-three people a year than risk absolutely everything being bombed. But every year, the number of people who remember is dwindling, so the metaphorical dam holding back the tide is getting weaker by year 74.

My friend absolutely adores these films and books. I actually painted a portrait of a mockingjay pin for her birthday one year. This was a pretty great adaptation but the scene with the dogs in the book was much more disturbing. There are several creatures that are created by the capitol which are known as mutts. The wolf mutts that chase the final three were designed to look like the fallen tributes, Katniss sees one that is smaller than all the other wolves and it’s eyes are eerily similar to Rue’s. And as the series goes on, your opinion on characters like Haymitch and Effie will likely change. Also the scene with Seneca (the game maker) can be a bit confusing. He was basically sentenced to death for allowing two winners. He was locked in a room with nothing to eat except the nightlock berries. This was a movie only scene, it‘s implied that he was ordered to be killed by president snow in the book but the details of his death are never revealed. Hope you enjoy the sequels!

will forever be annoyed at the way they portrayed peeta in the first movie. he’s a witty, charming, kind and selfless character in the books. in the 1st movie they turned him into a weak stalker boy obsessed with katniss

"she missed, how did she choke?" katniss is used to aiming at a moving target, and using her own bows. that shot would've hit a person in the neck, if they were running, and she adjusted pretty much immediately. she's pretty damn good!

Haymitch isn't terribly likable at first but it kind of makes sense and he grows - on viewers and as a character. He's been through a lot, survived a lot, lost a lot of his loved ones (if not everyone) and has turned to drinking/cynicism to cope. Can't say I blame him either.

Cato's last lines always get me, i hate him and the privilege he and other districts had but that boy and so many other where just realizing they were a bunch of tools, a bunch of pigs for slaughter, the district kids are dead from the day they are born and you can tell the moment he understands that

I actually like the shaky cam, because it adds to the chaos. It makes the shot look the way it must feel to Katniss.

I definitely think the shaky camera worked for the rush scene at the cornetopia, it really showed how chaotic and disorienting it was and with no sound *Chef's kiss*. Every other time it was obnoxious for sure.

The shaky cam never really bothered me, but this is the only movie they did it. There isn't really a huge love triangle here on out (nothing like twilight), it's pretty nonexistent in the books if I remember right.

After hearing the parts you liked about the first one, I think you'll really like the second one. It's my favorite.

Context: Haymitch doesn’t like to teach tributes because he’s known that all the kids he tried to teach ultimately lost and died. Especially since he won by accidentally finding a way to win and it hasnt gone well for him since.

It is lore accurate that there is no time limit on the Hunger Games, primarily because the gamemakers can kill tributes with "nature" at any point. If two tributes are at a standstill at opposite ends of the arena, the less popular tribute could be spared or killed at any point. Flooding, fire, monstrosities, animals, poison gas, any of it.

If you read the books, they are way more graphic than the films, for example, those mutts that we see at the end originally had the fallen tributes' faces and seemingly their eyes, which leads the last tributes to wonder whether they're their real eyes or not. Glimmer's face gets much more deformed, Cato completely loses it at the end (like we see in the film) but it's more gut-wrenching to see him realise the horrors of the games and we realise just how brainwashed the career tributes are etc etc Basically, the books are much more bone-chilling than the films.

Nice, I like how you followed one of my favorite memes _That is MAHOGANY_ with "No, it's misogyny, miss." Lol.

5:07 Yes if you take food from the government then they put your name in the drawing, more you take more times your name goes in.

I love that he, unlike certain other youtubers who react to movies, doesn't pretend to not understand whats going on until its spelled out. Like the sponsor thing, "is that cheating or is that the sponsors" -> parachutes with medicine mentioned "okay so that's the sponsors got it" it makes watching so much more entertaining since you don't feel like rolling your eyes or screaming at the screen every 5 seconds lol

One thing that bugs me is the lowered stakes. Berries? In the mouth before "STOP". Peeta? Blood poisoning and loses his leg after they leave the arena. Cato? Covered in arrow proof armor from a Sponsor so good he's dragged into the cornucopia and is eaten all night by the mutts. He's still alive in the morning and katniss finally leans over and kills him with her last arrow because the sun is coming out and she can see to not waste it since it was being used as a tourniquet for Peeta's leg.

Katniss didn't choke, she had never used a metal bow before (she hadn't practiced where the other tributes could see her, to keep her abilities a secret), only her self made wooden one, so she had to get used to it. Kato is just a brainwashed kid, who has been raised with the idea that he should train and practice and volunteer, and that that was good and right. He is as much a victim of the capital as Katniss is. Even though he's an asshole. Hamitch knows exactly what the capital does when you show them up. This is never explained in the movies, so I think it's okay to mention now. Hamitch won when he was like, 14. He won by using the edge of the arena, where a force field bounced things back, another tribute threw an axe and Hamitch ducked out of the way. The axe bounced on the force field and killed the other kid and Hamitch won. Hamitch's family and girlfriend were all killed as punishment. And now Hamitch has to take a new pair of tributes to the capital and watch them die. Every year. No wonder he's an alcoholic depressed guy. He gets to relive his most traumatic experiences up close year after year. Seneca Crane was basically forced to kill himself by Snow. The love triangle thing, kind of exists. I guess. But it's played up way more in the movies than in the books. In the books Katniss is more or less just trying to survive. And her kissing with Peeta was mostly for the cameras. She is unsure of how she really feels, and she doesn't really have the space to really examine her feelings, because she is continuously trying to survive. This doesn't change all that much in the other books.

Just some more info about the career tributes bc they are so interesting. Career Tributes, more commonly known as Careers, were tributes who trained throughout their life to compete in the Hunger Games. They attended a special combat academy trained by victors until they turned 18, when they would volunteer. Careers came from the wealthier districts: 1, 2, and 4, and being a tribute was seen as a great honor to them. However, the Career Tributes would occasionally form an alliance with a strong tribute, regardless of their district. The Careers in the 74th Hunger Games were led by Cato. Career Tributes were almost always the strongest, most agile, and most flexible players in the Hunger Games, having been prepared and trained since they were born. Even though training tributes before the Games began was technically illegal, the Career districts got away with this due to their wealth and closer ties to the Capitol

The hounds are terrifying before you realise that in the books they were the mutated remains of the now-deceased fellow tributes, like some horrible chimera :( each hound kept the eyes of the tribute that became them

All reactors complain about the shaky cam. Ive heard they did that to sort of hide the violence so they could get a Lower child friendly rating. This is a great series. Cant wait to see the rest of your reactions to it.

"YOU DYE YOUR DOGS?!" I'm sorry to say people do this irl 😭 and while there are pet safe dyes, it's still disgusting. they aren't fashion accessories ffs

Edit for errors: I’m sure you already know from comments and I’m sure it’s not in the movies but I remember Haymitch won when the other tribute flung her axe past the barrier where the arena ends and it rebounded back up and killed the other person left in the game. The game makers did not like Haymitch manipulating his environment like that so I think that’s why he said that they don’t take things like this lightly, showing them up. That’s my take anyway!!

Fun fact: In the books, Cato did not die so quickly. Katniss only had one arrow left and couldn’t get a good shot at him given all of the mutts piling on him (there were far more than three) and so Katniss and Peeta laid on top of the cornucopia as he screamed for hours through the night until she finally was able to get an angle to hit him and he was put to rest. Meanwhile, Peeta was fully bleeding out with a makeshift tourniquet and they didn’t know if he’d make it til morning.

What makes those massive mutant dog beasts even more fucked up is in the books each one has eyes that look like the other dead children’s eyes, so it fucks with the tributes heads making them think the dead tributes bodies were harvested or they came back as mutant zombie beasts or something.

I think the book specifies that the mines are specifically designed to only blow up the one person, which is why she had to sever that bag. It was the only way to destroy all of it without giving herself away completely

It went for 74 years because no one showed compassion or rebellion like Katniss. Everyone played the game. Literally. They were so isolated from each other and followed the Capitols every order. They didn't know the other districts were unhappy either. Propaganda is a powerful thing.

The shaky camera is honestly the reason I rarely re-watch this movie and skip straight to the second one, even though narratively, it's a great movie. Like, I straight-up get sick from how much the camera moves. Me no likey! Looking forward to the reaction to the second movie! :)

25:32 It's interesting to me how quickly you got into the games XD When you get immersed like this, it's hard to realise you're becoming like the people in the Capitol, rooting for kids to kill each other. Though, Rue is the rude awakening of that. Fun fact: The kid sitting there with the spear? He's the one Cato needed to dig up and deactivate the mines. Kid comes from a district where they learn to use mines and such for demolition iirc. 27:52 A lot of your questions are anwsered in the books :D I think you'd have a lot of fun reading at least the first one. Katniss is very silent in the movie, because that's how she is, but in the books you get her thoughts to compensate. 29:50 I mean, yeah, but as Haymitch said; it's a television show and the items the sponsors drop cost a lot of money. A bigger kiss = more sponsors and a bigger chance to win the games 31:10 I would not grab the other bags. You make yourself become a target and this girl, fox face as Katniss calls her in the books, she's sneaky and got far by not interacting with the others

On for my standard comment. The Hunger Games series was commissioned by Scholastic Books to teach students about politics and war. There is another trilogy by Suzanne Collins, The Underland Chronicles, done for younger students. It was a surprise for them. The shaky cam was used to keep the rating low enough with all the violent death so that kids could watch the movie.

So many reactors bring up the negative aspects of the camerawork but I see it as a silent narrator, which I personally think more films should adopt. I'm sick of disembodied voices telling me what I should be shown. If I wanted to be told what the main character was thinking, I'd read the book[s]. Using the camera the way it was in this film forces the viewer to pay attention so they understand what Katniss is feeling even if they've never felt the same as her. The visual is shaky when Katniss (and frankly everyone else living in district 12) doesn't feel in control (inside the district), increases when she's terrified (the games themselves), and steadies when she's hunting in the woods or sitting in the meadow. (at least until the capitol jet flies over then it's briefly back to shaky cam.) The jarring cuts that happen show how stressed she is; a sort of mental black out even though she's still conscious. The tracker jacker venom affecting her and the nightmare that follows. How she goes out of focus when she can't save someone she cares about. For me, the camera work in this first film is up there with the scene in Moulin Rouge when Christian sings The Hills Are Alive, and in the film 1917; all incredibly effective at overwhelming the viewer, allowing us to be completely immersed in the world the story is set in.

I find it weird that in the movie Cinna giving her the mockingjay pin is supposed to be a secret. In the book the game makers had to approve it. They denied a girl’s ring in another district because when you twisted it, it turned into a spike. Cinna had to argue her pin couldn’t be used as a weapon.

I heard somewhere that the extreme shaky cam is due to the filmmakers attempting to keep the PG-13 rating because if they had shown the deaths more clearly the film would have been R (considering it's literal children killing one another).

Something that really bothers me that they didn’t include in the movie was that Peeta actually loses his leg in the fight with the wolf dog thingies - like he gets injured and it’s so bad that he ends up getting a prosthetic

“Gail throwing out spoilers” 🤣

This is one of the few movie series I will rewatch repeatedly.

Watching people watch this movie for the first time is my favorite new pastime

i love haymitch’s character and feel like the movies don’t do him justice. in the books katniss and peeta watch his games. he won the 50th games where there were double the amount of tributes, so he had to witness double the amounts of deaths. and we won his games in a way that the capitol didn’t like, just like katniss. he figured out that at the end of the arena there’s a force field so when an object is thrown at it, it will come back. the last 2 people were the district one girl and haymitch. she had an axe and he had nothing. so she threw the axe at him, he ducked, and the axe came back and killed her. president snow saw his as an act of rebellion and him showing up the capital so he killed his mom, brother, and girlfriend. then he had to train tributes for the next 24 years where they all died expect katniss and peeta. he’s been through so much and it’s sad the movies don’t show it because he just comes off as an asshole

I love how you go from hating the games for its disconnect to human life then slowly shift to a capital citizen in terms of just saying to kill people they need to die anyways and to leave Cado (who has been groomed to only care about the games) in his suffering 😂 no hate, I was the same way, just thought it was funny.

I hope you continue reacting to this franchise. The next one is my favorite one and yes we all hate the shaky cam in the first movie 😂

In the books when katniss is getting flowers for rue she doesn’t care about the other tributes and actively wants them to come get her so she can destroy them

OK but the movie lack of the description of the dog's eyes. It's the fact that they have the same eyes as the dead participant that traumatised me

The way you laughed at Gale’s reaction to the kiss lmao same 👌

"no its misogyny " SENT ME😂😂

I think the purpose of this shaky-cam was to obscure some of the action. This film was aimed at preteens and teens there were people who were concerned about the whole kids killing kids thing. I think it was to keep the rating at a specific level. This shaky-cam obscuring the violence just enough that you don't entirely know what's going on.

"That is mahogany!" "No, it's misogyny, miss!" LMAOOO

Look forward to your reactions to the sequels. And going through some of your other stuff.

The giggle after Gale saw their Kiss was hilarious 💀🤣

Fun fact: In the books the hound things at the end were made from the flesh of the fallen tributes all melted together

This franchise is amazing! Can't wait to see the new one next year!

In the book it explains that they were each only taking their own backpacks from the Cornucopia because they knew taking the backpack of another district would make them a specific target for someone else to go after

The shaky-cam KILLS me!!! The only place I think using the shaky-cam technique was justified was in the initial bloodbath, as a way to communicate how disorienting and chaotic it would have been. While it does have its flaws I have to say I love how faithful the movie adaptation is to the books. Great video!!!

Man, my cat Rue died in December and this got me crying in the club right now.

great reaction, as always! looking forward to the rest of them!

This series just gets better and better.

Loved seeing your reaction but regarding there not being much 'action' I feel I need to point something out. This movie was never suppose to be about the action of the games. The author of these books and the director felt very strongly that the games not be shot in a way to be viewed as entertainment, else the viewers would be just like the Capitol. While this triology portrays violence it is actually a tale against that violence. They are mostly about injustice, finding hope, and taking a stand for what is right even when it could cost you everything.

For some reason I thought you already did these so now I'm very pleasantly surprised!

You’re literally the best commentary person I’ve ever met! You earned a new subscriber

I subscribed just to keep watching you react to hunger games! Can’t wait for part 2!

Just wanted to say I really enjoy your reactions. You should have more subscribers.

Great reaction, can't wait for the next one!

U laughing at Gale crying was the funniest thing I’ve seen in a while 😂

yes i love this! i cant wiat for the whole series. this is like watching it for the first time again

So, to answer some of your questions and provide context: -They only pick children between 12 and 18 - I don't remember if the movie tells you that. Adults are exempt. -There actually have been riots before. But the districts aren't allowed to travel or speak to each other, so they usually don't get far. -ALL of District 12 is poor. Katniss comes from the poorest area, but most people in her district struggle to survive. In fact, in that flashback of her and Peeta, where he throws her bread - she almost starved to death. It's hard to tell, because they obviously couldn't starve J-Law; but in the books it's made very clear that she was dying, and that bread saved her life. And her family's, because... - Her mother is depressed due to her father's untimely death, which means Katniss is the SOLE breadwinner of her family. Hunting is illegal, and she could actually be executed if she's caught; but it's the only way her family stays alive, so she does it. -Hamitch is an alcoholic because of two reasons. First of all, his whole family was killed because the president didn't like the way he won the games. He didn't even do anything wrong; the president just decided he won the games "wrong". Second, he's been forced to mentor tributes every single year. Who have died every single year, because no one from his district has won since him. So he has to bond with these kids, every year, that he knows are going to die. That's why Katniss has to "earn" his attention - she essentially proves that she stands a chance, which means that he might not lose her. Yes, specifically her - the books make it very clear he was willing to sacrifice Peeta to keep her alive.

The fact that he knew Josh Hutcherson was from Zathura gave me an indescribable peace of mind that someone else watched my childhood staple movie.

i am only 2 minutes in to the video but i just wanna say that the minimum age to be "reaped" (picked) for the games is 12 and the maximum is 18 and there is 2 "tributes" per district (one male and one female). In total there is 24 tributes since there is 12 participating districts (district 13 does not participate in the games since they were ex-communicated from the rest of the country) and usually only 1 "Victor" (winner) but the year that Katniss participated both she and Peeta won due to some rule changes that happened because of their "star-crossed lovers" act.

I just found you with this reaction and I'm so happy I did! You've got such a good vibe and I like the way you think about things 🙂 can't wait for the other hunger games videos, I'm gonna check the twilight one I'm sure I'll love it 😂 Also you have amazing hair 😍

FunFact about the "animals": In the book they are made to resemble the Tributes that have died during this game and it is heavily implied that they used the corpses eyes for the animal eyes.

31:09 You take all of them and everyone is after you. You take your own and nothing else, they have bigger things to worry about than going for your head.

In the books the mutant Rottweiler things had the eyes of the dead tributes instead of regular animal eyes.

"no its misogny" LMAOOO

had to subscribe for the prompt "that is mahogany" "no it's misogyny":DD hilarious

Good reaction.👍 Thx.🙂 I think you'll enjoy the rest of the series.

The shaky cam is to stop the gore from being very obvious since they wanted it to be a PG-12 series to grow the viewers

As someone who loved this series and grew up reading the books/watching the movies, seeing Professor No Name enjoy it for the first time is the best part of my year

"No it's misogyny, miss." This killed me and I love you lol

“You dye your dogs?!” Me sitting in the corner with my bright pink dog XD yes I do infact have a dyed dog his name is max and I love him dearly

gale's name was in a ton cause each year he was in thelotto he took extra food for himself his parents and siblings

I love the references in these movies, Seneca Crane with the berries for example. Seneca was a tutor to emperor Nero. When Nero descended into madness and the pisonian conspiracy was revealed, Nero believed Seneca to be involved as well and ordered Seneca to kill himself. The same thing happened with snow and Seneca. Snow didn’t kill Seneca, when he could’ve easily ordered his death. Instead he placed the bowl of poisoned berries in the room with him, telling him to kill himself. Also Cato, the tribute from district two. Cato is of course a common name from the Roman Empire (Cato the younger etc), and him wearing a gladiator uniform in the parade was a nice touch. I will be vague so to not spoil anything, but these references show the empire-like character of the capitol. The main power is situated in the capitol, while the capitol citizens and those loyal to the capitol are rewarded, the others are exploited and punished. Similar to how the Romans viewed those who weren’t Roman. Tolerating and rewarding loyalty of ‘foreigners’ (foreigners being used on ‘Italians’ themselves).