Not all YA book adaptations do well translating from the page to the big screen, but The Hunger Games series is one that actually did well despite problems like shaky cam, lackluster male leads and some tweaking between the book to film. Many fans were dismayed to find their favorite lines and scenes didn't make the cut. It happens; if every scene were made into the movie, it would be several hours long.
Still, we have to find fault for not including some key scenes that either added to the story or to the characters themselves. Fans were really looking forward to seeing these moments on screen.
10. Peeta's Prosthetic Leg And Severe Infection
Katniss's competence with Peeta's infection in the book was incredible. Reading about her gagging while cleaning his wounds and forcing him to eat really showed just how much danger he was in, but in the movie he barely even seems hurt. He's got a couple of cuts and a fever and that's about it. It doesn't even feel urgent.
His condition is so bad that he loses a leg in the process. This should have been adapted to the film not only to demonstrate the serious nature of his injuries and what it took to keep him alive, but to also give some much-needed representation of people with prosthetic limbs in a major motion picture.
9. Madge Undersee's Involvement
Viewers who've never read The Hunger Games novels are likely not familiar with Madge Undersee, the daughter of the mayor of District 12. Madge is Katniss's only friend in the district aside from Gale, and she's the one who gives Katniss the mockingjay pin. The fact that it comes from someone connected with the district government is an integral subversive act that give it much more meaning in the book.
The fact that Made is cut overall is also a shame, since Katniss doesn't have many girlfriends and Madge was one of the few people she could occasionally talk to. Her life was another loss Katniss also had to endure.
8. Haymitch's Drunkenness
Woody Harrelson maintained that he didn't want to portray Haymitch Abernathy as a stereotypical staggering drunk, so he didn't. While we can respect that, it's not in line with the character from the novels who was staggering and falling all over himself who needed to get sober in order to train the tributes.
Haymitch's Quarter Queel experience from the 50th Hunger Games were also cut from the movie. When Katniss and Peeta see the videos, they witness Haymitch pairing up with another tribute and then parting ways, a scene many fans had hoped to see. It also set the scene for Beetee's plan later in the 75th games.
7. Dance With Plutarch Heavensbee
Losing Philip Seymour Hoffman before the films were complete was a tragedy, and we can only guess what the talented actor could have continued to bring to the world of film. There was a moment in the movies missing from his character's story in the books as well. The Head Gamesmaker shows Katniss his mockingjay watch while dancing with her in order to hint at his allegiance, but it's so subtle she doesn't connect the dots until much later in the book.
Heavensbee acts proud about his hint later, completely unaware that the connection wasn't immediately made for the teen. It's a great example of how much the adults of the book really expect out of her, which is one of author Suzanne Collins' best themes in her works critiquing war.
6. More Of Their Train Tour Scenes
It makes sense why so much of Katniss and Peeta's victory tour in Catching Fire was cut for the movies, because it could have been an entire film on its own. The film conveys the fact that there's unrest, there are rebellions happening behind the scenes and as the two victors head from district to district, they learn that their words are hollow and need to be changed to truly reflect the cost each district paid to the Capitol.
This is also a time when the two really build on their relationship, which is largely missing from the movies. Although Katniss clearly ends up with Peeta, audiences are baffled as to why, as they had no chemistry and little romantic development. It's much heavier in the book, and it's done among nightmares, PTSD and teen emotions in a way that's more realistic and moving than many other dystopian novels.
5. Finnick In His Underwear
There are so many harrowing moments in The Hunger Games series that every bit of humor is desperately needed, and unfortunately one of the best lines was chopped from Mockingjay. When a remark is made about how handsome Gale is, Boggs remarks, "Well, don't expect us to be too impressed. We just saw Finnick Odair in his underwear." Boggs is almost a father figure to Katniss in this book and it's lovely to have this exchange, but it also builds on the fact that Finnick is such a popular celebrity, one that Panem pretty much sees as a supermodel. And while Sam Clafin did fine, the actual book-Finnick was so beloved by fans that it's still too early to talk about.
Some other wonderful quotes were also cut, particularly lines between Katniss and Peeta that made their relationship much more believable. Katniss calls out Peeta's name when she realizes they can work together, clamping her hands over her mouth afterward, and Peeta's cute and clueless clomping around in the woods, which is a liability for her, isn't included, either.
4. Katniss Meets Refugees From District 8
When Katniss goes to spend some alone time in her dad's old cabin in the woods, she bumps into two refugees, Bonnie and Twill, who are not only trying to make it to District 13 without starving but who are also ers of hers. There are other moments where Katniss tries to gather information, such as while visiting Madge's house, as she puts the pieces of the revolution together.
Cutting the scene made sense for time but it was a nice first stepping stone toward proving the existence of District 13 as well as demonstrating the effect Katniss was already having in Panem.
3. District 11 Sending Katniss Bread
Sponsorships by Capitol citizens in the films are barely mentioned, but they are everything in the book. Katniss knows her likability by the audience, in conjunction with her scores and performance, determine whether or not she gets aid from sponsors who watch the games for fun. There are a lot of moments where she receives items, but when District 11, the poor district where Rue was from, sent her a loaf of bread after she honored Rue, it meant so much. The moment still gives us goosebumps.
While filmmakers opted to use the three-fingered salute instead, which likely saved some time, the bread means so much more because it didn't come from rich sponsors but people who had to make a sacrifice to send it to her out of gratitude. It was also an incredible act of rebellion, since people don't normally send aid to tributes outside their own district.
2. Fallen Tribute Mutts
Some of the moments cut from the films are probably better left out for youth and teen audiences, but if the movies were made again with R-ratings depicting their actual content, the muttations based on fallen tributes should definitely be included. These "mutts" that slayed Cato in the first book weren't generic beasts but designed specifically with the fallen tributes' attributes, which was meant to unsettle the remaining contenders.
It's one of the scariest moments in the series, so when we see the mutts on screen without these creepy additions they just don't have the same affect as they did when they chilled us to the bone in the book.
1. Many Violent Scenes
To maintain their ratings, directors removed many of the source material's violent scenes, from Peeta offing a girl in District 8 and Chaff to Katniss offing a Capitol citizen to keep her squad from being reported. Cato's demise scene is much more brutal in the book, too, and while we don't necessarily want to see all of the gore, we are curious as to how Cato managed to beat Thresh.
One of the major complaints that people had were that none of the youth even appeared hungry, when in the books they are weary with dehydration and starvation--many before they even enter the arena while living in their own districts. We get not wanting to have emaciated teens, but some CGI would have helped make it much more realistic.
