As Pierce Brosnan celebrates his 60th birthday (we can't believe it either!) we look back at how all the James Bond stars have changed over the years
15/03/2012 13:42 | By Kerri-Ann Roper, Senior Editor, MSN Entertainment
The Hunger Games: what you need to know
Haymitch Abernathy
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Another central character is Haymitch Abernathy, played by Woody Harrelson. He's the mentor for the District 12 tributes (Katniss and Peeta) - but we soon discover he's not much help as he's a raging alcoholic.
We learn that he is also victor of the Hunger Games - he won them when he was 16. And it's now his job to mentor and help prepare other tributes every year.
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38Comments
15/03/2012 15:51
Why watch a poor Battle Royal rip off? Teens in a last stand kill off rated 12. What do they do hug each other to death?
15/03/2012 17:27
Sounds to me like a couple of films that have already been made, The Running Man and Battle Royale fused together.
Is there any originality left in this world?
It seems to me that the cinema screens these days are full of movies that are bad remakes of far more superior movies that we've already seen.
15/03/2012 17:19
Sounds a hell of a lot like Battle Royal just gayed up. The Asians do this sort of thing alot better than the socialists at Hollywood
15/03/2012 16:19
Mark,
thats so true!
you made me laugh! 
15/03/2012 17:49
I'm Just in the middle of reading the 2nd book now as i plan to have done the trilogy before the film comes out. to be honest, im grateful that Hollywood decides to makes film adaptation from books or i would never hear of them over here!
The books are really good and yeah they may be a bit like Battle Royale and Running Man but its also quite a modern remake on the whole thing. I Like the dystopic/utopic set up of the books and hopefully that will come across in the film.
i am a bit disappointed it is a 12A as that does mean that all the twilight critics out there will instantly tie both films together and in the same way how tweens will fire on the critics as they can gain access. could easily have got away with it being a 15.
15/03/2012 17:29
Why compare it to twilight? it doesn't sound much like it, and the storyline sounds marginally better. Though, like someone else said, it is just a rip off of battle royale.
15/03/2012 17:32
What a bland synpsis of a very powerful story. 'Battle Royale' ripoff? Was 'Batle Royale' a ripoff of the Theseus/Minotour myth as well? The Theseus myth was my first thought when I first read the book. I've never heard of 'Battle Royale'
15/03/2012 18:31
Some of you people seem to of already judged this film before seeing it.
As a person who has read the books and enjoyed Battle Royale before i read them, i think i'm in a position to say they are not as similar as it sounds. The actual games is more like a back-drop to a bigger picture, where as in Battle Royale, it was just people killing each other.
Either way, i definitely don't think you can judge this film without seeing it, or ever even reading the book it's based on, and having immediate negativity towards it is pointless.
Nothing is ever truly original...
15/03/2012 20:34
As a longbow archer looking at the woman drawing the bow makes me cry WHAT IS SHE DOING with the arrow ?
15/03/2012 19:52
This is the best book I have read in ages! Its absolutely brilliant! So, so much better than twilight 
19/03/2012 12:06
How is this movie different from Battle Royale?
16/03/2012 19:22
"The new Twilight"
Pfft, please...
As much as I do enjoy Twilight, you can hardly compare the two. The only real similarities are a female protagonist, and enough fans to start an army and conquer a small country.
Twlight's monotone lead spends most of the saga debating who she should essentially go out with. The Hunger Games lead is thrust into a do or die situation and emerges not with a guy on each arm, but battered and bloody.
Just to reiterate, I enjoy Twilight just as much for what it is, but I fail to see the comparisons.
15/03/2012 18:49
Don't ever, EVER call this the new Twilight. NEVER. Twilight is **** and this book is MESMORIZING. I cannot stop reading it. On the last book. Read the first book like a hundred times.
Warning: Once you start the book, prepare to leave life until you finish it... as you won't be able to stop.
16/03/2012 02:48
lol, this movie looks ridiculous.
From what I gathered, the "Hunger Games" are about people that have to kill each other.
And... it's a 12A.
Sounds a bit like a Twilight/ Battle Royale mash-up. What a crock of ****.
From what I gathered, the "Hunger Games" are about people that have to kill each other.
And... it's a 12A.
Sounds a bit like a Twilight/ Battle Royale mash-up. What a crock of ****.
16/03/2012 00:12
credit where its due, this book or film would have not been done if the classic battle royale would have been made, hope it gives it justice.
15/03/2012 17:33
THANK YOU to whoever decided to write about The Hunger Games, it is AMAZING! Read all three books and can't wait for the movie!
21/03/2012 19:49
I am genuinely sick and TIRED of hearing the same thing over and over, "Hunger Games is a rip off from Battle Royale."
Yes Battle Royale was fantastic, yes the violence and fight scenes were monumental, yes it made history as it was so controversial in its time. But no, Hunger Games isn't anything like it. Reading books by both authors people fail to see the only REAL similarity in both stories is survival of the fittest theme, children killing each other in a secluded area.
And to be honest the first Hunger Games is the only one truly anything like Battle Royale, as Alison said below me, Battle Royale invokes the overpopulation of Japan, along with the teenagers disrespect of adults.
The Hunger Games invokes the pressure and power government has over society, and is based in the post-apocalptyic america. It continue's on to become a REVOLUTION and a WAR between the government and a rebel army led by the female protagonist when leading into the second and third book. Although it may be an easy read and simply written for a teenage audience, make no mistake that The Hunger Games is a fantastic gripping and thought provoking story line.
16/03/2012 17:29
The subject matter does not interest me the more comments I read the less I wan't to watch . So many film adaptations disappoint if you have read the book first . I possess a large library of real books in bookcases on subjects that interest me .This film does not . Am I abnormal ?
15/03/2012 16:38
ha hah ha ... i`m hungry allready sam !! 
18/03/2012 15:45
OMG keep calm and love the wanted ur awesome
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