With Lionsgate's big screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ teen-centric sci-fi survival-adventure the Hunger Games hitting screens this week, it’s kind of impossible not to draw comparisons to that other YA juggernaut series, which concludes its billion-dollar run on pop culture this fall. So how does The Hunger Games measure up to Twilight?Some spoilers follow.
THE BOOKS
Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight, first published in 2005, spawned a total of four books (and one spin-off novella) that were adapted into five movies (Breaking Dawn Part 2 hits screens this November), with over116 million copies in print.
Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, first published in 2008, spawned a total of three books set to be adapted into four movies, with over 26 million copies in print.
Advantage: Twilight
THE HEROINE
Twilight: Bella Swan is a 17-year-old girl who moves to gloomy Forks, Washington and falls in love with a vampire. Unassuming and average, she finds her inner strength after four novels’ worth of being imperiled by embracing her destiny and starting a family.
Hunger Games: Katniss Everdeen is a 16-year-old girl who lives in gloomy District 12 in the fascist future world of Panem and must fight for her life in a televised battle royale. A skilled huntress, she finds her inner heroine after three novels’ worth of being a pawn in the Capitol’s games by embracing her destiny and becoming a symbol of the resistance.
Advantage: Hunger Games
SUPER POWERS (AND SUPER WEAKNESSES)
Twilight: Left at the mercies of other people’s protection, Bella’s the lame duck for most of the saga, until she discovers that her secret power is, literally, the ability to protect her loved ones. Seriously. Meanwhile, her love for Edward keeps threatening to ruin everything – prom, her sex life, the future of all vampirekind.
Hunger Games: Empowered at an early age thanks to her father’s untimely death, Katniss is the provider in her family for most of her life, until she enters the Games and discovers that compassion for others, and the newfound ability to trust in Peeta, is the key to survival. Her only weakness, it could be said, is that her personal drive to survive is so strong she has trouble seeing the big picture, and her place in it.
Advantage: Hunger Games
THE LOVE TRIANGLETwilight: Bella must choose between two suitors – Edward Cullen, the sparkly vampire, and Jacob Black, her werewolf BFF. Heated tent scenes, make-out sessions, and torrid glances ensue.
Hunger Games: Katniss must choose between two suitors – Peeta, the golden baker’s son (and her fellow Tribute in the Hunger Games), and Gale, her earthy BFF. Play-acted cave scenes, tender kisses, and internal struggles ensue – that is, when Katniss isn’t busy, you know, fighting for her life.
Advantage: Twilight
THE THEMESTwilight: Love, lust, abstinence, teen pregnancy, motherhood, sexuality vs. sin.Hunger Games: Fighting injustice, taking a stand, trusting others, personal responsibility.
Advantage: Hunger Games.
THE ONSCREEN PG-13 ACTIONTwilight: Speed-ramped vampire running, bad wirework, CG werewolf-vampire melees, non-gory limb-shattering/ripping/beheadings, and one vivid, suggestive C-section by vampire scene.
Hunger Games: Training exercises, arrow-shooting, hand-to-hand combat, bladed weapons, Tracker Jacker (i.e. hallucination-inducing poison bee) attacks, and one vivid, suggestive shaky-cam Cornucopia melee.
Advantage: Hunger Games
FILM PEDIGREE
Twilight: Installments directed by Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight), Chris Weitz (New Moon), David Slade (Eclipse), and Oscar-winner Bill Condon (Breaking Dawn Parts 1 & 2). Top Rotten Tomatoes score: Eclipse, at 49%.
Hunger Games: The Hunger Games directed by Oscar-nominee Gary Ross, who is set to direct the next sequel, Catching Fire. Current Rotten Tomatoes score: 100% (with 17 reviews in).
Advantage: Hunger Games
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Seems like The Hunger Games has the edge over Twilight by most of the above criteria, stemming from its more complex and stirring lead character, story, and themes. That said, Twilight fandom outpaces Hunger Games fandom by the millions, circulation-wise. Will solid critical reviews and stellar pre-release tickets sales help bump The Hunger Games to Twilight-level box office returns -- and convince non-fans to give it a shot?
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