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1. SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN
FOUNDATION IN NATURAL AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT
ENGLISH 2 (ELG 30605)
NAME: LOH MUN TONG
STUDENT ID: 0323680
FILMS SELECTED: THE HUNGER GAMES & WORLD WAR Z
WORD COUNT: 974
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1: COMPARE – CONTRAST ESSAY
LECTURER: GOPIGHANTAN MYLVAGANAM
SUBMISSION DATE: DECEMBER 4TH
2015
LOH MUN TONG I FNBE MARCH 2015 l ENGLISH 2 (ELG 30605) l COMPARE-CONTRAST ESSAY

2. Genre is a category of artistic, musical, or literary composition characterized
by a particular style, form or content. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 1831). Therefore,
a movie genre is a movie that follows some or all of the conventions of a particular
genre. There are a list of genres which includes adventure, comedy, crime, fantasy,
horror, magical and many more. Movie genres help us decide what movie to watch.
Two popular movie genres are adventure and disaster. Adventure films are unlike
action films, they often use their action scenes to display and explore exotic locations
in an energetic way. On the contrary, a disaster films has an impending or ongoing
disaster as its subject and primary plot device.
The movie ‘World War Z’ is a disaster movie based on ideas from the novel
of the same name. The movie summary is about a United Nations employee United
Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop the
Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to
destroy humanity itself. (Paramount Pictures, 2013) This movie itself also contains
horror and action genres as the movie depicted the survival of the protagonist in a
zombie pandemic. However, ‘The Hunger Games’ movie series is from three
adventure novel written by the American author Suzanne Collins. This movie as well
as the novel are enormously popular among the teens. It has portray Katniss
Everdeen, the female lead, is a strong heroine who's resourceful, selfless, and a true
survivor who volunteer herself in the annual Hunger Games organise by the Capitol
and lead the rest of the districts against the Capitol for a better chance of survival.
These movie genres can be very different, however at the same time they can
be very similar. In both movies, it is clearly showed that both protagonists in the
movies, Gerry Lane and Katniss Everdeen love their family very much. In World War
Z, Gerry has to return to his former job as he is tasked with helping Fassbach, a
virologist to find the outbreak's source. Gerry reluctantly agrees to help as he did not
want to leave his family but given the word that his family will be safe on the navy
aircraft carrier off the coast of New York City. He then is sent out of the aircraft,
leaving his family behind and to find the origin of the zombie outbreak. Similarly, in
the movie of The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take the place of
her sister, Prim Everdeen to be placed into a revolutionary game called The Hunger
Games, an annual games initiated by the Capitol where representative or known as
the ‘Tributes’ kill each other in order to be the winner and the survival of the game.
Both movies shares a very similar settings where both main character are in a
situation where they have to fight for survival. For instance, after the outbreak of the
zombie pandemic erupts, Gerry Lane was sent out to investigate the origin of the
disease. He recounts uncountable zombie attacks and terribly injured along the
journey but his hard work paid off eventually as he discovers that if people inject
themselves with a deadly but curable diseases. It can act as a ‘camouflage’ to avoid

3. bitten by the zombies. He thought that this method could not really cease the zombie
pandemic but however it’s a chance for survival. The ‘camouflage’ test have been
largely successful to save many people’s life. In the movie ‘The Hunger Games’,
Katniss Everdeen volunteers herself in an annual televised death match called ‘The
Hunger Games’ for her sister, Prim Everdeen. This game was created by the Capitol
in order to control future rebellions by remembering the past rebellion. The rules of
the games are the twenty-four players, two from each district must kill each other
and survive in the wilderness until only one remains. This game is broadcast through
the Capitol and the twelve districts serve to entertain and intimidate the population.
(Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, 2013). Katniss Everdeen faces many challenges
in order to survive in the game until the end.
Moreover, both movies have a similar theme of strength and skill. In the
movie, Gerry Lane was a former U.N investigator. He used to work in a dangerous
place. Therefore, he has experienced and encounter many dangerous
circumstances and equip with strength and survival skills. There is a scene in the
movie where he try to convince Tomas’ family, a Latino family to keep moving as he
believes that that is the best chance to survive. In ‘The Hunger Games’, each
candidate has his or her own set of skills and strengths. For instance, a character in
movie named Cato who has a crazy temper and able to snap someone’s neck with
his bare hands. Rue, a 12-year-old tribute who is capable of jumping from tree to
tree. Peeta Mellark, second protagonist, who is master in camouflage and Katniss
who is great with arrow and bow. These strengths and skills play a crucial role to
their survival in the movies.
The whole of life is just like watching a film. Only it's as though you always get
in ten minutes after the big picture has started, and no-one will tell you the plot, so
you have to work it out all yourself from the clues. (Terry Pratchett, 2001). I believe
that every movie we watched has given us a certain impression and also taught us
some lesson in real life. However, depending on the genre of the movie, or whether
someone like it or not, the movie always can change a person in even the slightest
way. For my opinion, I prefer the movie ‘The Hunger Games’ as it had given me a
great impact and prompt me to be a courageous, kind and loving like Katniss
Everdeen.

4. References
Paramount Pictures. (2013) World War Z plot summary. Retrieved November 30,
2015 from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0816711/plotsummary
Kristal Cooper (2012).The Hunger Games reviews. We got this covered. Retrieved
November 30, 2015 from
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_hunger_games/reviews/
Olly Richard (2009). The Hunger Games review. Retrieved November 30, 2015 from
http://www.empireonline.com/movies/hunger-games/review/
Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2013) The Hunger Games plot summary.
Retrieved December 1, 2015 from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/plotsummary
Terry Pratchett (2001). Good reads. Moving Pictures Quotes. Retrieved December 1,
2015 from https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1229354