Review - The Hunger Games

Hunger – Satisfied

In the future, districts have risen up to try and take down the government. The Capitol has prevailed and in an attempt to quell future uprisings they have deemed the yearly Hunger Games to take place as a reminder of who is in control. The games will feature a boy and a girl from each of the 12 Districts. The game is a battle to the death until only one remains.

Oh, did I mention that all the combatants are 12-18 years old and the battle will be televeised for all to see? I didn’t think I did…

The Hunger Games Satisfies
March 23, 2012

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) does the unthinkable, she volunteers to head to the games. She jumps to the front and volunteers to go to the games in place of her sister Prim who was the original selection for her district. She has worked hard to protect her sister and she is not stopping at this point. Her cohort for the games is the mysterious Peeta (Josh Hutcherson). We know there is some history between Katniss and Peeta as flashbacks tell us, but what is it?

Together they travel to the Capitol to meet their mentor Haymitch (Woody Harrelson). It is during this mentoring process that the brutality of the games surfaces. It’s a game show set up similar to any reality show you can think of, only in this game show, kids don’t get kicked off, they die.

The twisted show is run by the President (Donald Sutherland) and his game master (Wes Bentley). Together they will work with televised host Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) to create a program that entertains Capitol residents and betting folks while at the same time puts the districts in their place. What alliances will form? Who will leave alive? Who will survive…The Hunger Games?

The book is a huge best seller, so it was only natural for it to come to the big screen. Now the question is can they pull it off? The answer is a resounding YES in my mind.

I’ve seen many try to compare The Hunger Games with Twilight based simply on book sales to a demographic, but I’m here to say DON’T DO THAT. These are totally different stories and delivered very differently on the big screen. The Hunger Games is about surviving -- surviving the situation that you are put into no matter the reason and changing the game that is presented to you.

Many worried about Jennifer Lawrence in her role. I’m here to tell you she delivers the passion, the excitement, the fearlessness, and the tenacity of Katniss with ease. She knows how to show her vulnerability when dealing with one of the youngest competitors and how to show the fierce survival instincts when dealing with the attacks on her by multiple competitors, all while maintaining her integrity and moral standing.

Josh Hutcherson is a chameleon of a character. One second you love him, the next you hate him. One second you fear for him, and the next you fear HIM. All delivered in a perfect pitch performance from a budding young superstar.

The story, delivered in a long 2 hours 20 minutes an emotional rollercoaster. You felt as if it could have been you standing in Katniss’ shoes. Although it was a touch on the long side, The Hunger Games felt gritty and authentic, horrific and hopeful. I might argue that the PG-13 rating seems really generous given the authentic feel, but there is no doubt the film still satisfied the hunger within me for a solid film.

 

B+

The Hunger Games

Lionsgate Pictures

Director: Gary Ross

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland

Rating: PG-13 for intense violent thematic material and disturbing images – all involving teens.

Runtime: 2 hours 22 minutes