Three Stars
The highly anticipated movie “The Hunger Games”, based on
the bestselling young adult novel by Suzanne Collins, is a well made, dystopian
thriller that takes place in a grim future. Teenagers have been standing on
line for this film, not unlike the “Harry Potter” or “Twilight” movies.
However, what makes “The Hunger Games” unusual is its lack of escapism. It’s a
dystopian science fiction as opposed to a fantasy. No one wants to be on a train to the Hunger
Games, but everyone would like to go to Hogwarts or have a boyfriend like
Edward. Instead, “The Hunger Games” presents a dystopian instead of fantastical
story. If “Harry Potter” takes us to a magical place, “The Hunger Games” takes
us to a bitter and cold one.
Our heroine is a 16 year old girl named Katniss (Jennifer
Lawrence). She is a hunter and hangs out with the local boy Gale (Liam
Hemsworth). Unfortunately, it’s that
time of year again, the annual Hunger Games, which is a government, mandated
game show where kids kill each other. Younger
sister Primrose (Willow Shields) is entered and
Katniss volunteers in her
sister’s place.
Katniss, along with a boy named Petta (Josh Hutcherson), arrive on the train and are taken away to the Hunger Games. They meet their mentor, the bitter drunken Haymitch (Woody Harrison), who won the games himself as a kid. Then they are dumped into a forest like arena which will result in a death battle with one victor. Most of the film takes place with Katniss trying to survive with her bow and arrow. “The Hunger Games” is a bloody sport, and Jennifer Lawrence delivers an intense performance. She keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, with her bow and arrow, hoping she survives all the traps that are set.
I have to warn people with kids that there is some
disturbing material. There is violence and the death of young people. However,
anyone who has read the book knows this. Anyone whose read science fiction knows
that dystopia is a tough place. This dystopia shows the evils of both big
government and out of control media. Everyone watching the games treats death
like a sporting event. What I cannot deny is that “The Hunger Games” is a well
made thriller. Director Gary Ross does a good job of using a shaky camera to
give the film an eerie feel.
“The Hunger Games” is
a bit harsh, but for those who read dystopian novels, this is nothing new. Those who know science fiction know that the
future can be a bad place, those who are new to the genre might be shocked by
the premise. This will be food for
thought. A dystopian future movie, “The Hunger Games” also has teenager romance
and a dash of rebellion. If you’re a fan of the books and a teenager, this
delivers. If you’re anyone else, children killing each other might not be your
cup of tea.
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