MOVIE REVIEW: “The Hunger Games”
By Megan Bradt | gargoyle@flagler.edu
“The Hunger Games” is a movie that was created from a novel by Suzanne Collins. It begins during a time where desperate times call for desperate measures.
Children from ages 12 to 18 are selected at random to represent the district in which they live. One male and one female are chosen in a lottery drawing to fight not only one another, but also 11 additional districts that surround what is called the Capitol. Once these representatives are chosen, they are wined and dined in the Capitol while they train for battle. Only one person is allowed to survive, as they not only fight to the death against each other, but also against the weather.
This movie hosts full cast and crew that begins with Gary Ross, the director and co-screenwriter, along with Suzanne Collins who is author and co-screenwriter.
As the heroine Katniss Everdeen (played by “Winter’s Bone” star Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers herself in place of her sister whose name was chosen, she battles fires, lack of water, being hunted by other children and by creatures created to hunt her.
All of these tests–which test Katniss’ strength–are created for and placed into the “Games” by Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley), who dictates the battle from the Capitol. While the games are being played, families watch from home on live television to see what is happening. They watch their children die, all for the love of the game and survival.
The hype of “The Hunger Games” has been large. Those who haven’t read the book are flocking to read it and those who have read it are flocking to go see it.
However, in a movie that has a running time of approximately two and a half hours long, there were quite a few moments where I wondered “is it over yet?”
The movie, from the start, puzzled me as I watched and got the feeling that the children of district 12 were back in a futuristic Holocaust. It then made quick turns–Holocaust treatment and severe poverty morphed into something stylized, like Gladiator meets a game show. The movie, which is rated PG-13, is based on children killing children for the vanity of winning for their district. There is no prize or reward other than the honor of winning.
Over all, I thought “The Hunger Games” was not appropriate for younger audiences. Moreover, the scenes were drawn out way too long for someone who hasn’t read the book prior to seeing the film.
“The Hunger Games” is following the trend of films being created after the novel is released. It is a movie that tries to mix too many themes. But it succeeds in serving up gore and strength, complete with the ever-popular Hollywood love ending.
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I do not really like this movie, I think it is a very small version of the actual content of the books, is a teen movie leads it to the public
I just have to comment on the “shaky cam” effect used by Gary Burns. It virtually ruined the movie for me. It was “inspired” by the 1st person perspective used in the book, which virtually ruined the book for me. Too bad interesting story, great visual feel when you can see it. It is as though they put all the effort into creating a wonderful looking set then chose to shoot it out of focus for the “effect.” If the future movies use this effect you can count me out!
I actually think the movie was amazing! However I think that it would be even better if I hadn’t read the book, because some things in the movie didn’t happen/happened differently than in the book. It is the Hunger Games movie, why not make it exactly like the book? The part that bothered me the most was how the beast things didn’t have the resemblance (eyes and collars with district number) to the tributes. That was an important part in my opinion.
Take it from an alumnus – I am 37, gradauated from Flagler in 2004, served eight years in the Marines and am now a professional movie critic. I was very impressed by the film. You can read my review on my site, but briefly, I disagree with the “is it over yet” statement as well as how you say everything morphed into a stylized Gladiator meets a game-show film. The juxtaposition was necessary to show how even though there were 13 districts, including the Capitol, while they were all separated by varying degrees of socio-economic status, they were also connected by the games, also, each different environment had its own core style.
Jen has it right though, the symptoms of the Hunger Games were displayed with the battle to the death, but the overall story is about an oppressive government and the dangers of limitless media. Or, as I say in my review, different groups are finding different messages in this film and series.
I enjoyed the film for its ability to draw me into the Panem world, quickly, emotionally and when Rue died everyone in my screening felt it.
But, as I learned not too long ago, stick with what you feel about a film – no matter what your opinion, someone will find a film you found terrible to be their Holy Grail, and vice versa.
Hi Jen,
Thank you for your feedback and corrections about the movie/book. I failed to mention in my review that I had not read the book prior to seeing this movie. This was one of the reasons why I wanted to see the movie and review it. My point being, without having read the book, the movie to me seemed quite confusing and lacked the definitions of certain aspects, for example the ones you mention in your comments.
Now it may have been me, but watching the movie it wasn’t clear that the winner of the Games won riches for life and food for a year. Therefore, I apologize that I misrepresented the movie.
This review is not to make people upset but rather my personal take on the film.
Once again thank you for correcting me in certain areas; I felt though, that the movie wasn’t clear to the audience, maybe for audiences that haven’t read the book.
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“There is no prize or reward other than the honor of winning.”
This is not true. The winner gets riches for life, and his/her district gets extra food for a year. Also, they get to live.
The story is NOT based on children killing children. It’s about an oppressive government forcing children to kill each other as a punishment for a revolt 74 years ago. No one has a choice, as is made clear by the presence of the Peacekeepers, and Katniss’s words to Gale that if they ran, they’d be caught and their tongues would be cut out or worse. Those servants dressed in red were punished that way for revolting.
The different styles of the filming were deliberate. The people in District 12 are living in poverty. Those in the Capitol are not, because they benefit from the labour of the people of the districts, and they think those people are inferior and exist for their own entertainment.
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