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.