Articles
The Hunger Games
Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth
Directed by Gary Ross
Based on the book by Suzanne Collins
Rating: M
Do you like movies about young people fighting to the death? No? Really? Are you sure? I didn't think you would, but read on anyway because The Hunger Games might just change your mind.
Think about a future where reality television is a way of keeping a country under control. This is a future where everyone in your district is starving, but the capital city wastes everything. Imagine the possibility of you, or one of your friends or family members, being selected as a tribute to compete in The Hunger Games, an annual event that will force you to fight for your life while everyone watches. An event where only one person can come out alive.
Now, if you still don't quite want to see this movie, imagine the above scenario, but with Jennifer Lawerence and Josh Hutcherson in the two lead roles.
I say this not only because they're tremendously good looking, but also because this movie is extremely well acted. If they had cast anyone incompetent in any of the main roles, it very well could have ruined the whole thing. But goodness me, did they get this right.
Jennifer Lawrence, who you might know from the movie Winter's Bone, doesn't just play Katniss, the bow-and-arrow-wielding heroine of the film. She is Katniss. The same goes for pretty much everyone in the movie. They completely rocked it!
I must admit, having read the book, I was prepared for disappointment. Nobody could live up to my expectations of Katniss, her best friend Gale and her fellow tribute, Peeta. Or so I thought.
For the first time in all of my sixteen years as a human, I think I can safely utter the equivalent of saying "Voldemort" in the world of we book nerds: "The movie didn't suck."
In fact, the movie was exceptional. The cinematography was great, the editing neat, and the acting superb. And might we stop for a moment to acknowledge the fact that The Hunger Games is a huge new franchise that people all over the world have fallen in love with, and for once it is a clever story with a strong female lead (STOP! I caught you making comparisons to Twilight. I said STRONG female lead, remember?).
Katniss Everdeen does not make her journey to win the affection of some dude, and the story isn't even overly romantic. In fact the strongest relationship in The Hunger Games is that between Katniss and her little sister, Prim. I just think that this is an extremely positive step, and while Katniss may certainly have her faults, as role models go she's a pretty darn good one.
Anyway, if you want a genuinely great movie that'll keep you pondering the disturbing possibility of where the human race could be headed, with plenty of scary scenes, an abundance of comic relief, and just a few "aww!" moments, well, look no further than The Hunger Games.
Oh, and may the odds be ever in your favour!
4 and a half out of 5.
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