Movie Review: The Hunger Games

MOVIE REVIEW

The Hunger Games (M)

Review: Katherine Weston

Rating: 7.5/10

When a book is adapted to the big screen, I am one of those people that has to read the book first — and the bookis nearly always better.

With The Hunger Games however, I went in blind.

I knew the general gist of the storyline, but further than that I knew little about the series that has come to rival the Harry Potter and Twilight series on teenagers’ bookshelves around the world.

I now have to admit that after viewing the film, my interest has been piqued and the trilogy by Suzanne Collins has been added to the top of my to-read pile.

For those who haven’t picked up a magazine or read an entertainment website over the past six months, The Hunger Games is set in a post apocalyptic world in the nation of Panem, which is made up of a wealthy Capitol and 12 districts, each one poorer than the last.

Each year the Capitol holds the Hunger Games, in which a boy and a girl from each district are chosen through a lottery as tributes who must then fight to the death until one remains in a televised event, apparently as punishment for a previous rebellion of the districts.

In district 12, 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen (Academy Award nominee Jennifer Lawrence) bravely nominates herself to take part in the games after her younger sister’s name is drawn.

Along with Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), the male tribute, she is whisked away to the Capitol where she is primped and preened before being introduced to city’s residents and potential sponsors, who can provide food, medicine and tools to their favourite tributes throughout the competition.

Once the games begin, many tributes are immediately killed, but Katniss uses her hunting and survival skills to try and outwit the others.

Chosen from more than 30 actresses vying for the role of Katniss, Lawrence has a commanding on-screen presence and immediately gains the sympathy and support of the audience.

Hutcherson, meanwhile, is slightly awkwardand less believable as the supposedly love-struck Peeta while Australia’s Liam Hemsworth, perhaps better known as Miley Cyrus’ other half, is intriguing in his small roleas Katniss’ best friend, Gale.

After an emotional start the film drags slightly during the tributes’ preparation, but once the games begin, things start to pick up until an extremely underwhelming ending that may leave audiences less than impressed.

However, we all know this is the first in a trilogy (with one of the books rumoured to be split into two films in the spirit of Twilight’s Breaking Dawn), so there is plenty of opportunity for the franchise to redeem itself.

Fans will be glad to know Lawrence, Hutcherson, Hemsworth and Woody Harrelson, who plays mentor Haymitch, have all signed on to return for the rest of the films.