Following a massive rebellion against the government of the nation of Panem, the government instituted an annual ceremony known as The Hunger Games, in which each of the twelve districts of Panem put forward two contestants, one male and one female, to fight each other to the death in a massive arena, until only one remains victorious.
On the day known as The Reaping, names are drawn at random from all eligible residents of each district, all those between the ages of 12 and 18 years old.
When 12-year-old Primrose Everdeen’s (Willow Shields) name is drawn, her older sister Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers to participate in her place to protect her from certain death.
Along with her male counterpart Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), Katniss now finds herself in the Capitol, training for a ‘game’ that will likely result in her death.
Mentored by Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) and District 12’s only winner of the Hunger Games, Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), Katniss must learn to defend herself in order to survive, against opponents from the other districts, several of whom have been training for this moment their entire lives.
I won’t spoil the rest of the film for you. There are just a few things I will mention, however.
As an adaptation, the script by Suzanne Collins herself, co-written with the film’s director Gary Ross, and screenwriter Billy Ray, is pretty good. There are a few key elements of the novel that are not present in the film, but I think this was due more to length and complexity issues. What is left in, however, is very close to the original source material, which makes for a very entertaining film.
The cast are well suited to their roles, including performances from Donald Sutherland as President Snow, a leader who may well be more than what he seems, and Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, Katniss’s personal stylist in the Capitol, who is definitely more than what he seems, too.
The pacing of this film is quick, with many very short, sharp shots, which keeps the tension until the final moments.
Of course, this is the first film of a trilogy (it actually became four films in the end, with the final volume of the trilogy turned into a two-part film), and so, there is definitely more to come from the main cast, so the tension that builds doesn’t completely resolve itself in the end, but leaves the viewer expectant for a thrilling follow-up later on. (Stay tuned for reviews of the remaining films in this series to follow at a later date).
All in all, this is a thrill ride from start to finish, definitely worth watching if you haven’t already seen it. Or better yet, read the book and then see the film.
7 out of 10.
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