Photo credit: www.thehungergamesmovie.com
In what was once known as North America, the Capitol forces each of its twelve districts to send one teenage boy and girl to compete in The Hunger Games, a nationally televised fight to the death annual competition where only one victor can be named. The Hunger Games are a punishment for a past uprising by the districts.
When young Primrose Everdeen's name is called at the reaping, her older sister, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), volunteers to take her place. Relying only on her instincts and limited advice from her drunken mentor, Haymitch, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena if she ever hopes to see her family again.
Having read The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, the Lil Diva (10) and I were eager to see this movie. As an author, I especially enjoy comparing books to their film counterparts. Though I liked the books more, I was totally captivated by the movie. It had action, adventure and a hint of romance.
Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, who played Peeta Mellark (the other tribute from District 12), portrayed challenging roles to perfection. Hutcherson is so talented, it's hard to imagine him not being superb in any role, but he does so well as the shy, quiet son of a bakery family. Though what is amazing about Peeta in the book and in the movie, is how he knows exactly what to say and do to make the people in the Capitol want to root for him and Katniss.
Woody Harrelson (Doc Hollywood, White Men Can't Jump) played the role of Haymitch Abernathy. The first thing the Lil Diva and I thought when we saw him in the trailer was, "He doesn't look anything like Haymitch." Haymitch is a former District 12 victor of the games. Now serving as Katniss's mentor, he's supposed to provide direction and insight to Katniss on how to win the games. In between drunken stupors, he proves himself funny and helpful. Harrelson did a fabulous job of bringing him to life, despite his physical traits being totally off.
One of the largest differences between the book and the movie is that the entire movie is focused on the character of Katniss. While she is the narrator in the first two books, you get the feeling that the story is almost as much about Peeta as it her. You don't even get to really meet Portia (Peeta's stylist played by Latarsha Rose) in the movie, but you do get to know her in the books. You also learn a fair amount of information about some of the other tributes in the arena in The Hunger Games book, but the only two tributes who get any real time in the movie are Cato (Alexander Ludwig) and Rue (Amandla Stenberg).
The sole focus on Katniss also is responsible for downplaying her relationship with Peeta in the movie. Because the viewer isn't privy to her internal thoughts--which they get in the book--she doesn't really know exactly how Katniss feels about Peeta.
Director Gary Ross created an action-packed, intense movie with great effects. It's no wonder The Hunger Games has taken the top spot at the box office the past two weekends. The soundtrack from this movie, The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart too. If you're looking for a good movie, you'll definitely want to choose The Hunger Games. This movie is rated PG-13 for, "intense violent thematic material and disturbing images - all involving teens." I felt it was on the edge of violent content for the Lil Diva's age group. The IMDB provides a detailed parent guide. Run time is 142 minutes.
I saw this movie in the theater on March 31st. I received no monetary compensation for this review.
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