The Hunger Games (2012)

Shooting Straight

Popular books seem to be increasingly ending up as movie franchises. In recent years the likes of The Twilight Saga, the Millennium series (that’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo for those out of the loop), and Jason Bourne have all graced our screens, with varying degrees of success. Now, The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins looks set for a three-film deal, and if the first instalment is anything to go by, it should be fantastic.

Jennifer Lawrence plays the film’s central character, Katniss Everdeen - a talented survivor-type, whose life amongst an impoverished district has taught her to be self-reliant, and deadly with a bow-and-arrow.

Katniss lives in District 12, in a world controlled by a centralised governing body, known as the Capitol. The Capitol controls all 12 of the districts with a harsh hand, in order to prevent any kind of uprising. One of the Capitol’s methods is to hold the annual Hunger Games - an event whereby two “tributes” from every district, one boy and one girl, must fight to the death in an arena filled with weapons, booby-traps and limited resources.

During the annual “reaping”, the process in which the tributes names are drawn for the games, Katniss’ younger sister Prim is chosen. Seeing her helpless sibling struggle to the stage, Katniss offers herself as tribute, in place of her sister.

What ensues is a violent, desperate attempt by Katniss to stay alive in the arena, whilst trying to figure out if her fellow district-12 tribute Peeta, is a enemy or ally.

An excellent story done justice by director Gary Ross - who stays fundamentally true to the plot. Minimal changes have been made, and the only substantial criticism, one that seems to follow any book-into-film adaptation, is that not enough time is given to certain events.

That being said, The Hunger Games movie is a genuinely thrilling and exciting film. Lawrence’s performance is excellent, coping with plenty of solo screen time whilst adding levels of pathos to her troubles character. The fighting is daringly violent, it could so easily have taken the path less gory, which gives the film a far more adult atmosphere.

A spectacular sci-fi/thriller, introducing audiences to what should be a spectacular show.