Directed by Gary Ross
Starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson
Move over Bella, a feisty new heroine for the young adults to idolize is in town and her name is Katniss Everdeen. The eagerly-anticipated film adaptation of the Suzanne Collins bestseller places the would-be franchise on the capable shoulders of Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, who volunteers to take her younger sisters place in an annual match know as the Hunger Games. Set in the future, the post-apocalyptic wealthy Capitol randomly selects a boy and girl from the 12 poorer districts to fight to the death on live TV think The Running Man meets Twilight.
Its clear the movie is crafted with an immense respect for the source material but something feels cold and disconnected. The Hunger Games has a promising start, painting an intriguing Orwellian picture but once the action starts things begin to unravel. The chase scenes are shot handheld with a headache-inducing shaky style that screams Jason Bourne.The runtime is problematic: at 142 minutes it drags heavily in the middle, and the special effects can seem like a made-for-TV movie.
Its not all bad though; there are genuine moments of tension, several memorable scenes and the acting is strong. Lawrence demonstrates a fine grasp of her character plus Woody Harrelson and Stanley Tucci shine.
The Hunger Games is the first of a planned trilogy and while fans of the books will be thoroughly satisfied, others may be left wondering if all the hype was really worth it.
