OKLAHOMA CITY, March 23, 2012—After months of buildup of new trailers, new posters, magazine covers and all the buzz that the world wide internets can handle, The Hunger Games has finally hit theaters. Based on a popular young adult book series by Suzanne Collins, and coming on the heels of that other massive movie franchise based on books, Twilight, The Hunger Games might be the most anticipated movie of 2012 outside of Dark Knight Rises.
We are taken into the future where the country is now set up into 12 districts. A boy and a girl are selected from each district in a lottery system to fight to the death on live television. The movie focuses on Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) who steps in to take her younger sister’s place in the match.
Part Running Man, part a movie starring John Cena I think? All awesome.
The movie stays pretty faithful to the book. As usual there are some elements taken out due to length, but nothing is sacrificed from the story.
The obligatory comparisons to Twilight will be made because of the source material and the box office returns, but this movie is far superior. It is much more raw, is marketed to boys and girls and focuses on a female that doesn’t spend half the time looking like her life is miserable. Sure, Katniss could be killed on live television, but she looks like she’s enjoying that bow and arrow.
Which leads to the violence. This is PG-13, but there is no lack of gruesomeness. The movie is about teens killing each other which may include but is not limited to snapping one of their necks.
This movie is good. The hype is deserved and the anticipation for the next movie in the franchise will only grow. Lawrence, who already has an Oscar nomination on her resume for Winter’s Bone, is a star. There was a lot of trepidation by lovers of the book, but she pulls off Katniss’s vulnerability while still keeping her strong.
If you have read the books or just want to see what all the hype is about, go check this out. You will not be disappointed.
Rating: Full Price
This article is the copyrighted property of the writer and Communities @ WashingtonTimes.com. Written permission must be obtained before reprint in online or print media. REPRINTING TWTC CONTENT WITHOUT PERMISSION AND/OR PAYMENT IS THEFT AND PUNISHABLE BY LAW.
