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The most anticipated film of the year has finally arrived. Tweens and adults alike are clamoring to the theatres to experience the film that is carrying the torch that was forged by the Harry Potter sensations, and continued with the abysmal Twilight saga.
Taking place in a not-too-distant future, America has divided into 12 districts that are run by the wealthy and dictatorial Capital and President Snow. With religious undertones, each district must present one boy and one girl aged 12-18 each year for the annual Hunger Games. It's marketed as a tribute to the end of the revolution, and riches and rewards are bestowed upon the winners' district, but it is ultimately a display of power and dominance by the Capital. The 24 "tributes" are prepped, groomed, and thrown into an arena where they fight to the death until there is ultimately 1 lone winner.
The Hunger Games has a much stronger mass appeal than its genre-defining predecessors, with its gritty violence, and dystopian message of revolution and uprising of the oppressed. It's an underdog story at heart, but one with decisive fatal consequences. There is no sorcery or vampirism. No mystical powers or creatures of the night. Just plain and simple survival of the fittest. Primal and relatable to anyone with a heart.
There was much speculation that Director Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit) had an insurmountable task of adapting and shooting the biggest literary sensation around. With its graphic content of teen on teen murder, it should certainly be an R rating, right? Of course not, because that would ostracize the brunt of the target audience. So how does one make a film of this magnitude more mild? Ross makes it look easy and natural.
Using a shaky handheld camera to follow much of the action, and brilliant lighting contrasts of greens, reds, and whites, the tone of the film is manipulated to follow the dark and ominous theme of the story. Ross delivers the details from the book that matter the most; character traits.
Jennifer Lawrence is wonderfully cast as the protagonist, Katniss Everdeen. She exudes the fear, rebellious spirit, compassion for the people in her life, and an authentic disdain for her circumstances. In the most riveting scene of the film, she is visibly trembling with fear as the countdown to the beginning of the games are echoing with a computer voice in the background.
The supporting cast is highlighted by Lenny Kravitz as the stylist, Cinna. He downplays the flamboyance and makes the character his own, adding a reassuring ally to the kids who are about to enter Thunderdome. On the other end of the spectrum is Stanley Tucci who absolutely captivates as the MC and television personality, Ceasar Flickerman. He has blue hair and eyebrows, and is so animated and that he puts the Running Man's Richard Dawson to shame. Josh Hutcherson does a fine job as the complicated Peeta, and Liam Hemsworth is hardly worth a mention as Gale. Woody Harrelson plays the pained alcoholic, Haymitch with ease, and Elizabeth Banks is given the comic relief as the air-headed Effie Trinket.
All in all, the film is excellent. High marks for the adaptation and the casting, the next 2 films (or 3 if they follow the finale trend for book trilogies) will certainly be full of vision and imagination. This is probably the most accurate adaptation of a mainstream novel that I've seen in a long time. Some critics are panning the fact that there were some minor deviations from the book, but in my opinion, they were justified. The ending was changed, and some of the stranger sci-fi elements were removed, but I like it. It made it more focused and authentic.
Great film, lives up to the hype, and will make hundreds of millions of dollars. Just make sure you see it in IMAX. The sound, makeup, and costumes will be mentioned when the next Academy Awards come around. 10/10.
