THE HUNGER GAMES

The Hunger Games (2012)
Grade: B+
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Lenny Kravitz, Wes Bentley, Donald Sutherland, Alexander Ludwig, Amandla Stenberg, Willow Shields, Isabelle Fuhrman, and Toby Jones
PREMISE: A girl in a futuristic society takes her sister's place in The Hunger Games, thus landing herself in a nationally-televised twenty-four-person fight to the death in which the winner earns a lifetime of wealth and fame.

RATED PG-13 for blood and violence, intense emotional content, and some disturbing images

First there was Harry Potter.
Then there was Twilight.
Now comes The Hunger Games.
Just as one teen SUPERfad (Twilight) appears to be stumbling its way out of the public consciousness (only one lousy movie left!), here comes another to take its place. This effective adaptation of the fast, furious novel about a dystopian society, by author Suzanne Collins, rolls into theaters with a huge amount of anticipation, and plenty to draw in even those who haven't read the book. There's a central love triangle that will both divide and capture audiences, tons of action, plus humor, heroism, sacrifice and political intrigue; this story has already won the hearts and minds of millions, including me. I read the first book back in May, read the two sequels within a few months, and then waited eagerly for the film's release. Of course, I did so with some trepidation: my devotion to the Harry Potter saga (and its very lengthy, very detailed books) led me to be extremely harsh and critical of each of the eight movies, and, having read Hunger Games three times, I had a feeling I'd approach Gary Ross' film the same way. Thankfully, my delight at seeing these familiar characters, places, and events depicted onscreen-plus a generally-quick pace-swept me away, just as the best of the Potter films did, so I quickly found myself able to sit back and enjoy the ride.

Plot: Being selected to participate in the Hunger Games is pretty much a guaranteed death sentence, but gutsy teenager Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) doesn't hesitate to volunteer to take her sister's place when the 12-year-old (Willow Shields) is initially chosen instead of her. The Games--a cruel, utilitarian futuristic government's way of essentially Giving the Finger to the twelve districts that once tried to rebel and overthrow it--features one boy and one girl from each district, between the ages of 12 and 18, tosses them into a random arena, and lets them have at it. Twenty-three will die. One will win: a life of fame, fortune, and relative ease being the reward. After volunteering, Katniss is whisked off to the Capitol-the country's central, governing city-where she sees the best (incredible food, plush hotel suites, easy-to-use futuristic technology) and the worst (Games contestants are gussied up for nationally-televised interviews, a la American Idol, and the audience votes on their likelihood of survival) it has to offer. But then the Games start, and Katniss is up against 23 others, with limited supplies, limited food, a blood-thirsty audience, and no potential allies, except, possibly, for the brave, kindhearted boy from her own District (Josh Hutcherson). Katniss was known for her hunting prowess back home, but even if she doubts herself against tough competition, she must stick to her guns, because she promised her sister she'd really try to win and make it back.

What Works?
There's so much plot-and so many characters-that I barely touched on half of it in my plot synopsis, but, as I mentioned, the movie is well-paced; it moves quickly from the start. But even non-readers will have enough time to understand who's who. There's Katniss' chirpy, highly-made-up escort (Elizabeth Banks); the drunken, surly mentor (Woody Harrelson) who once won a Hunger Games; her creative, mellow stylist (Lenny Kravitz), and, most importantly, Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Katniss' hunting partner and best friend back home, who could very likely be her boyfriend if she survives the Games. And all the most important fellow tributes get at least mildly-lengthy interludes--Cato (Alexander Ludwig), the hulking, sadistic boy who has trained his entire life for the Games; Clove (Isabelle Fuhrman), his slinky and barely-less-bloodthirsty pal; Rue (Amandla Stenberg), the sweet-natured cutie-pie with whom Katniss forms a temporary alliance, and, of course, Peeta, who Katniss doesn't technically know, but who once gave her help in a time of need.

The performances aren't supposed to be flashy, so they aren't, but the bookaholics in the audience like me are going to be in spasms of delight whether the acting bites (which it doesn't) or not. Lawrence is pitch-perfect as Katniss--she's likeable, withdrawn but expressive, convincingly nimble in the action sequences, and a powerful emoter. Hutcherson was born to play Peeta--he fits the part like a glove. Hemsworth is good, but we're only getting a taste of him here; he'll be much more important in future installments. Ludwig is a nasty meathead who gets a surprisingly-poignant monologue late in the running, Fuhrman gets to chew on some of the script's most deliciously-nasty lines (plus getting to whale on Lawrence during a bravura mano-a-mano showdown), Stenberg and Shields are both adorable and emotionally-affecting, and all the adults (Harrelson, Banks, Kravitz) fill their already-iconic parts well. Other standouts include a cheeky Stanley Tucci as the winking, blue-haired, Seacrest-esque Games' host, Wes Bentley as the program director, and an eerily-sinister Donald Sutherland as Panem's dark-hearted president.

What romance there needs to be registers convincingly enough, there are a few light moments to break up the tension, the action is engaging, and Ross shows that he's really done his homework as a director: not only does he lend a kind of visual poetry to scenes of characters dreaming, daydreaming, or even dying, but he also gives us a number of behind-the-scenes sequences of the program's directors and producers that flesh out some of the supporting characters and will come as a great surprise even to those who read the book repeatedly--they weren't possible in the text due to the book's first-person viewpoint.

What Doesn't Work?
Despite being nearly two-and-a-quarter hours long, Games has to hit the ground running, and does; so, while a great deal is included, nearly all of it could have used a little more time (same problem Harry Potter always had). The romance that develops between Katniss and Peeta isn't given nearly enough time to really make an impact (taking some of the lingering emotional punch out of the ending); ditto for Katniss/Rue's alliance, and it's a little funny to see Hemsworth get so little screen time after the marketing campaign boasted of his prominence as one of the "Big Three". And the action--well, a lot of people were surprised that the bloody, straightforward content that fills Games was being made into a movie with a PG-13 rating. Having seen the movie, I think it was the right call, even if the action is a little disorienting as presented. The fast-cut editing and shaky-cam filming recall the Bourne series in that it's both effective in portraying how it would probably really appear--especially when a regular girl is thrust into a whirlwind of such relentless carnage--and frustrating (I wish the camera were a bit more relaxed).

Content:
I actually just hit on it: the violence is bloody but rarely directly-shown. However, you do see a young girl get hit with a spear and then die, all in intimate close-up, as was the case in the book. You also get a lot of looks at the bodies, and faces, of people who are unmistakably dead, even if they're not particularly bloody. This is not a movie for younger kids. Also similar to the book, most of the movie's frames are suffused with barely-restrained emotion that boils over at points--many audience members will cry. There's no unnecessary sexual content and no cursing, but the majority of this movie is very intense.

Bottom Line (I Promise):
A very solid adaptation of a spectacular book, Gary Ross's The Hunger Games is no silly entertainment--it's on the level of the best of the Harry Potters. In fact, it'll be way too short for many people, especially lovers of the book like me. Consider this one recommended: just bring tissues.

The Hunger Games (2012)
Based on the novel by Suzanne Collins
Directed by Gary Ross
Written by Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins, and Billy Ray
Rated PG-13
Length: 142 minutes