The Hunger Games – Review

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be theUnited States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, “The Hunger Games.” The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When her sister is chosen by lottery, Katniss steps up to go in her place.

In the futuristic nation of Panem, there is a drastic contrast between the lives of residents living in the Capitol, the hub of government, and those living in the 12 districts that keep the Capitol supplied with food, luxury items, electronics, lumber, textiles and coal — some of the districts are poorer and more bleak than others. As punishment for previous rebellion, every year the Capitol selects a boy and a girl from each of those districts to engage in a fight to the death.

That’s right. It’s a pretty dark scenario — children being forced to train alongside one another before entering an arena where all but one will die as their families, friends and neighbors watch on their television screens at home. It’s perhaps the ultimate reality TV show, more like Survivor on CBS, but different.

The film — and book — follows 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence(Winter’s Bone), who volunteers for the annual games in place of her younger sister, Prim. A skilled hunter with a bow and arrow, Katniss enters the arena — a highly-controlled landscape where the 24 tributes try to survive not only each other, but dangers created by the head game maker tasked with ensuring an exciting show.

Katniss is joined in the Hunger Games by fellow tribute and District 12 resident Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson, leaving longtime friend Gale, played by Liam Hemsworth, back home in District 12. Yes, it’s love triangle for teens between the two main characters and possible spawns several sequels in the book series.

So now moviegoers have romance, action, drama and a strong but sensitive protagonist to root for — a combination that makes The Hunger Games shine much more brightly than another young adult book-to-movie series adaptation, The Twilight Saga.

Also of mention are the remaining cast members — Woody Harrelson as the former games victor turned drunken mentor Haymitch; Stanley Tucci as the colorful games announcer Caesar Flickermam; Donald Sutherland as the controlling and sinister President Snow; and Elizabeth Banks as Katniss’ and Peeta’s ever-polite escort Effie Trinket.

The visual effects of the movie is somewhat good, but it looks like it was related to the book. The dome shape arena where everything was taken place, everything was in a control environment. It looks Suzanne Collins worked with the screen writer to get the visual scene of what she would like to see on the screen.

Other special effects, where the characters were on fire didn’t seem real enough, more like a B movie, low budget movie, with great expectations on the film, it made a lot of money this weekend.  Will the sequel be better?  It will be in the future.

I was very pleased with the story, if someone disagreed with story due to the violence in the movie; it carries the plot and make the scene more interesting to watch. What’s a movie without violence – it would be a boring and people will leave. This movie got my attention, the story was interesting and it kept me on the edge of my seat. The Hunger Games will only leave you hungry for the next installment.

When actors get the parts, they have to audition and to get the part, they have to read the story. Since Jennifer Lawrence was a big fan of the book and when she audition for the director, executive producers and casting director. She really got their attention when she nailed a scene with her acting partner which was Willow Sheilds.

Another interesting fact was the make-up department which was led by Ve Neil, she was judge on the popular show called Face Off on the Syfy network. She design and create make-up effects for the movies.  In one scene of the movie, when Peeta, Josh Hutcherson, was painting a log on his arm, it was her creation. Another would be when Peeta was camouflage on the rocks near the river, for his other partner crime was killing contestants to get ahead of the game. Katniss Everdeen saw blood on the rocks and started to follow it, but when the blood stop near a rock and the eyes open near the rocks and it freak Katniss.