THE HUNGER GAMES – The Review

Well, those sneaky Hollywood studios are trying to mess with the calendar once again! Or to be more specific, the start of the seasons. For several decades they’ve wheeled out their big budget, youth-oriented tentpole/ franchise blockbusters at the start of Summer ( although a few of these sneak between Thanksgiving and Christmas ). Summer movie time had started with Memorial day weekend , but slowly it has crept up to the first weekend in May ( hey the school year’s not over yet! ). Well now it looks like Lionsgate may be trying to stretch things into Spring ( or Spring break ). And what better way to test these still a bit chilly waters than adapting a popular Young Adult ( YA ) novel. After all, Harry Potter waved his wand for the last time this past year and another YA series ( which I’ll discuss later ) is sending out its last flick in a few months. And so the first of author Suzanne Collins’s trilogy, THE HUNGER GAMES directed by Gary Ross, opens everywhere ( nearly ) today. Is this the start of another money-making movie machine that will fill up multiplexes in the future?

Speaking of the future, the film is set in a near distant one. The story focuses in on Panem, a totalitarian society built up on the ashes of a postapocalyptic North America. It’s composed of 12 very poor districts governed over by the glitzy, opulent Capitol. After a failed rebellion many years ago, the Capitol established the Hunger Games as punishment to these districts ( and entertainment for the swells ). At a ceremony called the Reaping a teenage boy and girl ( 12 to 18 years old )are chosen from each of the districts to compete in a televised battle to the death. The sole winner. besides surviving, is awarded ” untold riches “.  In the impoverished District 12 lives Katniss Everdeen ( Jennifer Lawrence ) who runs the house she shares with her shy, skittish kid sister Prim and her emotionally shattered mother ( father was killed in the mines-the district’s main industry ). Times are tough, so Katniss climbs through the surrounding fences into the forest preserve where she hunts with her trusty bow and arrow. She’s often joined by her childhood pal Gale ( Liam Hemsworth ), who longs to escape the tyrannical government. Back home Prim is filled with worry that she’ll be picked for the upcoming games ( having just reached the proper age ). Sure enough when Capitol rep Effie Trinket arrives for the Reaping, she draws Prim’s name. As the Safety Patrol drags the hysterical girl away, Katniss steps forward and volunteers to take her sister’s place. She’s accepted and Prim is spared. A boy’s name is also drawn. It is Peeta Mellark ( Josh Hutcherson ) the baker’s son and an acquaintance of Katniss. The two are soon whisked away via a high-speed train to the Capitol and made ready to compete in the 74th Hunger Games. ” Games ” with the highest stakes imaginable-win or die!

One of the film’s great strengths is its futuristic look which is striking after the bleak opening scenes in District 12. The place looks like a Depression ravaged podunk ( shades of COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER! ) with its grey looking clothes and homes. But with the arrival of Effie we get a taste of the ultra-modern Capitol styles. The well-to-do folks wear bright neon 40’s and 50’s retro creations. The men and women favor extensive, detailed face makeup and their punk hairstyles are dyed in fluorescent colors ( Effie herself almost looks like a kabuki actor ). The gleaming Capitol domes and skyscrapers would not look out-of-place in LOGAN’S RUN. This is a future that looks great in the main city, but is really an oppressive 1984/ BLADE RUNNER nightmare. Many are comparing GAMES to the 2000 Asian thriller BATTLE ROYALE ( but no firepower here-it’s blades, spears, and arrows! ), while I was reminded of the campy Arnold classic THE RUNNING MAN and even back to WESTWORLD ( in the almost all white GAMES TV control center ). Hopefully the art direction team will get some recognition in the next award season.

Another of the film’s strengths is its large diverse cast. For the adult roles, it’s great to see Wes Bentley back in a high-profile blockbuster, although he’s saddled with some unsubtle, ‘El Diablo’ facial hair as Crane the Gamesmaster. I wanted to know a bit more about the stylist, Cinna played with great warmth ( and a lot of cool ) by Lenny Kravitz. Stanley Tucci  rocked some great blue hair and a huge set of choppers as the Games commentator/ interviewer, but seems to stuck in smarmy, condescending mode. We’re treated to way too few scenes of screen vet Donald Sutherland as the conniving, scheming President Snow. He projects an image of a kindly grandpa’ on TV while he plots and finangle ( almost like Nixon or Emporer Palpatine ) in his lush garden with Crane. Elizabeth Banks get to flit about as Effie while modeling many unflattering outfits and makeups ( the lovely Banks usually pops off the screen ). The most interesting of the screen pros may be Woody Harrelson as mentor, coach, and former Games champ Haymitch Abernathy. With his mop of stringy long hair ( like a blond Shemp Howard ), he spends most of his screen time boozing it up, calling Katniss ” sweetheart “, and acting as her fairy godfather. Could it be the horror he witnessed ( and perhaps committed ) during his competition that has him self-medicating?

Most of the young actors portray the other district’s Game players. Many are grimacing, growling villains like a well armed version of MEAN GIRLS’s Plastiques and THE KARATE KID’s blond rivals ( including a second generation star- Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid’s son Jack as “Marvel” ). Amanda Stenberg is affecting as the sweet, pint-sized Rue. But, let’s face it, this is the story of Katniss and Lawrence commands the screen as a terrific teen heroine ( as opposed to that other YA series heroine, Twilight’s Bella Swain, she’s not a damsel in distress to be rescued. Told you I’d get to that series! ), right up there with Buffy Summers and THE MATRIX’s Trinity. I had enjoyed her work in X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, THE BEAVER, and LIKE CRAZY, but this is a real showcase. Katniss is almost a futuristic version of her WINTER’S BONE character. And here lies one of the film’s problems, her male co-stars ( and love interests ) are just not as engaging as her. There’s no heat between her and Hutcherson ( so good in THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, but not very believable here ). Perhaps she and Hemsworth could connect, but their only scene together is in the film’s first few minutes. During the games we get shots of him staring at TV screens. Perhaps the author was going for a Bella-Edward-Jacob triangle, but it’s not coming together in this installment.

Which may be another of the film’s problems. Too many things are unanswered, although there’s no big THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK cliffhanger here. A film should work without having read the source material, and this seemed lacking. Ross works well with these actors and tries to keep the wilder aspects of the story grounded. He is not exploitive with the violence, although some scenes were needlessly chaotic, perhaps in order to not got slapped with the dreaded ‘R” rating. Most of the science fiction aspects are handled with subtlety ( killer wasps work, the crude CGI pit bull/ panther hybrids need to stay in the darkness and the shadows ). Their game of deadly hide and seek lasted too long ( forest fatigue ). Fans of the books will likely be pleased with the reverent treatment. The rest of us should be happy to enjoy the great star making performance of Lawrence. Perhaps the next film will serve her considerable skills better.

Overall Rating; 3.5 Out of 5 Stars