Just when we thought we’ve had enough of Harry Potter…. In the first Suzanne Collin’s novel turned trilogy films…an annual contest for the last 74 years, pits 24 Tributes – ages 12 through 18 – one boy and one girl from each of the District’s, against each other. They are forced to fight to the death, until only one person remains. The entire event is broadcast as Survivor meets American Idol with Seneca (Wes Bentley) in the Ryan Seacrest role, until one child is crowned the winner. Apparently it’s mandatory viewing for the public, just as Lord of the Flies was mandatory reading in 9th grade English Class.
Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Winter’s Bone Lawrence) volunteers to enter the games in order to protect her younger sister, Prim (Willow Shields) whose number was picked. Kat’s only hope at survival – aside from the fact that she’s really good with a bow and arrow – is a mentor, Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson). Woody steals the movie as an
insane mix of Cheers bartender meets Natural Born Killers. His best advice is that Kat “Embrace the probability of her [your] imminent death.” But he also suggest s she utilize her adult powers by manipulating the sponsors of the games – who provide apples and supplies etc. – in order to survive. And don’t all teenagers want to be taken seriously?
Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) is the lottery picker Vanna White, dressed in hilarious Louis the XV meets Elton J designs. And Cinna (Lenny Kravitz, yes THAT Lenny Kravitz) plays an amusing role as Kat’s stylist. Caesar (Stan Tucci) is sort of the Simon
Cowell commentator of the show.
Katniss and her friend Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) must combat their way through high voltage wires, overcome dehydration, swords, bows, arrows, animals, bludgeons and worst of all, no cell phones. Jennifer Lawrence is perfectly cast in the role of Kat – both vulnerable and likeable – move over Bella Swan!
The plot’s underlying theme is that we must choose between humanity and life over love, which in this case is easy as we’re never convinced that Katniss and Petta really have any chemistry. The concern of the movie overall, is that in a time when teens are mirroring violence in the media, and random shootings in our public high school, what exactly are these kids “winning” in these bloodshed Hunger Games? …though it must be said that the director, Gary Ross handles these images quickly and without visual focus, but one can only hope that there won’t be a string of Hunger Games incidents in real life.
Ross directs with a little too much camera panning turned nauseating, and one can’t help to wish Danny Boyle was behind
the series, though Ross has done a fine job of bringing the graphic violence down to a PG-13 rating. Three tiaras