Review of 'The Hunger Games', the movie

By Amina Kollere

Drama, intrigue, suspense, science-fiction, and fantasy with a hint of romance all bottled up into a 2hr 22min movie in form of The Hunger Games, the movie adaptation of Suzanne Collins book.

The Hunger Games is a movie set in the future, where South America is today, but would be described as “used to be.” A new country, called Panem, emerges with twelve districts and the Capitol, where all decisions are made. “Every year, the evil Capitol forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation scheme, The Hunger Games is a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight to the death with only one survivor.” (via hitfix.com)

The movie’s theme centers on oppression, survival, and hope for a new future. The oppression is depicted in the form of an authoritarian rule, with one character named Snow presiding. Survival is seen throughout the movie, from the first time we see the main character to the very last scene. The Hunger Games itself symbolizes a form of ‘bread and circus’ for the people of the capitol since they do not participate and seem to have a lot of free time on their hands.

As the plot unfolds, we meet the characters one by one. Katniss is the main character. Her character is that of strength and endurance, coupled with her ability to make ends meet through hunting, and trade. Peeta, the male lead, is sweet and charismatic, a definite crowd pleaser, which comes in handy in The Hunger Games. In terms of survival, he is the kind of character that relies on his wit and physical strength, as is apparent in the arena, where he forms an alliance with the bad guys in order to protect Katniss. They are featured as star-crossed, lovers destined to die in the arena. The audience believes this, both in the movie and in the book. It is obvious that Gale and Katniss go way back. He has a good sense of humor, not to mention HOT! He also has a secret crush on Katniss, as we see when Katniss and Peeta have a moment in the arena, and Gale takes his eyes off the screen.

Haymitch, their sponsor, is first shown as a drunk, who could care less. But after seeing Katniss’ abilities, he is motivated to help them, and he comes through in the end. Effie Trinket is one of my favorite characters in the movie. Like the rest of the capitol, she is unaware of the unfairness of the games. Instead, she believes it as an honor to be a tribute. She is more concerned about the mahogany table into which Katniss drives a knife than the issue of the argument. When Katniss fires an arrow towards the judges’ table because they are not concentrating during her evaluation, Effie is concerned about manners. She is the kind of absurdly oblivious character that can make your day.

President Snow is one sketchy, no-nonsense character that makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise anytime he is on the screen. He looks vindictive and ruthless because he doesn’t see anything wrong in eliminating people that could cause problems in his perfectly knit world at the top of the food chain. He tells Seneca Crane, the game maker, that he hates underdogs and thinks they should be eliminated.

As a sci-fi, the movie’s ability to mimic the setting exactly as it is in the book is commendable. The movie is able to properly depict the lifestyles of the Capitol’s citizens, especially their fashion and architecture. This adds to the fantasy of the movie. The scenes with bloodshed look so real and thrilling, as if you are right there with the characters. Amidst all the chaos, the romantic scenes fit right in and seem even more romantic. Peeta knows the right things to say, but since Katniss is not much of a chatterer but more of an actor, she kisses him, an epic scene that buttresses the star-crossed lovers’ angle.

The movie is a wild ride of blood-boiling, heart-stopping, and mind-reeling events. In terms of character, plot, and action, this movie has it all and deserves high ratings. I rate it 8.5 out of 10.