Review of The Hunger Games (2012) by Josh B — 07 Oct 2014

"The Hunger Games" takes place in a dystopian future where the government, the Capitol, controls everything their citizens do. This movie, directed by Gary Ross, is based off of "The Hunger Games" novel written by Suzanne Collins. It follows Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) as they fight their way through the annual Hunger Games that were set up by the Capitol. This movie is great for all ages and shows that we should persevere even in the worst of times.

Katniss lives in the futuristic nation of Panem. More specifically, she lives in District 12. This is one of the 12 districts that the Capitol set up in order to keep the people under control. Each of these districts contains poverty, death, and the constant fight for survival. Everything the citizens of Panem do can be viewed and regulated by the Capitol. There is basically no freedom within the gates of the districts. This can be compared to the recent findings with the NSA and other surveillance tactics in the U.S.A. While it is not as bad as Panem, the issues today do show shockingly similar control methods that the Capitol uses in each of the districts. This is important to keep in mind when watching this movie as it is very relatable to current everyday life.

Constant surveillance and control is not even the worst part. Each year, every citizen who lives in the districts between the ages of 12 and 18, is eligible to be selected for that year's Hunger Games. These games require two tributes from each district to be put in an arena and fight to the death. While this idea makes the film seem completely out of the question for kids, Ross deals with it perfectly making it great for any age. The regulation on violence does not smother the seriousness or brutality of the games. Just enough is let through to ensure that the audience will be on the edge of their seat for the entirety of the games.

The beauty of this movie is how well the citizens are able to come together to help one another. Although the setting makes the outlook seem hopeless and impossible to live a happy life, the people of the districts are able to take care of each other and push through. With the main focus of the movie being in District 12, most of the good acts can be witnessed here. One specifically is the possible sacrifice of one's life in order to obtain food or other rations. In this system, citizens can take a certain amount of rations with the payment of one extra piece of paper with their name on it to go to the choosing of the next Hunger Games. The majority of the people who take these rations bring them back to their families in an attempt to keep them alive and safe. This means that some of the people who take these rations will have a lot greater of a chance of getting selected for the Hunger Games. Despite this realization, they continue to provide for their families and help each other survive.

So, do not let the plot of "The Hunger Games" turn you away if you had planned a family night. It fits with all ages and keeps the violence to a minimum. At the same time, it is also perfect for teens and adults who want an entertaining movie with a great story and message. I enjoyed this movie because of that and hope that this review can encourage you to check it out.