Review of The Hunger Games (2012) by Julian T — 30 Aug 2014

From the very start, I found something very off-putting about 'The Hunger Games'. A young adult novel trying to be dark and sinister? The last time one of those was wildly popular and got a big budget mainstream oriented movie deal, we got the nauseatingly foul and puketastic 'Twilight' saga. The story is old hat. Its been old hat since 1924 when Richard Connell published 'The Most Dangerous Game', and has been reinvented countless times since (see 'The Running Man', 'Bloodlust', etc etc). This appears to ride those much more original story's coattails by saying 'Hey! Lets just rewrite those old stories, but put teenagers in it instead!!' Fortunately when the movie was over, I can say that the final product is actually pretty darn good.

First and foremost, I will stand by my original opinion that this story is about as far from original as possible, and almost borders on plagiarism. On the bright side, author Suzanne Collins interjects enough details, backstory and dystopian intrigue to morph a familiar plot into something greater than the sum of its parts. In short, the story doesn't succeed because of its main idea, but because of the attention to detail that surrounds it, and the world it takes place in.

The acting is strong. A veteran cast of well known actors like Tucci, Sutherland and Bently provide a solid foundation for the younger actors to shine. I've never been a fan of Josh Hutcherson, but he plays his role very well. Jennifer Lawrence is the backbone of the film. Her Katniss Everdeen is a strong and complex character, and one of relatively few words. It is a tribute to Lawrence's acting to how much she does with such a minimal script that she is able to flesh out such a performance with such little dialogue to go on. Of course, the show stealer is Woody Harrelson as he usually is. He provides a real spark in an otherwise somber atmosphere.

The real thing that separates this film from others of young adult paperback origins is how seriously the story is taken, and not to give in to its own hype. There is a real feeling of menace and of tension. It knows when to go for the big moment, but more importantly it knows how and when to reel in its own spectacle. It is able to tone down the noise and the violence and focus on Kat's inner tension, which is just as suspenseful as anything. Long periods of quiet background noise and long-held camera shots do a fantastic job of building audience anticipation and tension.

Along with the seriousness of tone, it is pretty unapologetic concerning the amount of violence. Despite being PG-13, I'd wager its more violent than alot of rated R flicks out there. It doesn't go overboard, but it certainly doesn't shy away from it in the manor of most other teenage oriented films. It most certainly has an adult tone throughout.

There are some drawbacks. I know this is supposed to be set in the future, but my god, the fashion is just ridiculous and insanely distracting. I find it hard to believe that the stranglehold on future-fashion is controlled by 4 year old girls with bedazzlers and glitter dispensers. It is so far over the top that I had a difficult time balancing the very serious tone of the film with the ridiculously childish wardrobe. Also, there are a number of moments where the film flies out of control. As I said, the majority of the time the movie resists its own hype and stays within itself, but in a few instances it just can't resist. The climax in particular is a frenzied and unnecessarily cluttered one that seems to try to upstage the previously stark and subtle prior two hours.

When looking at this as a whole, it's hard to not be very impressed. Despite a rehashed story and a target audience of questionable taste, 'The Hunger Games' manages to come out pretty darn well. It maintains an adult tone and a subtle nature that most big blockbusters can't (or don't want to) do. Good acting, script and direction are pluses, but the attention to detail is what elevates the story and somewhat cancels out its unoriginal nature. A very well done and surprisingly good film that really makes the most of what it is.