I read Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games trilogy a month or so before the release of the first film, and I was immediately addicted. The dystopian world that Collins has created is engrossing and a bit potent…while we aren’t there just yet, it seems like we could be living in a world like that not too far from now. I attended the midnight screening of The Hunger Games and was impressed with how well Gary Ross as director and the rest of the cast and crew captured the essence of Collins’ original novel.
The minimalist approach that the filmmakers took is part of what makes it so good. Everything – from the cinematography to the acting to the score – is done in a way that is entirely non-excessive. I wouldn’t say that everything was held back, but it was all just right, entirely representative of the novel. Though the handheld camera was occasionally irritating, it certainly added a bit more realism. The settings were well done, especially in District 12 where we really get the sense of the control the Capitol has over the people and the desperation of the citizens.
Jennifer Lawrence excels as Katniss Everdeen, a girl fighting for her life. She knows the meaning of sacrifice and the value of life, and she is determined to do what she can to protect the people she love. These are all traits that Lawrence captures perfectly, and she does it all without overacting or trying too hard. Josh Henderson as Peeta, while not being exactly what I expected, does a fine job as well, and Woody Harrelson captures the wit and sort of drunken brazenness of Haymitch. Donald Sutherland gets a little extra screen time as President Snow than the character does in the first book; a couple of brief scenes are added that really delve into the character of President Snow and what his intentions are.
Movie adaptations of books are difficult to pull off well; they either entirely leave the source material behind, or they follow the book too closely and get lost in themselves. The Hunger Games does neither and manages to be one of the best book-to-film adaptations I’ve ever seen. The acting is superb, especially from Ms. Lawrence, and everything from the script to the cinematography is fantastic as well. I can’t wait to see what the next film in the series brings!
-Chad
Rating: 4 (out of 5)
MPAA: PG-13 – for intense violent thematic material and disturbing images – all involving teens
P.S. – Read my review of this film’s score, composed by James Newton Howard, here!
When I first read the Hunger Games books by Suzanne Collins, I was thinking to myself the whole time, “man, these books were written to be made into movies!” With that mindset, I was imagining a film score for the book while I was reading, and, though I’m not a composer, I was pretty satisfied with how it sounded in my head.
Chad Likes Movies 