Directed by: Garry Ross
Produced by: Nina Jacobson, Jon Kilik
Screenplay by: Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray
Based on the books by:Â Suzanne Collins
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Lenny Kravitz
Running Time: 142 min
Certificate: 12A
Now before you all start shouting at me, no I haven’t read the books that The Hunger Games are based on, so I’m reviewing the film as a film, not an adaptation of a book, you have been warned 😉
Ok on to The Hunger Games, now I do have to say that if you are expecting the film to jump straight in to the games themselves then you will be surprised, as we are slowly introduced the main characters of the film, just to get to know them a little, before going on to them being chosen from their district to perform in The Hunger Games.
So now we have two contestants from each of the 12 districts between the ages of 12 and 18, so they go through their training process and televised interviews etc to woo the crowds, before being sent in to the “arena” to fight for their lives and only one can  survive the games.
What we really have here is a love story in a rather unforgiving world with the two district 12 entrants being “star crossed lovers”.
Now for the part of my post that is really going to tick people off!
All I could think of during the film was several things, first of all, this seems similar to the brilliant Battle Royale with a hint of The Running Man thrown in. Also, I know the violence in the film had to be done in such a way to reduce the rating for the film, due to the violence being with children, but come on Battle Royale did it so much better.
There you go, now half of you reading this will now have scream in disgust, but this is my point of view, The Hunger Games seems so toned down that it lacks a certain substance that really grabs your full and undying attention.
Now don’t get me wrong, the film is good, it really didn’t seem that it was on for over 2.5 hours, but I just seemed that it did lack a little something. But as I mentioned earlier this is probably down to the audience that the film is going after, it is a 12A after all.
But with it’s Box-Office takings and the news that Woody Harrelson has signed up for four movies, with one of the books being split in to two films, they seem to do a lot of that these days, it seems that The Hunger Games is going to be a smash with the Teens!
Overall Thoughts For The Hunger Games
An enjoyable film that could possible be better, but the fans of the books have spoken and very much light Twilight, The Hunger Games looks like it and its sequels could pull in a hefty amount of bums on cinema seats.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
