The Hunger Games
- Jayde Walker
- Apr 5, 2012
- 2 min read
Japanese death match flick Battle Royale gets the Hollywood treatment in The Hunger Games, shoehorning a fashion makeover and love triangle amongst all the killing in this tween-friendly adaptation of the popular book series.
What’s the deal?
In the future, a dystopic North America has been developed into 13 poor districts and one elitist capital. After an uprising which wiped out District 13, the twelve remaining districts are forced to participate in the Hunger Games as a way to curb rebellion. One male and one female under 16 is chosen from each district, isolated in a forest playing field, provided weapons and forced to fight in deadly game of hide and seek. When young Primrose Everdeen is chosen to participate in this year's Games, her older sister Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers to take her place instead.
It’s good!
Jennifer Lawrence, who impressed previously in Winter’s Bone, is a charismatic Katniss while Josh Hutcherson as love interest Peeta captures the friend-zoned nice guy. The cast (notably Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks) is solid, providing unoffensive and likeable performances. Props to Lenny Kravitz, who brought some depth to the pretty one-dimensional role of Senna (and also rocked some gold eyeliner like no-one’s business).
What’s wrong with you?
Some of the CGI effects are pretty lame and the Capital scenes seem a little ridiculous and overdone. The action really picks up when the contestants hit the arena; however, it's a really tween-friendly movie, so does lack the shock factor of the same-same-but-more-violent 2000 film, Battle Royale.
Neo-Maxi Zoom Dweeb-ery
While The Hunger Games shares many (too many) similarities with the aforementioned Japanese film Battle Royale, it's not the first time this topic has been broached. Really, you can trace it's heritage back to the ‘bread and circus’ spectacles of the Roman Colosseum. Film and literature has been filled with murderous, dystopic dictatorships, death games or sinister commentary around reality TV voyeurism. The original Death Race 2000 depicted a darker version of the much-loved Whacky Races in a campy trans-American race where cartoonish heroes/villains scored points by offing each other – and pedestrians – in souped-up automobiles. The remake moved the race into a maximum security prison televised for mass enjoyment, as was the death match shows of The Running Man and Series 7: The Contenders. Even The Truman Show and EdTV preached against the evils of reality TV. All portrayed the audience as brainless, heartless, faceless entities acting as bystanders. Similarly, the depiction of the lower classes as disposable playthings for the elite has also been shown in the Hostel series, My Little Eye and Surviving The Game.
Truth?
It could've done with more grit, but Katniss is a much, MUCH better role model than Twilight's annoying Bella Swan for the kids.
Bender Fist Pumps:
