The Hunger Games

Hey, a movie review! Haven't done that it a long time. And for a movie that is recent! Haven't done that... ever.

       So, The Hunger Games. You probably know what it's all about - an adaptation of the bestselling book by Suzanne Collins, about a dystopian American future in which the totalitarian government demands youth from its districts to fight to the death to prevent rebellion. It's a bit more complex than that, of course, but that sentence was getting long as it is, and if you're reading this you have Google. This is about my opinion. So, first impression: I enjoyed it. It was well made, the acting, effects, music, etc. were are excellent, and it was a good and faithful adaptation. Let's talk about that last one first. Fans of the book will love this movie. It is true not only to the plot, but the characters and the themes as well. I'm sure it helped that Suzanne Collins was one of the screenwriters. However, it wasn't so dependent on the book that someone who had never read it would be lost.

       I went into the movie expecting it to be the same-old sort of action/YA type genre standard (which I enjoy but is nothing special). To my surprise, the filmmaking was much more interesting than that. My favorite part was how it really tried to put the viewer into the experience of the characters (usually the protagonist, Katniss). So, when she was confused, the camera angles would be confusing, or when there was an explosion right next to her head, all the sound for the next minute was muffled with a loud ringing. While not a complete innovation, it was much better than not even trying to be interesting.
       All the other elements worked together very well, too. The acting was good, even powerful sometimes. The tearjerker moment jerked a few tears, the scary moment made me jump, etc. Overall, very well done.

       So, should you see it? Sure. If you're a die-hard fan of the book, you've probably already seen and loved it. If you just liked the book, it's a good addition and might add to your appreciation. If you haven't read the book but like dystopian scifi, you will probably like it a lot. If you hate all of those things, however, you probably will hate The Hunger Games movie as well.