The Hunger Games (2012)

Succeeded by: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

	Director: Gary Ross	COUNTRY USA GENRE Science Fiction/ Drama/Thriller NORWEGIAN TITLE The Hunger Games RUNNING TIME 142 minutes
	Producer: Nina Jacobson Jon Kilik
	Screenwriter (based on the novel by Suzanne Collins): Gary Ross Suzanne Collins Billy Ray

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Katniss Everdeen	Jennifer Lawrence
Peeta Mellark	Josh Hutcherson	½
Gale Hawthorne	Liam Hemsworth
Haymitch Abernathy	Woody Harrelson	½
Effie Trinket	Elizabeth Banks
Cinna	Lenny Kravitz
Caesar Flickerman	Stanley Tucci
President Coriolanus Snow	Donald Sutherland	½
Seneca Crane	Wes Bentley
Rue	Amandla Stenberg
Cato	Alexander Ludwig	½
Clove	Isabelle Fuhrman
Marvel	Jack Quaid
Glimmer	Leven Rambin
Claudius Templesmith	Toby Jones
Thresh	Dayo Okeniyi
Foxface	Jacqueline Emerson
Mrs. Everdeen	Paula Malcomson
Primrose Everdeen	Willow Shields

Review

Based on the best-selling futuristic young adult books by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games carries the essence of classic dystopian literary or film works like 1984, THX 1138 or, more specifically, Stephen King's The Running Man, but manages to weave its own spellbinding originality and present a fascinating story with the complexity and integrity a strong adaptation can boast, something rarely achieved in films not adapted from literature.

We follow two teenagers from the poor and remote District 12 in a future nation riddled with war and disaster. Having been chosen to represent their district in the annual Hunger Games – a contest, or rather an involuntary battle of life and death – the two find themselves fighting for their lives alongside a group of other terrified teenagers. The last man standing wins eternal fame and glory. There are no rules, but plenty of cameras – through which the rest of the nation watches and roots for their district's contestants.

One of the best aspects of The Hunger Games is how delicately it portrays the unhealthiness of it all: the kids' fear, the nation's charade of pride, excitement, and glory, and all the well-written and well-acted humanity amidst it. Like other examples of mass suggestion (such as Nazi Germany), the allure and glory seemingly overshadow the immorality, leaving you as the viewer in the same predicament as the spectators of the Hunger Games: You know it's wrong, but you still want to watch.

The story's underlying themes – of the elite seeking to control and subdue the masses – have been explored on film many times before, but what director Gary Ross (Pleasantville) is able to convey in terms of drama and tension within this fascinating setup is nothing short of remarkable. The brilliant visuals, including the masterful set design by Larry Dias, add to the effect, as does the fine acting from a number of inspired performers, including the talented Jennifer Lawrence (Winter's Bone) in the lead role, a fun Stanley Tucci as the TV host, and a brilliant Woody Harrelson as a previous, disillusioned champion of the games.

The game is on. Now let's just hope this film isn't tarnished by numerous sequels, which seems to have become the norm in this sub-genre lately.