THE HUNGER GAMES MOVIE is so much better than it needs to be. The franchise is already poised to be the Next Big Thing; had its casting been less thoughtful or its political message diluted, the film still would’ve broken box office records and moved plenty of tie-in nail polish. But this first installment in a projected trilogy is as smart, compelling, and as politically pointed as any fan of its source material—Suzanne Collins’ great novels—could hope.
A quick summary for the cultural illiterates who haven’t read the books: The Hunger Games is a dystopian YA trilogy set in a future United States, after a massive war has destroyed much of the nation’s infrastructure. The US—now called Panem—is divided into 12 districts, each of which specializes in some area of farming or industry, while the nation is ruled from the Capitol, a city populated by a well-fed leisure class whose lifestyle is supported by the exploitation of the districts.
Every year, two children from each district—called “tributes”—are chosen in a lottery and forced to fight to the death while the nation watches the live, televised spectacle. The fear inspired by these “Hunger Games” help the Capitol to maintain control over the districts—but when a girl from the poorest district volunteers for the games in order to save her younger sister, suddenly the districts have a tribute who represents hope not just for survival, but for change.
Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is the kind of heroine modern girls deserve: She’s smart, she’s capable, and she’s single-mindedly focused on survival, not on the charms of her fellow tribute, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson). The games are at once a reality TV-style pageant and a grueling survival test, and Katniss is determined to win so she can return to care for her sister. She’s aided in her preparations by an excellent support staff: Drunken former tribute Haymitch (Woody Harrelson, great), prissy Effie (Elizabeth Banks, fantastic as always), and her stylist, Cinna (Lenny Kravitz, not terrible!).
The most common critique of the film so far is that it downplays the teen-on-teen violence of the books—that the killing that commences as soon as Katniss sets foot in the arena isn’t brutal enough. But this movie is, in part, about how grotesque it is that suffering is turned into a spectacle—the irony of calling for more blood in The Hunger Games is up there with the fact that you can buy Team Peeta underpants. Fans of the books will find much to nitpick (I certainly did; Katniss’ flaming dress looks like a discount novelty firework), but the movie gets right the things that matter. Crucially, it relies on reality as a touchstone in representing the poverty-stricken districts—the Capitol might be a fanciful sci-fi city, but District 12 looks a lot like Appalachia, and the dehumanizing helmets worn by the Capitol’s riot cops look pretty familiar too. The critique of an insensate, consumerist culture is as pointed here as it is in the books—and its characters are just as relatable and strong.
(P.S. #teampeeta)
YOU CLAIM I CAN BUY TEAM PEETA UNDERPANTS. SURE, THERE MIGHT BE SOME SHITTY-ASS KNOCK-OFFS FROM CAFE PRESS OR SOMETHING; BUT I CANNOT FIND ANY OFFICIALLY LICSENSED HUNGER GAMES PANTIES. I CALL BULLSHIT.
“A quick summary for the cultural illiterates who haven’t read the books…”
As soon as i read this sentence, i immediately stopped reading the rest of this review.
So am i to understand that a GROWN person is “culturally illiterate” JUST FUCKING BECAUSE he/she is not into, nor is not aware of, nor gives a hoot about some obscure series of ‘young-adult/tween’ novellas that have just been adapted into some over-hyped Hollywood film trilogy? Really? Because someone might not be aware of every single piece of pop-culture garbage there is out there, that make said person “culturally illiterate”???
Well then, lemme just put down my copy of “The New Jim Crow”, stop watching docus. about Apartheid and WW2, buy an Xbox so i can play Game of Thrones, and take my culturally-deficient butt back to DROOL SKOOL so that i can git mah re-edumacation on ALL DUMB SHIT EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW, why don’t i?
@CLIFTON BROOKS: YOU ARE AN IDIOT. SHUT UP.
Yeah yeah, you’ve already told me that several times before. I’m guessing you copy/paste it off your flash-drive, to save you the trouble of re-typing it over and over.
My question to YOU sir is this: WHAT DO YOU ATTEND TO DO TO MAKE ME SHUT UP? Would you like to schedule a meet-up at EM? b/c we can certainly make that happen. I’ll give you FIVE DOLLARS if you will agree to meet me in public and tell me to my face to shut up.
Your call.
@DamosA: pretty sure the “culturally illiterate” remark was just a joke. I didn’t know what the Hunger Games were about before a friend explained it to me yesterday (and this review explained things further), but… I’m not at all worked up by her remark. It’s okay to not know everything about current pop culture sensations. I imagine even Alison agrees with that. But she really likes the books, and sometimes people become passionate about things they like, and they wonder (jokingly and not) why other people aren’t passionate about the same things. Perhaps, DamosA, you’re being too insensate (did I use that word correctly, Alison?).
Laughing at Damosa’s unbelievably loose butthole.
“…sometimes people become passionate about things they like, and they wonder (jokingly and not) why other people aren’t passionate about the same things.”
Yeah see, THIS is what one would call a (((NERD))). And you know what? THIS is why people DON’T LIKE NERDS! Do I think more of humanity ought to be into politics and appreciate Horror films? Sure. Do i get all bend outta shape and declare everyone a moron b/c they’re not? No. I’m cool with it.
You do not seem cool with anything.
DamosA, you are a national treasure. Please continue to be irate on the internet. Nothing bad will ever come of it.
So Alison, cultural illiterates = grown adults that do not read books marketed towards young teens? Now if you will excuse me, I have to finish reading the Baby-Sitters Club cycle (mary anne is my favorite).
Sorry, I didnt read @2. I withdraw my smartass question. Back to BSC……..
DamosA: “…sometimes people become passionate about things they like, and they wonder (jokingly and not) why other people aren’t passionate about the same things.”
This is YOU! That’s why I wrote that – so you’d see that you do the EXACT same thing – but with politics and stuff. That is you to the max.
I was going to make a joke here, but then I realized that I actually I do think having a working knowledge of pop culture falls under the umbrella of “cultural literacy.” So, carry on.
@ALISON: YOU NEVER ANSWERED MY QUESTION ABOUT TEAM PEETA UNDEROOS.
ROM, clearly you are wrong, sir. But hey, whatever you have to say in order to win an argument, i suppose…
its cafe press, yeah.
UNDERPANTS TROLLED AGAIN
“A quick summary for the cultural illiterates who haven’t read the books…”
watch “battle royale*” problem solved…
*wasn’t this already a book and a movie before the hunger games?
YES…
Series 7- The Contenders is also good
The Running Man (the book). Battle Royale. I’m sure the HG is good, but can we come up with some fresh ideas? I guess it’s good to remind the public about the rich/poor thing every few years though, so we remember to be pissed off about it.
I would kill 23 teenagers for a Hunger Games thong.
As a grown man, i know nothing about the book, nor do i care anything for the film. But i wonder what’s to it. Apparently, HG fans are pretty fucking racist.
Here:
http://www.blackbookmag.com/movies/hunger-…
Ahhh, I think the Hunger Games looks like generic crap.
Much rather go see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo at the Academy.
Where the fuck is Coriolanus?
I haven’t read the books. I was told they weren’t really necessary to enjoy the movie. Which is okay I guess. I kind of hate seeing a movie without reading the book first.
Without having any context to the story (I’m not reading the review until I see the movie), I can only present the following: I love the outfit in that photo attached. This is how I want to be dressed in the future.