New Movie Leaves Viewers Hungry for More

Frankie Campisano
Arts and Entertainment Editor

 The Hunger Games is Hollywood’s next big thing, hailed as the successor to Harry Potter and Twilight. The first film, which stars Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, and Elizabeth Banks, introduces viewers to a post-apocalyptic America, where teenagers are pitted against each other in an annual fight to the death. The film follows Katniss Everdeen, portrayed by Lawrence, a typical teenager who is engulfed in the titular Hunger Games competing for her life. The Games themselves are devised as a way for the lavish, corrupt government system known as the Capitol to keep the twelve Districts, akin to impoverished, powerless states, in line. Though there are roughly two dozen competitors, the plot homes in on Katniss and her male counterpart, Peeta Mellark, which adds a level of predictability to the plot, keeping the core cast intact for the entire trilogy.
 
The Hunger Games has a lot going for it; a solid script co-penned by the author of the original book series, Suzanne Collins, a cast with strong on-screen chemistry, and successful marketing campaign that has positioned the film to be the next big film franchise for teenagers. Bringing in $155 million at the box office for its opening weekend, the Gary Ross directed film has been a critical and commercial success. But the film’s biggest strengths are also its biggest weaknesses. Ross’ rollercoaster directing leads to many scenes where the excitement and thrill feels entirely manufactured. Scenes of simple dialogue are trumped up in an attempt to make them heart pounding and keep viewers on the edge of their seats. The series’ plot is too heavily lifted from the Japanese franchise Battle Royale, which delivers the same premise with stronger political and emotional messages, while at the same time refusing to pander to young audiences in the way that The Hunger Games does.

The film veers between two conflicting styles, at times glossy and overproduced and at others gritty and grounded in realism. The pacing of the movie overshadows any attempt to explore the science-fiction dystopia that Collins created in favor of action sequences and budding romances. The lack of screen time devoted to world building ultimately brings the film down; though it is entirely possible these themes will be explored in future installments. The film’s distributor and studio, Lionsgate, has already made plans to split the final book in the trilogy, Mockingjay, into two films in an effort to stretch out the franchise’s lifespan, mirroring studio decisions with Harry Potter and Twilight.

The Hunger Games is a high quality first entry in a franchise that has three more tries to get it right. While it suffers from a highly derivative plot, bizarrely out of place direction, and an oversaturation from the Hollywood marketing teams, the film is an enjoyable popcorn flick that could have held its own in the thralls of summer blockbusters.

3/5 stars