Urgh...

Rating: 1/10 (28 March 2012)

I want those 2 and a half hours back. I don't have words to describe quite how hard this movie sucks but I will try. Always best to start with a positive though so I will say this movie is probably twice as good as Twilight :) Now for the bad:
1) This movie is paper-light in terms of plot. Dystopian futures centred around class struggles have been done to death. They are not weighty backdrops with which to lend your stories depth.
2) I really couldn't care less about the characters. About an hour in I wished they had all died.
3) The socio-economic backdrop aside, the futuristic vision this film conveys is boring. Maybe that was the point and I am missing it.
4) The premise is ridiculous and clearly Battle Royale and The Running Man had an ugly love child. I understand this film was based off a book series - I didn't know this before watching but even still after nearly 3 hours of my attention if you can't convey the alleged gravitas and merits of this story I am unlikely to be impressed with a deeper literary exploration of this shamelessly exploitative money-grab.
5) Did I mention the plot was paper thin?
6)Any chance of something remotely interesting or 'edgy' in terms of the dynamics of the unlucky lot thrust into the grips of mortal combat was looked over in favour of the mainstream, pleasing approach. I can only imagine this was for reasons alluded to in point 4.
7) The attempted conveyance of a romance in this film was plain ridiculous especially after this lengthy scene was played out straight after the equally ridiculous tragedy of the main characters little friend having just died.
8) Maybe I fell asleep at times but I am pretty sure the only person to have benefited from a 'sponsors drop' was the main girl. I found this odd as much was made of this little rule in the build up and I was led to believe that sponsors would have 'favourites'. Seems they all loved her and hated everyone else.
9) Related to above... Clearly any half decent sponsor would have air dropped a ladder in to the group trying to get her out of a tree.
10) Even as an action film, this flick is nauseating. The 'set piece' fight at the end is lamentable and even then is tinged with the nasty soiling of poorly thought out emotional drivel.
11) Having watched this film not more than an hour ago and having had it rob over 2 hours of my life I think it is still telling that I cannot remember the main characters names.
Anyways, I will stop bashing this film now. Suffice to say I hated it. It's terrible - avoid it if you value half decent cinema. Avoid it if you are just after some cheap action thrills. By all means go watch if you need to test your threshold for boredom, cheesiness or sanity.