The Games We Play

Rating: 9/10 (31 March 2012)

Futuristic science fiction yarns are usually dystopian. "Pleasantville" director Gary Ross' adaptation of the Suzanne Collins bestseller "The Hunger Games" sticks to the formula. Mind you, when we think about the future, we often dream about hopes fulfilled, life idyllic, etc. In dystopian science fiction, everything is a nightmare. In "The Hunger Games," America—as we know it—has long since collapsed after a devastating civil war. The post-apocalyptic society that emerges from the ruins—Panem—resorts to an annual televised spectacle as a way of controlling the masses. Twenty-four preteens and teens slaughter each other in a ritualistic sacrifice until only one survives. The Collins' novel appeared in 2008. Whether she knew about the sensational Japanese actioneer "Battle Royale" is anybody's guess. In "Battle Royale," an entire class of high school children is gassed and shipped off to a remote island. They are armed to the teeth with every kind of weapon known to man and forced to kill until only one is standing. "Battle Royale" was an audacious epic that went into graphic detail about violence. "The Hunger Games" qualifies as a superlative thriller that softens the content of the violence. Make no mistake; children die in "The Hunger Games." This PG-13 rated kill-or-be-killed opus cannot compare with "Battle Royale" in terms of sheer violence. No, I haven't read the novel, but friends have assured me neither Ross nor co-scenarist author Suzanne Collins have deviated drastically from the source material. Despite its distant futuristic setting, this exhilarating escapade is first a commentary about our current obsession with televised survival games. Second, this sci-fi fantasy recognizes of our insatiable bloodlust. Spectacles similar to "The Hunger Games" occurred as back as the Roman arenas where gladiators fought to the death. Games of survival have been with us the dawn of time.
Each year, the twelve districts that make up the nation of Panem randomly select two youngsters between 12 and 18 years of age. The districts send one boy and one girl each as "tribute" to represent them in the homicidal games. Indeed, once the children arrive at the opulent Capitol, they are decked out in elaborate costumes and paraded around in chariots before a massive audience. An even larger audience watches them 'live' on television. We don't learn much about the government. Later, these contestants are shown how to wield swords, knives, bows & arrows, but they are not allowed to field firearms. Not only do experts train them in the use of these lethal weapons, but they also have others who coach them so they may attract patrons. These patrons are often useful. Sometimes they deliver crucial gifts during the game. These gifts almost always prolong survival. One wise mentor advises his student to treat the game as much as a popularity contest as a fight to the death. The other thing that will stand out is the way that the adults dress in "The Hunger Games." They look like they've received invitations for The Mad Hatter tea-party from "Alice in Wonderland." Stanley Tucci looks hilarious in his huge wig but has the time of his life chewing as Caesar Flickerman. He plays the equivalent to a talk show host.
Our heroine, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence of "X-Men: First Class"), comes from an impoverished, Appalachia district where the men still plunge into the bowels of the earth to excavate coal. She is depicted as an underdog from the start and demonstrates how luck rather than physical strength enables her to survive. Actually, Katniss was not the chosen one. Instead, the lottery that the officials staged amid much pomp and circumstance at the district level picked Katniss' 12-year old sister Prim (Willow Shields) as the tribute. Since she volunteered to replace her sister, Katniss is allowed to offer herself as a substitute. As the young man who accompanies Katniss to the Capitol, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson of "Bridge to Terabithia") is the son of a grocery store owner. Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks of "Man on a Ledge"), Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson of "Zombieland"), and Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) advise them in their respective roles as mentors and coaches. Peeta suggests they present themselves as 'star-crossed' lovers since he has a crush on her. Predictably, Katniss objects. Nevertheless, Haymitch persuades a stubborn Katniss to participate in the deception. You see, Katniss has feelings for a guy back home, Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth of "Knowing"), who loves her.
Compared with most of her adversaries, Katniss is better prepared for the ordeal. She has spent considerable time hunting in the woods with a bow & arrow. We see her spear a bird in flight with one of her arrows. Later, she gives the adults a shock in one of the best scenes when she loosens an arrow into an apple. The most exciting scenes in"The Hunger Games" take place in a forested stretch of woods. Of course, this leafy arena is not altogether genuine. Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley of "Gone") supervises the games and orchestrates them from behind the scenes. The kids are loaded into tubes that lift them to the surface around a gigantic cornucopia piled high with supplies and bristling with weapons. Haymitch warns Katniss to head for the safety of the woods. Casualties are always heavy at the cornucopia. Later, he explains, she can pick up a weapon. Katniss follows Haymitch's instructions and scrambles into the woods as the carnage commences. The next time Katniss sees Peeta, he is roaming with a band lead by the pugnacious Cato (Alexander Ludwig of "Race to Witch Mountain") who kills without a qualm. He enjoys snapping necks. Naturally, to align our sympathies with Katniss, she starts out as an underdog and benefits from a couple of patrons. The interesting thing is that physical strength is not synonymous with winning the games.
Make no mistake, "The Hunger Games" is going to make Jennifer Lawrence as popular as the "Twilight" movies made Kristen Stewart.