A naively bad try of a good (stolen) idea

Rating: 5/10 (14 April 2012)

First, the idea of a group of innocent people killing each other until one survives is not new, it is the very idea of the earlier book/movie "Battle Royale". It's an interesting idea that unsettles a great deal of thinking, and is definitely very hard to think about seriously.
However, the trying of using this idea in the Hunger Games seems just too overwhelming to the authors/producers --- In one sentence, they don't know how to elaborate on this idea, and plainly don't understand it as seen from the movie.
They AVOID discussing in a comprehensive way the subtlety of humanity by simply focusing on the standpoint of two people who is "by definition good", and just portrait others as either naive (which is "good"), or plainly crazy (which is "bad"). In addition to this simple and naive categorization, none of the good people did anything wrong in the movie, and yet the game with the cruel rules actually can end this way... It just makes it even more simplistic and naive, in other words, Impossible. Why should just the two people from district 12 deserve winning, and can kill others rightfully? Imagine if a majority of contestants are people morally "OK", will they kill, and how will they kill each other under this situation? Remember, no matter how morally good they are, the rules of the game still only permits one survivor. I guess the authors have to change the ending as permitting, say, 10 people survive as winners, as they are all "good"? I can't see any clue of how the authors can resolve any REAL issue from the idea they've taken.
Nothing interesting on this idea can be found from the Hunger Games... As it just AVOIDS it. Then, why do the authors decide to include this idea anyway, if they don't want to elaborate on it?
Indeed, a much better interpretation of the idea can be found from the earlier work of "Battle Royale", which make a good try of giving some serious thinking and expression of it.
I would say the Hunger Games is OK for all other parts except its central part --- the game itself.