Brilliant and thoroughly under-appreciated by some

Rating: 9/10 (5 December 2013)

I read the first book of the series and simply haven't had time to go back and read the rest. I am definitely not the type of person to complain about movie adaptations because it is a very different process and I believe both have to be appreciated separately. This movie is not only an amazing mainstream epic but, much like the book, has a lot of depth and really captivating and interesting political undertones. I don't care if this isn't a new concept...what is? So it borrows a basic concept from Battle Royale...BIG DEAL!! We get it...you've seen the Truman Show...get over yourself. The Hunger Games is a brilliantly crafted, cleverly violent, very well acted adventure epic that is worth all the praise it has received. Yes the morality and political concepts are not new but that doesn't make them any less important. I do agree that the film is violent and definitely not for younger viewers but the film makers deserve a lot of kudos for handling the violent elements with class and as appropriate as possible for its demographic. The way they film it absolutely gets the point across and leaves you sick to your stomach without it being gratuitous. I also thought this was one of the best book adaptations I have ever seen. They actually manage to capture nearly every aspect of the book into the film and that isn't easy. They introduce the world and the characters carefully and with excellent pacing and save the actual games for the last third of the film.
New Hollywood superstar Jennifer Lawrence wouldn't have necessarily been the first actress I would have thought for Katniss. I always pictured her younger. However, now, Lawrence IS Katniss. She is strong willed, rough around the edges, an amazing heroine. She is probably one of the best female heroes in film history I think. She isn't fake or overplayed and she feels real and passionate and charismatic on screen. She is the heart and soul of this film. Josh Hutcherson is Peeta, Katniss' fellow tribute in her district. I feel like Hutcherson seems a little out of his league at times in this film. He isn't bad in the role and he and Lawrence have good chemistry but he definitely pales in his performance next to Lawrence and comes across as very needy which I didn't get the vibe from his character in the book. Both of them are great though at capture different sides of being a Hunger Games tribute and some of the best scenes are the sheer look of terror, amazement and stunned fearful anticipation from the reaping to the actual games. Liam Hemsworth seemed to get talked about a lot for his role as Gale but he really has very little screen time. That being said he establishes a fantastic chemistry with Lawrence and you definitely hope to see more of him in future sequels. The supporting cast of the film is nearly brilliant. Stanley Tucci (one of my favourite supporting characters), Elizabeth Banks, Willow Shields (again very little screen time but impressive setup for a character), Wes Bentley, Woody Harrelson (also one of my favourite characters--and Harrelson is brilliant in his portrayal), Lenny Kravitz, Amandla Stenberg (great in her role but the role is really downplayed in the film considering how important it is to the overall story), and the Presidential and deliberately evil seeming Donald Sutherland as President Snow (a role I hope we see far more of in the future.) The other tributes in the games are all very good but short lived and don't get a lot of screen time. There are truly many terrific performances in the film from the entire cast.
There was a lot of negative reactions to Gary Ross' directing in The Hunger Games. He does love the shaky cam style but for the most part it works in this movie. You need the chaotic feel and you also need to avoid showing gratuitous violence while still getting the message across and like it or not the shaky cam does that well. He still crafts the dysotopian world brilliantly. The characters are vibrant and the film moves along at a terrific pace considering it clocks in at two and a half hours. I think its noteworthy that Gary Ross hasn't had a lot of experience directing but he absolutely knows how to create a terrific story. This deserves every bit of the attention and money that it gets. It is a mainstream epic that was created with great thought and care and let's hope they continue the series with the same quality. 9.5/10