Intense, exciting and enjoyable

Rating: 8/10 (2 June 2013)

First of all I'm going to start by saying that I have not read the books, so I can't comment on how close the movie resembles them.
The Hunger Games begins in the future. Nuclear war and rebellion ruined mankind whose society in America was rebuilt into a new Orwellian nightmare where people slave away in prison camps with no freedom. As a punishment from the authorities for rebellion, each of the 12 districts (1 being the richest and 12 being the poorest) have to fight it out in a battle royale called the Hunger Games, a modern version of Gladiatorial combat or Mandingo Fighting with a bit of Bear Grylls survival thrown in for good measure.
When a girl is picked as the female participant or "tribute" of her district, her older sister - played by the wonderful Jennifer Lawrence - volunteers to take her place. After preparation, training, advertisement to various potential sponsors and an Olympic-esque opening ceremony, the participants are released to fight for survival.
The film is very much 1984 crossed with Lord of the Flies, and has a strong cast. Jennifer Lawrence plays the role well as a strong character albeit with a vulnerability. Unlike most other participants, she is not a typical "action girl" but simply uses her wit to survive. The rest of the cast is excellent and the settings immersing and atmosphere intense. But also it is very clever in its portrayal of a nightmareish totalitarian society where freedom is nonexistent, and how far we would go in surviving in such a society. Very much worth your time!