Better Than Average, but not Great

Rating: 7/10 (10 August 2013)

As a fan of the series, I would have to say that "The Hunger Games" succeeds in some ways beyond the others because of one thing, or one person, and that is the actress Jennifer Lawrence.
She's an interesting young actor. I've only seen her in a few films, but found her always believable. If you replace her in "The Hunger Games," with someone who was originally considered for the role of Katniss (Abigail Breslin, Saoirse Ronan, or Emma Roberts for example), it's difficult to say the film would work as well as it does. Not that those other actresses aren't talented, or couldn't do a good job in the role, it's just that Lawrence seems to be perfect casting and she runs with the film. She really anchors the film by underplaying. Also when her insecurities and unlikable characteristics surface, her movements and line readings come across as completely genuine.
The same can't be said about most of the other major players, particularly Wes Bently as Seneca, Elizabeth Banks as Effie, Stanley Tucci as Caesar, and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch. Although Harrelson at least has a bit of a character arc, he and the others mostly play their characters in broad strokes, often the problem in these dystopian films. Donald Sutherland as the president fares a bit better, but his role is written that way. Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, the boy from Katniss' district 12, unfortunately doesn't succeed in making us deeply care for him or make us buy Katniss' affection for him. It's difficult to say what it is about him, because his performance isn't bad at all. Perhaps he was miscast. He just lacks something that would make me warm to him. His scenes with Lawrence seem to lack the needed chemistry to ignite the on screen romance.
What did work far better, however, was Katniss' relationship with Rue, played by Amandla Stenberg. Rue's demise was the only one to elicit emotion in me. Although Rue is still not much developed as a character, she's a nice surrogate little sister for Katniss. Script-wise this works because we already understand Katniss has special warm feelings for Primrose, her younger sister (Willow Shields), having taken her place as her district's female tribute for the games. Stenberg is so remarkably cute that we can't help but fall for her. Her demise is sad indeed, and given weight by the well of emotion from Lawrence.
The rest of the tributes are undeveloped, just bodies to get knocked off one by one. This is a film that could have used more time to develop them. That would have upped the stakes if we understood them better. I've never read the book, but I would imagine they are developed further in it. The script was very manipulative in how the announcements kept changing the game rules right up to the last minute. Too little explanation is given, and that is just sloppy movie making.