Distasteful premise made 'commercial' by its hedonistic, human-exploitation framework...

Rating: 6/10 (22 April 2012)

In the future, after war has ravaged the planet and turned the basic rules of society inside-out, a bloodthirsty public goes wild for a reality show in which different young people are selected as participants (mostly against their will) in a survivor-take-all outdoor showdown. Director Gary Ross, who also co-adapted the screenplay from Suzanne Collins' book (with Collins and Billy Ray), throws a lot at the screen (action, family drama, teen romance) yet is relatively unable to erase the distastefulness from this scenario (which isn't made palatable simply by putting the context of human exploitation within a totalitarian society framework). Jennifer Lawrence doesn't have a particularly expressive voice or face, though she makes us care for the central character, a tough young woman who volunteers to substitute for her little sister after the child is chosen as a participant during the preliminary 'reaping.' The handsome boys cast opposite Lawrence don't really suit her, however--and there's an unavoidably anti-climactic void at the finale, which leaves itself open for the obligatory sequel. Well-produced and occasionally gripping, despite over-the-top visual effects, jittery camera-work and simple scenes edited to a fare-thee-well, apparently by filmmakers who didn't trust the collective attention spans of the movie-going public. **1/2 from ****