grim but absorbing

Rating: 7/10 (9 June 2013)

I was hesitant to watch this movie because the premise - children being forced to compete to the death - seemed so unpleasant. It is unpleasant, and grim, but it's also fast moving and kept me interested throughout.
Ultimately, though, I feel this movie didn't quite commit to anything. It's an action movie with some pretty good action scenes, but the dour concept keeps it from being a fun popcorn-style action movie. At the same time, the movie didn't really embrace the moral darkness of the tale; the lead character is put in a situation where there would seem to be no possibility of not doing monstrous things, but then she manages to go through the whole movie being flawlessly pure and noble, with any problematic moral choices neatly swept out of her way.
It's a good movie, and I enjoyed it, for the most part, but honestly I feel I would have been better served to have followed my instincts and skipped it.