Survival of the fittest, children's edition

Rating: 5/10 (19 May 2012)

Before I start I need to note that I only wanted to see this movie to have my own opinion about it, even though I knew right from the start that it won't be very entertaining to me. However, all that buzz surrounding The Hunger Games made me realize that maybe I should watch it just to be up-to-date with the movie news.
I've never read the books, and, really, the topic of a 'game, where people hunt each other down in order to see who survives the longest' has been repeated in many pictures over the decades. Survival of the fittest, as one intelligent man once called it.
I won't bore you with the synopsis, because it seems actually as simple and trivial as a child's story. The beginning is so simple, yet so tragic, that it is undeniably obvious what must happen through the 142 minutes screening time. After Katniss Everdeen has so bravely protected her little sister from taking part in the murderous, and tremendously unethical, annual Hunger Games the viewer already knows what must happen at the very end.
I'm not really mad that the movie was so predictable. It is, after all, a big budget blockbuster, which was geared towards earning horrendous amounts of money even before the real production had started. It wasn't supposed to boost one's intellect.
I just can't understand why they had to make such a long movie, with so many unnecessary and boring scenes and promote it as one of the biggest hits in the teen flicks category. I won't deny that it stands out from the crowd of such flops as, oh let's say, the whole Twilight series. But the overall excitement that appeared right with the premiere of The Hunger Games probably left many people totally unsatisfied. I know I was.
As for some of the positive aspects, there were a few scenes that made the movie a bit more enjoyable. Even more, if it weren't for the part, which presented the stage of preparation for the Games, it would be a pretty decent action movie with some entertaining fighting sequences.
I must also say that the movie is well directed and presents some stunning cinematographic achievements in the sense of visual experience.
Jennifer Lawrence did well. She is now on the list of many production studios as the new leading female. Because the lack of actual heroine characters in the last few years made her, and the role which she played, appear as a definition of the thing that Hollywood needs – a strong and independent woman that can support a picture on her own. Josh Hutcherson's character – Peeta - was just a supplement. He wouldn't be able to survive without the help of this brave young girl.
Don't expect any blood splattering over the bodies of deceased teenagers or gruesome scenes of murder. This is a PG-13 movie. If you want a real survival picture you would be better off watching Battle Royale, a fantastic Japanese flick that presents a similar concept, but with a 100% more violence and ruthlessness. And it goes straight to the point in just a few minutes.
All in all, The Hunger Games happened to be exactly what I expected it to be: a movie focused on a group of teenagers, who are in need of yet another teenage drama with a whole lot of heartfelt romance. Watchable, but definitely not a movie for the ages – 5/10.