A successful adaptation in every way possible...

Rating: 10/10 (4 April 2012)

The very point of young adult literature is to give the few young individuals with an interest in reading, a world to immerse themselves in, and a character or two to root for, who will hopefully teach them a thing or two about the world they live in, and hopefully, about themselves. Such a character should be a role model for these young people. In 2012, we are left with no more "Harry Potter" films to be made. The "Twilight" series, which has albeit made a great deal of money, doesn't quite cut it for those of us who expect something more from our movie-going experience.
"The Hunger Games" has it all: a wonderful slew of characters, an unfamiliar and interesting world, real problems to overcome, not to mention a star-making performance by Jennifer Lawrence. One major problem that I find in the "Twilight" series lies in the lack of role models for young women reading them. Bella Swan is an idiot. She relies on men for every single thing she does, and doesn't change and become her own person over the course of the four books, ultimately becoming the epitome of anti-feminism, in this viewer's eyes.
Having said that, "The Hunger Games" is something of a godsend. Katniss Everdeen is headstrong, brutal, resourceful, witty, uncannily smart and a truly original personality. She knows when to back down, yet she knows when to take charge. She is an ideal role model for young people who will undoubtedly approach the film.
"The Hunger Games" takes place in the post-apocalyptic region of Panem, divided into twelve "districts". Once a year, an Olympics-style event takes place where one young man and woman from each of the twelve districts is forced to take part in a fight to the death on national television, where only one contestant can survive. A member of working- class District 12, Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) takes her young sister's place after she has somehow been chosen in her first year of eligibility. Katniss has essentially raised her sister, with a mother who has been useless ever since the father's death. She learns to put her knowledge to good use, becomes something of a badass in her quest to above all else, stay alive.
Like I mentioned, Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, is a revelation. She clearly knew the character she was playing. While her performance is strong and ever-commanding, the character of Katniss was never permitted to let her true emotions show, and Lawrence obviously understood that. She couldn't have been better. Josh Hutcherson does a good enough job as Peeta, the other contestant from District 12, who becomes a good friend to Katniss; and possibly a love interest? We'll let the next film in the trilogy tackle that.
The film has a tremendous supporting cast, including Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, the often-inebriated mentor to Katniss and Peeta, "30 Rock"'s Elizabeth Banks as the loud and flamboyant Effie, Donald Sutherland as the country's president, and the always-great Stanley Tucci, as Caesar.
My only gripe lies with director Gary Ross, who has previously directed "Seabiscuit" and "Pleasantville". His shaky camera-work works in scenes where we're seeing events from a character's perspective, especially when the "games", themselves, begin. However, shaky hand-held camera- work is present, even in scenes where only two characters are having a conversation. Why? It's distracting, and should have been done differently.
However, Ross did a well enough job interpreting this novel, which I believe many other directors could have screwed up. He made a sensitive, yet not-for-the-faint-of-heart film out of a novel that felt exactly the same way. Like the "Twilight" series, there is a love story in "The Hunger Games", but it's not the most important thing going on. The film could stand as simply an adaptation of a novel, or could be interpreted as social commentary, with obvious hints being made about the Occupy Wall Street movement, as well as the grim picture it paints of what our society could one day become. Yet it's quality entertainment that even the least discerning film-goer can appreciate. Bring on "Catching Fire".
Grade: A