Take a dystopian future, sprinkle in a totalitarian government, add 24 teenagers and stir in a tournament to the death. What you have is a recipe for some heartbreaking thrilling cinema. The chef in this case is Garry Ross who unfortunately doesn’t deliver and the outcome is a bit undercooked.
Based on the best-selling book by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games is set in a future nation known as Panem. As payback for past rebellion against the wealthy seat of power called the Capitol, the Hunger Games are initiated; a televised annual event in which one boy and one girl from each of the poor 12 districts of the nation are selected as “tributes” and are required to fight to the death until only one victor remains.
Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) from the 12th district volunteers as a tribute to save her younger sister who is chosen to take part. Joined by her district’s male tribute Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), Katniss travels to the Capitol to train for the Hunger Games under the guidance of former victor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson).
The film has a strong first half which is set up for the games but once they begin, it’s all downhill. The action and violence is mostly muted and this makes the tone of a film about kids killing each other rather mild. The close up shaky cam method of filming the action doesn’t really help much in figuring out what is going on.
Emotional impact of events and scenes is greatly sapped by lack of character development. On a storytelling level, characters and major plot points are introduced without much back story and you are supposed to feel something for them but this many times just falls flat.
Plot momentum and structure is also rather poor. In a film whose plot gives you a simple method of plot development, counting down from 24, it fails to seize this opportunity. The structure is messy and you don’t have a sense of build up and climax, a few times I thought the film was winding down when in fact there were more plot points to come.
The film gets a few things right. It sets up the story well and has some well constructed action scenes that convey actual peril. Jennifer Lawrence, whose character is properly developed and is the emotional centre of the film does a fine job. The supporting cast which includes Stanley Tucci & Donald Sutherland do their best with the little material they have.
Overall, the film is a bit disappointing. Considering it has made a gazillion dollars worldwide I thought the film would be grander but it really doesn’t feel like a blockbuster. By the end I was not very interested in where the story goes so when the sequel comes out next year I’ll just wave at it as it passes by.
Rating: 6/10.
The Hunger Games official trailer.