The premise of the film and the novels is a derivative pastiche of other dystopian narratives, but intriguing and well-crafted nonetheless. As penance for a decades-old uprising against their ruling Capitol, each of twelve outlying districts pick a male and female Tribute from the ages of 12-18 each year, to participate in a televised gladiatorial event known as The Hunger Games, a fight to the death in which only one of the twenty four Tributes will survive. The plot follows 16 year old Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), a hunter from District 12, who volunteers on her sister`s behalf when the latter`s name is called at the Reaping, the annual lottery event to pick tributes.
Filmic adaptations from novels can be a tricky affair, particularly given the reliance of the film on the strength of the source material itself. Thankfully, director Gary Ross is more than up to the task, building both an immersive world and a commendably tight filmic narrative in seemingly effortless fashion. Jennifer Lawrence is pitch-perfect in what will undoubtedly be another of her breakout role as the female protagonist, effectively portraying Katniss as a woman of both steely resolve and guarded tenderness.
Visually, The Hunger Games is one part Orwellian dystopia, one part Battle Royale, and has an over-the-top visual element that reminds one of nothing so much as Kubrick`s The Clockwork Orange, with garish costumes punctuating a colour-drained locale, and achieving an effect both comical and slightly sinister. The action sequences are shot in a Bourne-esque shaky camera style, slightly excessive at times, but doubtlessly to lend authenticity to the film and to conceal the violence of certain scenes.
While some may critique the deus ex machina contrivances of the latter part of the plot, which indeed is the only flaw in the entire movie, The Hunger Games is a scintillating science-fiction thriller, laced with elementary – but nonetheless compelling – social critique.
Summary: To filch a line from the Romans: let the games begin
Rating:**** (4/5)