The Hunger Games

Each year, two people are chosen from each district of Capitol to compete in the Hunger Games. Of the 24 selected only one will survive. Can they beat the system to become a legend?

Set in the future, this offshoot of an incredibly popular set of books brings to life the once a year struggle of the children and young people of the 12 districts of Capitol. Two young people are selected at random to enter the Hunger Games, a fight to the death between 24 contestants which takes as long as it needs to until only one player survives. "Katniss Everdeen" chooses to act as tribute when her younger sisters name is pulled out of the bowl, opting to use her skills in hunting and archery, learnt in the post "uprising" land she now calls home.

The 24 contestants are thrown into a life of luxury, trained, vie for sponsors and try to gain as much public support for themselves, just to they can survive what will very likely be the last days of their lives. Once the games start it is a cutthroat and merciless facade until all but one, usually the strongest or the most talented survives. Teams will be formed, alliances made and broken, backs stabbed and almost any other sort of treachery to make sure they are not the next one to sound the death knell (cannon).

"Katniss" has to use all of her wiles and skills as well as survival techniques she had no idea she possessed in order to stay out of the evil clutches of the strongest of the competitors. Along the way she will find love, compassion and a deep respect for herself that seemed to have been missing before. A system which was designed to remind a populace the errors of uprising will try to survive against the very thing is was created to suppress. Good, will triumph, if it lives long enough!

I expected a lot from this film, and to be honest, was a little disappointed. Although I, unlike so many others, had not read the books, I thought the concept looked good, very Orwellian, and could have made for a decent film, sadly this was not the case. Instead what was dished up to audiences, was a  2 hour and 30 minute (probably 30-40 minutes too long), drag of an idea which almost mixed the worst parts of "The Truman Show", with the not so great parts of "The Running Man". Sadly the majority of the cast in this one had less talent than those in previously mentioned films. The action was slow and tedious, with long pauses in between where nothing really happened.

A few bright lights in this one must be mentioned. Woody Haroldson in the role of "Haymitch Abernathy", was fantastic as the mentor to the lead characters, having won the hunger games before for his district before taking to drink and the good life. His mixture of good-natured comedy and serious introspection is one of his finer roles in the past few years and does brighten the film slightly. Donald Sutherland does well as the President of Capitol, while New Yorker, Stanley Tucci is a shining light as the host of the show "Caeser Flickerman". If ever there was a man to hate on film, this would be he.

The always dependable Elizabeth Banks, who has gone from being "Knocked Up!" to "Man on a Ledge" now continues with her fine turn to serious acting in the massively eccentric "Effie Trinket", certainly the most flamboyant character in the film. The most pleasant surprise of the film came in the form of hard rocker Lennie Kravitz, who takes on the role of "Cinna" and gives it a damn good go! Making his film debut, he gives a strong performance and I look for far more from him in future.

Sadly, none of those mentioned above, play major roles in this film. The likes of Jennifer Lawrence as "Katness Everdeen", Josh Hutcherson as "Peeta Mellark" and Willow Shields who plays the young "Primrose Everdeen", are flat and lifeless and there performances do not inspire confidence at all. On the contestants front, the only one who goes some way to being convincing is Amandla Stenberg who played the part of "Rue" with sensitivity and feeling and should do well in coming years.

The film was boring and took too long, and was far short of what a lot of the audience expected and unfortunately did not even come close to fulfilling the potential that the story had.

4.5/10