The Hunger Games: Blu Ray Review

The Hunger Games: Blu Ray Review

Released by Roadshow Home Entertainment
Rating: M

So, amid all the hype, the first part of Suzanne Collins' wildly successful young adult series The Hunger Games is unleashed.

The film's set in a not too distant futuristic world known as Panem, which has risen from the ashes of a rebellion.

Those behind the rebellion have been defeated by the ruling classes and now live in run down districts outside of the main centre of Panem, The Capitol. But there's a heavy price for this rebellion as the powers that be hold the annual Hunger Games - where in a boy and a girl from each of the 12 Districts is chosen by ballot annually and must fight to the death in an arena with the world watching on. 

Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss Everdeen, who lives in District 12. She's the carer for her widowed mother and younger sister, Prim, after their father was killed in an explosion down a mine.

But when Prim is chosen as one of District 12's Tributes during the annual Reaping ballot, Katniss volunteers to take her place in the Games - and she's whisked into the Capitol along with baker's boy Peeta (Hutcherson) to train for the life and death ceremony...

The Hunger Games arrives with a hefty weight of expectation on its shoulders; from the fans, a desire to see their beloved books adapted well; from the studios, a chance to potentially launch a new franchise and for the non-fans, a chance to see what the hype is about and buy into the rest of the series.

And thankfully - mainly due in large part to Jennifer Lawrence and a lot of restrained direction from Ross, it's a success.

Lawrence's Katniss is a well rounded, focussed yet vulnerable character; a hunter gatherer whose desire to protect herself and her loved ones blinkers her to the world around her. Lawrence once again excels in a lead role and shows she can hold your attention for long swathes of the film. Through a subtly nuanced performance which internalises her emotions and showcases Katniss' stillness, Lawrence imbues the heroine with a series of instantly recongisable traits - fear and calculation mixed in together when she's hunting in the life or death situations and uncertainty when having to deal with emotions and new situations. Clearly once again, she demonstrates an acting talent beyond her years.

Along with great supporting turns from Kravitz as Cinna, Katniss' stylist, Harrelson as Haymitch, a former winner of the Games, Tucci as a slick and slimy Master of Ceremonies and Banks as the District 12 escort, this is a film which impresses on many levels.

That said, it's not without its flaws; an over reliance on shaky cam at the start quickly outstays its welcome; there's confusion over what rules the sponsors (who have the chance to help the tributes inside the arena) must conform to other than offering a deus ex machina once in a while; and the film stumbles a little as its length kicks in and it awkwardly centres on a love angle between Peeta and Katniss, as well as trying to throw in a love triangle with Liam Hemsworth's Gale, one of Katniss' friends from back in the district.

Fans of the book will adore The Hunger Games - others should be suitably impressed by Lawrence's trail blazing turn - and while purists may claim it's been done before (Battle Royale anyone?), The Hunger Games is a brilliantly rousing mix of teen drama, futuristic sci fi and rebellion - which results in an extremely impressive film and a very confident start to the franchise.

Let the Games begin...

Extras: The World is Watching: Making of The Hunger Games - an eight-part documentary covering the making of the film in all aspects from the pre-production process all the way through the theatrical release and fan reactions, Game Maker: Suzanne Collins and The Hunger Games Phenomenon featurette, Letters from the Rose Garden - featurette insights from Donald Sutherland on the development of his role as President Snow, Controlling the Games featurette - stories and concepts behind creating the control center, 
A Conversation with Gary Ross and Elvis Mitchell, Propaganda Film (in its entirety) Marketing Archive, 
Preparing for The Games: A Director's Process (Blu-ray Exclusive)

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