SYNOPSIS: Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. 

Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

REVIEW: “May the odds be ever in your favor.” The odds of you thoroughly enjoying this incredible production are very much in your favor. Talk about a hyped movie, wow, everywhere you look or hear its Hunger Games and for quite a while now. Well, the time has finally come and this one lives up to the hype. The movie is intriguing, moving, unique, and intense. It will stimulate your senses, make you cheer and maybe even make you cry. The contrasts almost seem impossible but they pull it off: it is colorful and dull and pale at the same time as well as being futuristic and extremely rustic at the same time. The contrast is between the upper governing class and the poor working class. It is bizarre but still a visual feast. The cinematography is exceptional and the various filming locations and sets are perfectly suited for this story. And what a story it is! It is a cold story involving a fubar society where survival really is the name of the game, or at least for the poor class, and especially for the children between the ages of 12 and 18. This brings up a good point that has been thrown around in discussion recently regarding this film and that is if the younger movie goers should watch it. Well the movie is PG-13 and appropriately so. It is stronger than a PG rating but not so bad for an R rating. The controversy falls in the graphic, bloody violence that takes place which could be considered normal for today’s movies but in this case it is amongst teenagers. It is the very premise of the Hunger Games so it has to be there but that doesn’t change the fact that it is a sensitive aspect of the film. So just be aware of that as you decide who should or should not see this movie.

Gale Hawthorne: Okay, listen to me, you're stronger than they are. You are. They just want a good show, that's all they want. You know how to hunt. Show them how good you are. 

Not only is this true for Katniss Everdeen, you could also say the same for Jennifer Lawrence whose performance should silence the critics. I was skeptical myself having not been too impressed with her performance in X-Men First Class as a young Mystique. She proved me wrong and did an excellent job with this role. The cast as a whole is very, for lack of a better word, interesting. Having Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Wes Bentley, Josh Hutcherson, Donald Sutherland, and topped off with a little bit of Lenny Kravitz is a true melting pot of performers. What a mix! But it all came together nicely and everybody performed well not to mention the 24 tributes of which several have some good screen time to showcase their own performance skills. All in all, Jennifer really steals the show. Practically every character in this film seems larger than life, even the tributes, which is a good thing in this case. That is a sign of good movie making and Director Gary Ross (Pleasantville, Seabiscuit) might have just given us his best directing job yet. Some of you might have a movie or two that you could compare this to. For me, I keep thinking of Running Man as ridiculous as it may seem. I would bet that this one leaves any comparable movie in its dust. Happy Hunger Games! 

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