To believe the hype or not to that is the question? “The Hunger Games” movie is one of the highest grossing first releases, easily over shadowing the Twilight franchise. “The Hunger Games”, the first book in the trilogy written by Susanne Collins, tells the story of Katniss Everdeen a 16 year old hunter from district twelve living in what used to be North America but is now known as Panem, that fights to the death in an epic battle against 23 other teens all in search of the fortune that’s comes with victory.
The books are usually better than the movies and there is no exception here. The movie leaves out many scenes from the book cutting out the romance between Katniss and Peeta. In this aspect the movie falls short. Another compliant about the movie is that the soundtrack wasn’t present. The songs “Eyes Open” and “Safe and Sound” performed by Taylor Swift are the anthems to the movie and should have been included somewhere. But those are its only short comings. The setting, actors, costumes, and graphics mirror Collin’s vision perfectly. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson are the perfect Katniss and Peeta despite the criticism received so far. Although Lawrence has been called too “sexy” to play the 16 year old Katniss, the strength that she brings to the character could not be reciprocated by any other young Hollywood actress.
This movie is not just for those teens who have read the book or have crushes on the actors. The message is a great one and one that can be appreciated by a variety of people young and old. The message makes the viewer think and any movie that accomplishes that is a great one. The message is timeless in the sense that it is unbelievably current. “The Hunger Games” is a story about sacrifice, love, humanity, and strength. With the way the world is now, any country could at anytime become like Panem, districts living in fear under its government. In comparison to Twilight it is not just for girls, it has enough action to hold a male's attention.
This movie rates 7 out of 10 stars. As a warning the violence and graphics are best suitable for an older audience and parents should take caution when taking children. The story its self makes the movie and it is a fortunate thing that the author maintained influence over the writers. Go see the movie, “the odds are in your favor”.
