The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games seemed to explode roughly 3 or 4 months ago. Up until then Battle Royale (and to a lesser extent Battle Royale 2: Requiem) cornered the lets-force-children-to-battle-to-the-death market. I somehow managed to avoid any marketing, even the trailer for Hunger Games and went in scoffing about how the idea is pretty much a complete replica of the uber-violent Japanese manga.

Happily I can admit I was wrong. Hunger Games creates a Orwellian world of various districts, lorded over by a rich totalitarian state, whom must throw a lady and a gentleman into a 24 person deathmatch in order to placate your poor and huddled masses. Focusing on that future distopia for the majority of the first half, with all its bright colours and mental haircuts. As well as the funny and outlandish performances that go into the pre-murderous Hunger Games show, which the masses (pardon the pun) eat up. While the second half hits you with the vicious Hunger Games themselves, amping up the harsh brutality (not of the puking blood level of Battle Royale mind) of setting kids out in a forest to hunt each other down.

So some two and a half hours later I can safely say I liked it! Its a well put together world pushing some sci-fi on you without going too far down the flying car and robot butler route. This is more 1984 than Fifth Element (which also had funny hair). The games themselves are brutal, the violence isn't too explicit but kudos to directer Gary Ross for managing to retain the nastiness of the games without having to show kids getting their heads cut off. Performances are great all-round. Woody Harrelson plays a grizzled old veteran, while the unrecognizable Elizabeth Banks is a lot of fun admist the drudgery. Stanley Tucci's Davina McCall-alike presenter of the Hunger Games TV broadcast is one of the best things in the movie, he is fun and silly with a faux-sincerity that perfectly contrasts with the violence. Jennifer Lawrence is pretty good too, a healthy mix of terror at what has to be done and fuck-it lets just survive, making her very easy to root for.

The tone is pretty bleak, the therein lies the only problem. The Hunger Games is almost two and half hours long and even though I was into it, in the latter half of the games themselves it start to become an endurance test. After the third of fourth scene of two characters overwhelmed by the horror they are facing you feel beaten down and completely worn out. There is so much to get through its tough to see where and what could've been cut but unfortunately, as a girl once told me, the length is an issue. Also there is an issue of not explaining certain elements of how the Hunger Games works (why is the hunky lad from District 12's name in the hat 42 times? What did getting 11 mean?), but these don't seriously hurt the film or confuse the story too much.

An entertaining start to a very interesting franchise, bagginess and bleakness aside, its engaging and I am on-board for the sequel!