The Hunger Games has unfairly been compared to Twilight. I believe that this was less to do with the traditional things that link together films, such as themes, actors, plot, directors etc; and more to do with the fact that it is based on successful books, is aimed at teenagers and is probably going to take the world by storm. It was these initial comparisons that really put me off the film, and It is unfortunate that it may have done the same to others too.
The principle idea of the Hunger Games is that it is Battle Royale with a 12A rating. For those unfamiliar with Battle Royale, that means it is a film where 24 teenagers are put in a situation where they must kill each other until there is only one left standing, the winner will be allowed to survive and will be adorned with riches and fame. The reasons for these 'Hunger Games' are to keep the civilians in check. It seems that at some point in the past there was an uprising, particularly among the outer sections of the land (the further out they are, the poorer), and it is said that to keep them in line you must offer them some hope, but too much would be dangerous. So it keeps the citizens in line and provides a hit TV Show as well (Imagine a futuristic Big Brother).
The film is interesting in a few ways. To begin with, it's a film that is very much aimed at a teenage audience, yet it deals with issues such as social inequality, the growing concern with what the public views for pleasure (Reality TV), our role in life and other worldly issues. Sure it does so with a 12A rating and teenagers in mind, but the fact it does so at all is quite impressive. However, that wouldn't matter if the film were crap.
Luckily then it's not. The cast are all strong, and whilst they're not yet note perfect, they are far from wooden, a curse that has befouled many a teen series, which is nothing but a godsend. The story is again an engaging one, and knowing that this is part one of a trilogy is intriguing too. On the one hand they've made a film that could stand up in its own right, with no need for another film, but there are some very evident seeds for where the future films could lead. It would be all too easy to buy into the hype as a studio, and knowing there are two more books simply make a film with a cliffhanger ending, but they've gone for the tasteful route.
You've got a film that despite being derivative of other films (Battle Royale), somehow manages to remain memorable and retain a personality of its own. One of the things I really liked about it was the manufactured nature of the show. It's supposed to be reality, and a reality where you see gruesome deaths, yet all the while you have sinister forces orchestrating a story for the audience at home, and what's more worrying is that those in the show buy into it. It feels almost as if the film is concerned that modern society is too controlled by those in power, those who organise our lives and subconsciously tell us what to do, which we blindly follow. It's another nice little sub point.
Complaints about the film then. It's long, at 2 1/2 hours it could be a little too long, perhaps there was too much build up, perhaps too much hiding in trees, I don't know. I know this is me and not the film, but whilst I enjoyed it, and felt that it was actually dealing with some interesting issues, it was a little too teen oriented for my liking. I know it's for teenagers, but it was mildly offputting.
Overall though I was impressed, a really solid effort that has left me wanting more. I am very tempted to just read the books to see what happens, I think there's going to be a repeat uprising? But I could be way off the mark. Either way, check out the film, for once, the next big thing could be justified.
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