Rating of
2.5/4
Review: The Hunger Games
MikePA - wrote on 04/13/12
Jennifer Lawrence nailed the role of Katniss. Her performance was powerful and convincing enough to make the audience emotionally attached to her character. The rest of the cast was great, as well, especially Woody Harrelson. I thought the first half of the film was as perfectly executed as it could have possibly been. The characters are rich and well-developed and the story is very, very engaging. I was so intrigued by the rules and the laws the districts are under and how the Capitol controls them. It's a very interesting concept and director Gary Ross does a good job at introducing it and keeps the story flowing at a good pace.
The second half could have been better. Yes, I understand Gary Ross used shaky-cam to hide the blood and sustain the PG-13 rating. But there really could have been MUCH less of it. Gary Ross could have added so much more intensity to some of the sequences and the film would've still gotten a PG-13 (look at The Dark Knight). Some of the action sequences, though, are very intense and very well done (that tracker jacker scene...Wow!), while some others fell flat and some even felt rushed, which I feel may disappoint the die-hard fans of the book.
The Hunger Games is a mildly enjoyable film, with a strong lead character and an interesting dystopian setting, but I didn't think it was as effective or exciting as it could have been. It didn't grab me emotionally, nor did it have the heavy amount of tension I hoped for.
2.5/4
