The Hunger Games [video recording]

The Hunger Games [video recording]

MPAA Rating: PG-13
Santa Monica, Calif. : Lions Gate Home Entertainment, [2012]
A Lionsgate presentation ; a Color Force/Lionsgate production ; a Gary Ross film
Credits: directed by Gary Ross ; screenplay by Gary Ross and Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray ; produced by Nina Jacobson, Jon Kilik
Performers: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bentley, Toby Jones, Amandla Stenberg
2 videodiscs (142 min.) : sd., col. ; 4 3/4 in

Plot Summary:
In a dystopian world named Panem, the land is divided in 12 districts; district 1 being the wealthiest and 12 the least wealthy. There was a war before the start of the book that caused the districts to rebel against the capitol and when the districts loss the 13th district was destroyed and for further punishment of the districts, the Hunger Games were created. The Hunger Games are played every year and all of the districts must send 2 children between the ages of 12 and 18 (by lottery) to the games at the capitol to play to their death. In the Reaping, which is where the children are chosen to go, Primrose (a 12 year old) is chosen to play, and in desperation her older sister Katniss volunteers to go for her. Peeta is the other boy in the district chosen and they are sent off to compete.
At the capitol they are made of over, made to show their skills to judges, and are coached about how to play the game. The games and the preliminaries are all rated and televised to all of the districts to watch and cheer on their tributes. In order to gain audience attention Peeta and Katniss are involved in a love story that carries out through the game, but one is always left to wonder if it is real or not. In the games Katniss succeeds beyond any one's hopes; she overcomes obstacles, injuries, and deaths of teammates that she comes close to and ends up in the final 3 with Peeta. There are many twists in the game, and in the end Peeta and Katniss refuse to kill one another and agree to kill themselves when the game is ended and they are both declared the winner.

Critical Evaluation:
The movie was very well done and following the book accurately, but not completely (but what movie can perfectly describe a book?). The main difference in the movie from the book was the fact that they focused more on the game makers in the movie and took out subtleties in the book that were short (who gave the pin to Katniss in the book?). The overarching themes of determination, love, and sacrifice carried in the movie well and they did the scene with Rue's death well- it was emotion and it made the audience empathizes with the terror that they lived in. Some of the acting could have been better, and I felt that big name movie stars were brought in for roles that were not as large in the book as they were in the movie (Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson), but that is up for interpretation from the movie goers and the book lovers.

Reader's Annotation:
In a dystopian future Katniss volunteers in her younger sister's place in a game where 24 people go in and only 1 will come out the victor.

Websites to Look Into:
http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/index.html
http://www.suzannecollinsbooks.com/

Awards:
Teen Icon Awards, 2012: Iconic Kiss (Jennifer Lawrence & Josh Hutcherson)
Poptastic Awards, 2012: Best Movie
Kerrang! Awards, 2012: Best Movie

Similar Movies:
(soon to be released) "Catching Fire"
"Twilight"

Booktalking Ideas:
Showing clips from the movie
Comparing the movie to the book

Genre:
Action/ Fantasy

Interest Age:
14+

Challenge Issues:
Violence
The movie features many violent scenes of young adults killing each other. To combat this I would say that the movie deals with this subject in the moral and ethical realm of the main character refusing, for the main part of the movie, to kill anyone. It is meant to shock you in order to show the corruption of the culture in the book, and it is important to remember that it is also a fantasy movie and not based on real life.

Why this Movie?
This movie was a box office hit banking off of the popular young adult novel (and series) "The Hunger Games". I think that it is important to add into a collection because of the immense popularity of the movie and the book.