The Hunger Games (2012)

Directed by: Gary Ross
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth

USA Release Date: 23 March 2012
Running Time: 142 Minutes

MPAA Rating: PG-13
My Rating: 8.5/10

As always, Spoilers ahead! If you haven't seen the movie yet, don't read this review. You have been warned.

Set in the future, where a capitol drafts a boy and a girl to represent their individual districts in a game of survival of the fittest. There are a total of 12 districts altogether, meaning there are 24 chosen participants in this publicly televised event, who are forced to eliminate their competitors. The last boy or girl standing wins. When sixteen year old Katniss' (Jennifer Lawrence) younger sister Primrose (Willow Shields) gets chosen as district 12's female representative, Katniss stands up to volunteer to go in her place. It is obvious both participants are going up against much stronger, experienced participants - some of whom have trained for this event their entire lives.

Having never read a page of the book, and knowing nothing about this movie, I still wanted to go and see what all the Internet hype was about. Originally I had thought this was just another over-dramatic book adaptation flick, similar to one vampire saga I won't mention. Anyways, this movie had me sitting on the edge of my seat the entire second half, comfortably the first half. Movies are meant to work up to the end, and I believe The Hunger Games did just that. Would I recommend this to a friend? Yes, even if you're like me and haven't read a single page of the book it's based on. The action sequences are unbelievably great for the average movie goer, and for anyone into drama this movie will pull you in for sure. I had thought the ending could have been cut in half, but after thinking about it I liked how it had a Shakespearean (Romeo & Juliet) twist to it (two winners [boy and girl from a single district] or none).