The Hunger Games (2012)

Genre: Science-Fiction

Directed by: Gary Ross

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth

Running time: 142 minutes

In the Dystopian post-apocalyptic nation of Panem, each of the 12 districts of the country much send a boy and a girl to fight in The Hunger Games, a TV show where the contestants fight to the death until one remains. When her young sister is chosen to represent district 12, Katniss Everdeen decides to sacrifice herself and volunteer to take her sibling’s place.

While the science-fiction genre is not my usual cup of tea, I must admit that I really liked The Hunger Games. The story is compelling and pulls you in, as we can all relate considering the voyeuristic world we live in where some are exploited by those who see a profit to make in the misfortune of others.

Jennifer Lawrence is excellent as Katniss Everdeen, a young woman with a strong personality. The actress brings a good mixture of vulnerability and underlying subtle toughness to the main role in The Hunger Games. The supporting cast is also very good.

What grabbed me the most about this film, though, is the cinematography. The sets, the costumes, the makeup and the way the images were shot, it all made for a great time of movie-watching.

Now, the movie was tad long and there is a bit of cheesiness to it all, but, still, The Hunger Games offers a good dose of solid entertainment.

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