1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Thursday, April 5, 2012

[7.25/10] The Hunger Games (2012)


The Hunger Games (2012)

Brief review: Based on Suzanne Collins' novel of the same name, "The Hunger Games" is an engrossing and smoothly-paced adaptation, that stays very true to its source material, but barely lives up to the potential of its dark and gritty premise. Still, it's a dramatically-charged story about sacrifice and bravery, with a touch of romance, led by the strength of its believable lead character. Set in a dystopian future in the country of Panem that consists of one wealthy chief city and twelve very poor, undeveloped districts, "The Hunger Games" combines the ultra-modern and avant-garde with the primitive in a very unique way. The futuristic look of the Capitol contrasts oddly with the poverty of the districts and the Robin Hood-like woods scenery, where the actual Hunger Games take place. That said, Gary Ross otherwise solid direction lack that edgy stylishness that could have made "The Hunger Games" a lot more dramatic, visually. Moreover, if you expect non-stop super-tense chases and stupendous set-pieces you may end up a bit disappointed. Yes, the action scenes are exciting, at times even electrifying, but the Hunger Games themselves never really turn into a startling spectacle. Jennifer Lawrence is undoubtedly the driving force of this film. She delivers a confident and powerful performance as the fearless Katniss Everdeen, without overpowering the capable, well-chosen supporting cast.

Overall summary: Thrilling, compelling and expertly put together, if far from phenomenal, "The Hunger Games" succeeds as a character-driven story with a strong female protagonist, but lacks the spectacular action and mind-blowing visuals that could have made it so special.

19 comments:

Budd said...

great review. Jennifer Lawrence really knocked it out of the park.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Budd, she did. She carried almost the entire movie on her shoulders. Truly fantastic performance.

Thanks, glad you liked it. :)

Parry Hotter said...

I haven't seen this yet. My sister has been telling me about this for a while, as she's a big fan of the book and has been looking forward to the film. I am not sure if she's been to the cinema to see it yet, but, as for me, I'll probably wait for the DVD-release.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Hans, I saw it a week ago, but wasn't able to post the review earlier, because I had to finish with my 2011 'QuickRatings' first.

Saw it on the big screen and have no regrets for doing it. It was absorbing from start to finish, if not as striking as I hoped it would be.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I hadn't planned to see this but I might catch it this weekend. If not, then I'll have to wait for DVD, because next weekend is The Cabin in the Woods. And from the reviews, I am NOT missing that one!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Alex, I noticed that you didn't post a review of it, and that made me wonder if you actually want to see it or not. Now I know the answer. :)

OMG, don't even mention The Cabin in the Woods. I'm DYING to see it!

Maynard Morrissey said...

as you already know, I enjoyed it a bit more than you. It's strange, I never expected to love it that much.

I went into theater just because I was curious about it. I haven't heard anything about the books before, but the trailer looked interesting, there was a lotta talk about Battle Royale similarities, and there was even more talk about how this movie will probably break some box office records.

btw, as far as I know Cabin In The Woods will premier in Austria in May - and I'm already SOOO FUCKIN' EXCITED!!!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Maynard, I never expected you to love it that much either. :) They were parts I LOVED and others that almost put me to sleep. Thankfully, the latter were very few. :) It just needed more energy!

I agree, it's quite similar to Battle Royale, but not as brutal or gory... or good. :)

I'm happy to announce that Cabin in the Woods will premiere here on the exact same day as US - Friday, April 13. YAY for that. It's one of my MOST anticipated movies of 2012, so I'm really looking forward to it.

Alex Jowski said...

I felt this movie would have been a lot more rewarding if they had just gone for the R rating. Still - was pretty good. Jennifer Lawrence is amazing.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Alex, I agree. And also if they had put more money into it. Lawrence proved yet again how versatile she is as an actress. I was impressed.

Unknown said...

I cannot WAIT for Cabin in the Woods. Joss Whedon and Chris Hemsworth, a dynamic duo for certain.

I have not seen Hunger Games,yet. I want to as I am thoroughly enjoying the books. They are very raw and graphic so I was hoping that the film would be the same way, but they went for the almighty PG-13 rating as an R is guaranteed box office killer around here.

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Mel, me neither. It's not just because of Joss and Chris, it's the whole concept and innovative approach that make me wanna see it so badly.

Mel, I think I figured that out. otherwise you would have reviewed it already. Sadly, it ain't as graphic, because of the PG-13 they went with.
If I were them I wouldn't have gone with the R rating either, because that automatically means less ticket sales.

Kaijinu said...

one fine action thriller there!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Kaijinu, fine indeed. ;)

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Crack You Whip, I hope you enjoy it.

Xean said...

A need to watch movie, I love the whole movie!!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Xean, it's still showing in theaters. Don't waste anymore time.

HorrO said...

Never read the books, and couldn't get too excited for the movie. It was displayed on several horror sites, but besides for being a little sci-fi like, I didn't see much horror in it. The movie was good, but I could never get into it like everyone else. At least it was better than Twilight! Great review.

Saw some mentions of The Cabin in the Woods. See the movie everyone! Just do it! Can't wait to you review it!

George Beremov [Nebular] said...

Horr0, in fact, there was no horror in it, just violence.

You know what, me neither. I didn't find it that exceptional at all.

Thanks, buddy.

I saw Cabin in the Woods a couple of days ago, and even though I enjoyed its cleverness, I wasn't particularly blown away by it. I expected more to be honest.