The Hunger Games (2012) by Gary Ross

"May the odds be ever in your favor. "

The Hunger Games is a film based on Suzanne Collins's first book of a trilogy that is very popular among teenagers. What could be a blessing is also a curse. Film industry adapting books is never easy, more so when the books are followed by many fans and so the film is expected to be closer to the original story but for profit and to integrate into the PG-13 classification they just lose quality. That sure is not easy with such a bloodbath byline.

The story is like a post apocalyptic era where the winners of the uprising bend the losers (13 districts of the so called Panem) to give 2 children from 12-18, a male and a female, as a tribute for the Hunger Games, an ancient Rome kind of Gladiator thing where they must fight until death in an arena, kind of like big brother's watching to remind the rebellious where power really lies.

From the 13 districts only 12 compete since the population of district 13 was eradicated at the time of  the rebellion. No need to say that many of these districts live in the utmost poverty. In the day of the Reaping the kids were chosen, except for district 12 where there was a voluntary tribute, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence). Her sister, a 12 years-old, has been picked first, but Katniss voluntaries herself. She is our hero, the surviving type of girl who tries to be the man of the house since his coal mining father died. And so it all begins...her trip to the Capitol, her preparation alongside Peeta Mellark (a baker's son), the contrast of civilization from poverty to eccentricity. She knows that she won't win but she must give an effort nonetheless for her sister, for her family, for district 12. Yet things don't go so smoothly and is not so important to be the fittest to kill as it is the best to play the game, because all in all it is a game. The story is incredibly fascinating, so weird that a slaughter can be but it has a bit of everything, not only of blood as of love.

The film itself tries to explain plainly the events and that can be a bit in slow motion, but it makes sense for whom the story is incognito. The games are a little played en passant when it's such a big portion of the book, and the action is passed a little to quick to get analysed. I blame the money here, they couldn't do a hard-core movie, they just couldn't in the way of profit. Being a lucky one myself, I've read the book and so I felt contempt because what I didn't see I saw it in my head so I enjoyed a lot. In this movie genre it was honestly one of the bests I've seen lately, with flaws naturally, but I've had a great time and I don't apolodgize for that.
Regarding roles,  Jennifer Lawrence was just faaaantastic, she really has something that is so enthralling, it's like we feel what she feels and she doesn't need to speak much. On the oppposite I thought Peeta's actor Josh Hutcherson was a bit softy, I don't know... I guess I wanted him to have more fiber... I guess his square face is not getting much emotion for a guy that basically is dealing with the thrill of being famous and dead at the same time meanwhile being such a hottie...

And the end...now what? right? :)


"Peeta Mellark: I just keep wishing I could think of a way to show them that they don't own me. If I'm gonna die, I wanna still be me. "