To be honest, I was never planning to write a review for this movie. There were two main reasons for this. First, this blog has already seen two fantastic reviews on the same movie, by William and Elena, respectively (go read them now if you haven’t already. Seriously.) Second, for the longest time, I wasn’t even sure how exactly I felt about the movie. For me, the Hunger Games was a really interesting viewer experience. It was a movie that succeeded at captivating me and keeping me on the edge of my seat. It was a movie that I even felt generally positive about upon leaving the theatre. However, despite the fact that I did enjoy the movie, I’d say that the Hunger Games was ultimately a disappointment simply because it could have been much much better.
(As a quick disclaimer, the only book I’ve read from the series is the first, and even that I have a very foggy recollection of reading. If you’re looking for commentary on the movie in comparison to the book, you’re not going to find any here. This review simply analyzes the movie for its standalone merit.)
So we all know the plot of the movie: our teenaged protagonist, Katniss Everdeen lives in the dystopic, post-apocalyptic world of Panem. In place of her sister, she volunteers to participate in the 74th annual Hunger Games, a deadly event where two teenagers from each of Panem’s 12 Districts (“tributes”) are forced to participate in a fight to the death.
THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW! LOTS AND LOTS OF THEM!
The Good:
-The protagonists. Katniss Everdeen definitely earns her place as one of the most kick-ass and capable female protagonists in recent cinematic history and Jennifer Lawrence does a beautiful job of subtly portraying the nuances in Katniss’ character. In particular, her relationship with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark is quite intriguing, and Lawrence’s performance keeps viewers guessing at exactly how genuine Katniss’ affections are. Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark also does a fair job of creating a likable and realistic co-lead.
-The worldbuilding and aesthetics. The movie is great at creating distinct looks for the three Districts we see in the movie. The somber and down-to-earth feel of District 12 (Katniss’ native District) contrasts deeply with the bright and flamboyant architecture and fashion of the Capitol. I especially love the costuming for every character, from Katniss and Peeta’s supercool outfits at the opening ceremonials to the Capitol’s completely absurd fashion. Panem feels vast and three-dimensional, a far cry from lesser sci-fi films where the setting inevitably feels like it is made of cardboard. The world is tightly-built and feels realistic and there is a clear philosophy behind the Games and the reality tv-esque manner in which they are presented. Furthermore, the foresty landscape that the Games take place in also looks and feels entirely real, and is effectively oppressive.
-The score. It’s by James Newton Howard; nuff said.
The Bad
-Honestly, The Hunger Games really shouldn’t be a PG13 film for the same reason that say, Schindler’s List shouldn’t be a PG13 film. I’d say this is one of the biggest downfalls of the entire movie; that it takes a horrific idea – teenagers being forced to systemically kill each other – and… sanitizes it. Aside from Katniss and Peeta, only one other tribute gets any sort of substantial characterization. As a result, the other tributes’ deaths are generally presented not with the tragedy that they deserve, but rather with little emotion at all. In particular, the movie makes Katniss directly responsible for the deaths of at least three fellow tributes. A better film would perhaps allow her to at least briefly ponder the moral ramification of such an action. Furthermore, the film’s inability to depict the less glamorous aspects of participating in such a game – the wounds, the blood, even wear and tear on clothing or dirt on faces – might make the film friendlier to a younger audience but also limits the film from effectively resonating with the audience.
-The pacing. I’d say the film does a decent job until the start of the game proper. After that, the writing simply becomes slightly wonky. I’d be willing to bet that many of these problems are a result of trying to stuff too many events from the book into a limited amount of screentime. The script is jammed packed with tons of elements and subplots, all of which certainly seem fascinating enough in their own right. However, because there are just so many elements, most of the elements are also barely developed. A good example of this is the death of one particular character, whose death would have held a lot more impact had she not been introduced only ten minutes prior. The movie would perhaps be more thematically unified and emotionally compelling if it instead focused on completely developing a smaller number of key ideas and events.
-It’s disappointing how Katniss is so portrayed so effectively as a strong and capable character and yet the plot seems purposely designed so that Katniss is hardly ever responsible for her own victories. The impact and message of the movie is seriously cheapened by the plot’s abundance of happy coincidences. More often than not, it isn’t Katniss’ own pluck and daring that gets her out of a tight situation, but rather a convenient parachute of goods or another tribute’s contributions. Despite perhaps being tolerable in other films, this aspect is seriously frustrating here precisely of how well developed the protagonists are.
-The cinematography. I can sort of understand what Gary Ross was trying to achieve with the excessive use of shaky camera shots, but while this idea might seem cool in theory, it really fails in practice. For the first half-hour or so, the shaky shots seem kind of cool, but quickly becomes incredibly annoying. The Hunger Games clearly has a very intriguing and well-developed setting, but it’s hard for viewers to enjoy it because the camerawork doesn’t allow them to. This is almost worse during the game itself. The camerawork might be accurate in depicting Katniss’ emotional state but it also makes the audience simply confused about what exactly is happening.
In conclusion, I may have a lot of problems with The Hunger Games, but it isn’t a bad film per se. It’s definitely worth the cost in terms of entertainment and even shines in some areas. Instead, most of my complaints aren’t directed at what the Hunger Games is, but rather what it could have become. Overall, The Hunger Games is disappointing precisely become, despite having an immensely intriguing plot and more than enough potential for greatness, it only manages to be average.