by Ashley Martin
The Hunger Games opened over the weekend and sold $155 million in tickets, becoming the third highest-grossing movie opening weekend in history. So what is so great about The Hunger Games? Why does it captivate an audience? What makes it different than your average every day movie? The answer is the plot. A new plot is like a fresh breath of air in the morning. It keeps you guessing what will happen next because it is not something you have seen already.
The Hunger Games was written by Suzanne Collins and then directed by Gary Ross. The movie was filmed in Ashville, North Carolina. Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) plays the main character Katniss Everdeen, and Josh Hutcherson (Journey to the Center of the Earth) appears as Peeta Mellark.
The movie is mainly based in the post-apocalyptic future where North America has become divided into 12 districts ruled by the Capitol. In order to keep the districts in their place the Capitol holds the annual Hunger Games every year. The Hunger Games consists of each district giving away one girl and one boy ages 12 to 18 as tributes to the Capitol. They participate in a fight to the death against each other, and the one survivor wins limitless riches and prizes for their district and themselves.
The main character is Katniss Everdeen, a girl of 16 living in District 12, a district on the brink of starvation. The movie begins with it being Reaping Day, which is the day that the tributes are selected for the Hunger Games. It is the first year that Katniss’s sister, Primrose, will participate in Reaping Day, so that makes it very unlikely that her name would be drawn from the girl’s bowl. Unfortunately, the unexpected happens and Primrose’s name is drawn. Katniss volunteers as the tribute so that she can take her sister’s place in the Hunger Games. The boy tribute that is drawn is Peeta Mellark, a baker’s son, who seems to spark a memory from Katniss concerning her past.
They are both taken to the Capitol to face what awaits them there. They meet Haymitch, a drunk who is supposed to be their mentor for the games since he was the District 12 winner from many years ago. The Capitol is an eye-catching sight with all the weird hairdos and clothing. Soon Katniss realizes that Peeta is the more likeable person because of his carefree personality, while she is cold and emotionless towards the capitol. The plot thickens, though, as the time ticks down to the point where all the tributes are put into the bloody arena, ready to fight to the death. The countdown begins, the tributes are off, and the Hunger Games is under way.
I recommend that everyone who loves a good movie go and see this astounding motion picture because it is a good and interesting story that will keep you intrigued. It is a movie all ages above 13 should really enjoy. Parents should be warned that the movie does contain violence that is somewhat brutal. Since I read the book and saw the movie I was really impressed with how the movie did well in explaining minor, yet important, details to the part of the audience who did not read the book.
Sadly, I must warn everyone who has read the book that you may be a little disappointed. While the movie would be awesome to anyone who hadn’t read the book, people who have read the book will notice that there are many changes. Do not fret, though, while there are details that were taken out there are also very interesting ones that were put in. Think of it as bonus features. All in all, the Hunger Games was enjoyable, and everyone should go see it.
