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MaxRockatansky
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- Review count1
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- First reviewMarch 25, 2012
- Last reviewMarch 25, 2012
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MaxRockatansky's Reviews
Overall rating
3
/
5
Kids will love it; adults will find it derivative
PostedMarch 25, 2012
MaxRockatansky
from Kansas City
This film is marred by over-reliance on handheld camera and a dearth of any new ideas. While the target audience of tweens and teens will love it, anyone out of high school should by now realize that this has all been done before, and better. The story is basically a blend of "1984," "The Lottery" and "The Most Dangerous Game," with only the randomness of contestant selection to distinguish it from such other derivative fare as "The Running Man." But it is the randomness which robs the premise of its credibility. The battle-to-the-death among 24 hapless innocents is supposed to be a way of "keeping down" the populace; however, it is the perception (correct or not) of arbitrariness and capriciousness in a government's treatment of its citizenry which has historically been a sure-fire catalyst of populist uprisings. A scheme of trumped up convictions through show trials, followed by games involving the convicted, would have made for a more believable vehicle of effective governmental oppression. The one intriguing hook, mentioned in passing, is that in "The Hunger Games," the more "goodies" one takes from the government, the more entries one's name has in the contestant lottery - a pretty sly commentary on freedoms inevitably sacrificed to a nanny state.
As for the technical aspects of the film, the camera was needlessly shaky throughout. While this was a useful technique to muffle the disturbing images of innocent teenagers killing each other, it was annoying in all other contexts. The actors were all good, but poor Josh Hutcherson's Peeta was written as one of the wimpiest "heroes" in film history. Was there supposed to be chemistry between him and Katniss, or was it supposed to be just an act on her part? If the former, the filmmakers failed miserably in making that part of the movie convincing even as fantasy.
Overall, the younger set will love it, but sentient adults will have seen it all before, and better.
Yes, I recommend this movie.
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