MPAA Rating: PG-13/Genre: Dystopian Action/Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Wes Bentley, Toby Jones, Alexander Ludwig, Isabelle Fuhrman, Amandla Stenberg, Jacqueline Emerson, Jack Quaid, Leven Rambin, Dayo Okeniyi, Willow Shields, Paula Malcomson/Runtime: 142 minutes

I think it can safely be said that if you ever want to see me get nervous in the middle of a movie theater dear reader then just put up a bunch of trailers before a film that all have the phrase “based on the book by…” in them at some point. Now this isn’t because I don’t like reading nor is it because I think it’s something that people shouldn’t invest in at all. I say that because I not only love reading with a passion, but I also deeply and fervently believe that reading is something that everyone should strive to do at some point in their lives. Rather, it’s because in my experience dear reader cinematic literary adaptations usually fall into one of at the very least a quartet of distinct camps. Those being ones that nail the book through and through (1998’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, 2001-2003’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, 2003’s Holes, 2012’s Cloud Atlas, 2014’s Gone Girl, and 1962’s To Kill a Mockingbird), ones that take the source material and streamline it yet still honor the heart and spirit of the literary work (1993’s Jurassic Park, 2018’s Ready Player One, and 2007’s No Country for Old Men), ones that work yet still could have been better (1998’s Sphere, 2012-2014’s The Hobbit trilogy), and ones that just fall completely flat on their face (2018’s A Wrinkle in Time, 2006’s Eragon, 2017’s The Dark Tower) respectively. As you can imagine it is primarily the last category that the vast majority of critics often dread having to watch. Not just because we know the movie looks terrible to say nothing of a slap in the face to someone else’s skill and talent as a writer, but also because we know that nothing we say about it really is going to make a difference to someone who is a fan of the original work. Indeed either you’re going to see it, you’re not, or (for a few of you) you’ll wait until you either read our work or it’s on streaming. It is because of that dread and worry cocktail incidentally that I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the news, over 10+ years ago as of this writing, that Hollywood was deciding to adapt the YA franchise The Hunger Games for the big screen. Not because I had read any of the books, but because I knew people who had and, based off what they had told me, I had no idea how in the world the land of movie magic was going to make this work in a way that was appropriately potent yet still accessible for its target audience. Fortunately, as movie goers across the planet would see with the release of the first installment back in the long-ago year of 2012, these fears would be swiftly alleviated. This is because whilst yes this slice of cinema might have its issues, but with the aid of compelling work on both sides of the camera this is also one literary adaptation that is done right much to the joy of both fans and those discovering this remarkable world for the very first time in equal measure.

The plot is as follows: An adaptation of the first novel in a series by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games takes us to an unspecified future in the remnants of what used to be called North America. In its place, we see that a new autocratic nation has arisen known as Panem. A place that, among its many attributes, is one that is divided into 12 distinct districts that are all ruled over by an elite capitol city known simply as….the Capitol. Oh and I guess there is one other thing about this distinct locale that I think I should just mention now that may or may not be mentioned on the travel brochures and the like. That being that this country once had a revolution attempted against the Capitol and to say it didn’t go too well for the 12 districts might be a wee bit of an understatement. Actually, it is exactly why even to the “present day” (in terms of the movie’s chronology anyway) we see that the leadership from within the Capitol, currently one President Coriolanus Snow and those who work alongside him, has devised a rather devious and cruel punishment for them. That punishment being that, every year since the failed revolt, each district is ordered to choose a pair of so-called tributes in the forms of a boy and girl between 12-18 to engage in a contest known as The Hunger Games. A contest that, besides being televised throughout out the land, is one that involves the 24 tributes who are chosen engaging in a fight to the death until a winner is eventually left standing and awarded with, among other things, a significant case of post-traumatic stress disorder. At any rate, and all jokes aside dear reader, we soon see that our guide through this rather insane brave new world is a young woman by the name of Katniss Everdeen. A 16-year-old who spends her days taking care of her mom and sister, hunting in the forest with her friend Gale, and harboring the same disdain for the Capitol as most of the people in her district. In other words: just your typical All-Panemian Girl from District 12. As fairly content with this routine as she is however, it should come as no surprise to learn that Mistress Fate, in that mysterious way of hers, has other plans in mind for young Miss Everdeen. Plans that soon come to fruition when, at the year’s selection process for the 74th annual Hunger Games, she swiftly volunteers as tribute in order to save her sister’s life since she was the one who was initially chosen. By doing so however, we see that Katniss is doing more than just nobly taking her sister’s place in a barbaric fight to the death. Rather, she is also taking the first steps on a journey. One that, by the time this year’s games have come to an end, may very well end up changing not only her life, but quite potentially the future of Panem as a whole forever…….

Now right off, it is worth pointing out that the work done behind the camera on this slice of cinema is fairly well done more or less. For starters, it should be said that, for what it is worth, I can definitely confirm that co-scribe and helmer Gary Ross does manage to nail the right tone for this particular cinematic outing. Indeed, Ross does a grand job of ensuring that never once does this movie give off the vibe of being either too stylish or dignified and instead goes for being quite grim and fairly realistic respectively. As a result, we see that the overall movie is one that is rooted, thought-provoking, and fairly moving at points with the titular event being provided the gravitas it most assuredly warrants. Alongside that, it should be pointed out here that, much like some of the other films in his filmography, Ross is able to show a wonderful talent for regaling an audience with a larger than life narrative whilst not once losing sight of the more intricate components to that story. As a result, the film does a wonderful job at letting us as an audience get to know our cast of characters to say nothing of their respective arcs in this on a deeper and more personable level. Besides the fairly remarkable job done by Ross both at the helm and working alongside Suzanne Collins on the script, this slice of cinema also operates as a brilliant showcase for the work done by production designer Philip Messina and costume designer Judianna Makovsky with particular regard to the scenes set in the Capitol respectively. I mean not only are the costumes and sets on display absolutely beautiful, if not slightly albeit purposefully garish, but they all just bring a vibrance and liveliness to this otherwise chilly and clinical narrative.  With all of those positives in mind, there are still some elements to the work behind the camera on this that definitely will make one raise an eyebrow in worry. For starters, this slice of cinema, by virtue of the fact that it has been saddled with a PG-13 rating, is not able to give its audience the full viscerality present in the source material. Now normally this wouldn’t be a cause for concern as it has long been known that when showcasing violence in movies you don’t need to always see the act in question for it to be impactful. I mean that’s one reason why a movie like Jurassic Park or Jaws works on the level that they have been able to for all these years. Unfortunately, that’s one cinematic lesson that I don’t think this film’s helmer fully picked up on. A fact that becomes apparent when you see that, by utilizing shaky cam work and blender-style editing in the action beats, you might not witness a lot of violence, but you also can’t really discern what exactly the heck is going on either. Besides that, it should also be pointed out that the work done by the editing department on this film also fail to really stay focused on any shot in this film for longer than 2.5 seconds (or thereabouts). As a result, not only does this film really feel emotionally distant in moments where it ought to be impactful, but overall the entire movie does feel just a tad bit on the rushed side. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in a beautifully composed musical accompaniment from the brilliant James Newton Howard there is no denying that the work done behind the camera on this is, all told, a fairly impressive feat of movie magic.

Of course, the other element that undoubtedly helps this cinematic adaptation soar to the level that it is able to attain would have to come in the form of the work done by the brilliantly selected cast of players assembled in front of the camera. This without question starts with the undeniably star-making work done by Jennifer Lawrence in the lead role of Katniss Everdeen. Indeed not only does Lawrence feel like the character come to life, but she also does a terrific job at giving the character equal degrees of toughness, ferocity, stubbornness, and also vulnerability as well that will feel very much on-point for fans of the book and make her easy to root for as well. Suffice it to say it is a phenomenal performance from an incredibly gifted actress.  Alongside the star-making turn here from Lawrence, we see that the film also gifts us with an equally as terrific performance from Josh Hutcherson in the role of Peeta Mellark. To be sure, the movie does make it clear that Peeta is still at a distinct disadvantage in this very grim death match (especially with Katniss being all but the daughter of Robin Hood). Despite that fact though, we see that Hutcherson does such a wonderful job at bringing a very open and decent vibe to the character that you can’t help but care about him. Now besides our main dynamic duo, we see that this slice of cinema also does a wonderful job of backing them up with a really solid support cast. This starts with Woody Harrelson who is nothing short of brilliant in the role of District 12 appointed mentor Haymitch Abernathy. Indeed Harrelson has long been a vastly underappreciated talent in my opinion and here he excels at playing a guy who manages to be this delightful blend of intoxicated, cynical, caring, and yet quite shrewd in his own way. Suffice it to say that it is a wonderful performance from an absolutely brilliant actor.  Alongside Harrelson however, I also really do appreciate how spot-on Elizabeth Banks is in her portrayal of Katniss and Peeta’s Capitol chaperone Effie Trinket. Not just in terms of the look of the character which feels like it was literally lifted straight from the source material, but also in terms of the more than slightly vain and shallow attitude to say nothing of dottiness and obliviousness that are very much key elements to the character…at least in the first book. I also really appreciated the work done here by Lenny Kravitz who, as Katniss’ appointed “stylist” of sorts Cinna, does a wonderful job of bringing a very reassuring and relaxed yet most assuredly upstanding to say nothing of extremely skilled ambience to the film in the moments between him and Katniss. We also get an absolutely dynamic co-starring turn here from none other than screen legend Donald Sutherland in the small yet pivotal role of President Snow. Indeed Sutherland has long been one of my favorite actors and here he does a phenomenal job at bringing to life a man who is the best kind of silently and calmly menacing possible. Finally, I would be completely amiss if I didn’t take some time in this review to also point out the fantastically darkly amusing job here done by the also always enjoyable Stanley Tucci as Hunger Games commentator Caesar Flickerman. Indeed take someone like Chris Collinsworth from Sunday Night Football on NBC, have him always be smiling plus extremely flamboyant, give him blue hair, make him the most pseudo-sympathetic guy you can imagine, and you have a wonderful starting point for this guy. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in such top-tier efforts from Liam Hemsworth, Wes Bentley (sporting one heck of a beard I might add), Toby Jones, Amandla Stenberg who is absolutely heartbreaking as Rue, Isabelle Fuhrman, Jack Quaid, and Alexander Ludwig among others it’s clear that, issues behind the camera aside, the cast for this particular slice of cinema all do a fantastic job with each of their respective characters no matter how big or small their role may be.

All in all and at the end of the day, is the 2012 cinematic adaptation of the first Hunger Games novel a perfect cinematic homerun by any stretch of the imagination? Sadly that is not the case though not for lack of effort I might add. Having said that, is this the worst entry on any of the creative talent involved be they behind or in front of the camera’s individual resumes? Oh heck no! Not by a long shot. To be sure, the work by the editing department on this slice of cinema definitely makes the overall production feel more rushed than it should have been to say nothing of the fact that the shaky cam work will without question have you reaching for that bottle of Tylenol more than once. With those detriments out of the way however dear reader this really is a compelling and well-made cinematic adaptation. Indeed through the aid of fairly engaging work behind the camera and phenomenal work in front of the camera by a spot-on cast of players who all are absolutely brilliant in their respective roles, this is one adaptation that is not only able to do justice to its respective source material, but also brilliantly showcase in a cinematic format the key components that are able to ensure that this is one series which can distinguish itself from all the other franchises desiring to capture the attention of the same group of readers. Suffice it to say then that if you are a long-time fan of the books then I can promise you that you will not have any need with this adaptation to raise your torch and pitchfork or, less dramatically (I hope), voice your complaints on Twitter. As for those of you who are just taking your first steps into the world of Panem then it is my express belief that you will find this slice of cinema just as riveting. As for the other films in the franchise well that, as a wise man once said, is another story…..Make of that what thou will and may the odds be ever in your favor! On a scale of 1-5 I give The Hunger Games “2012” a solid 4 out of 5.