Total Guide to the Cinema: The Hunger Games

We love a good film here at Total Guide to Swindon, but with our busy schedules, we don't always get a chance to see the latest blockbuster - and often when we do, we can't decide what to watch. We sent Jenny Harding off to review 'The Hunger Games' for us

Well, how can I say this? I read The Hunger Games a few years ago and loved it. Not my favourite, but still pretty good.

And then I heard about a film being made of it. Me, being the sceptic from hell about books being made into films, thought this was a risky idea. I know only a few films that have been based on books, to be successful: Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings and the Bond series to name but a few (I refuse to include the Twilight series).

Many have tried and failed to produce a good standard film adaptation of a book (Eragon for example. Ugh), so going for a best-selling book like The Hunger Games took guts.

When I went to see this film, I tried to keep the book out of my mind, since I was focussing on the film not the book.

I needn’t have worried.

This film follows the book closely, but not so much that it doesn’t use its own techniques, using the key elements from the plot and events which happened in the book. In short, it was clever with its screenplay.

Even if you haven’t read the book, you can still understand what’s going on (since my memory of the book was very rusty!).

The casting of the characters was damn near perfect. Our leading lady, Jennifer Lawrence, a rather unknown talent, portrays Katniss (Everdeen) exceptionally well. A mixture of steadfastness and intelligence, with a good amount of kindness and compassion.

Peeta Mellark, played by Josh Hutcherson, is portrayed as the underdog in the competition alongside the hardcore Katniss. Again, a perfect casting for the character. Peeta is an airhead who doesn’t really know what to do and seems like an idiot the first time you see him. But as the film progresses, we see he isn’t as stupid as he looks. But I won’t give away any of the juicy bits!

Overall, I highly respect Lionsgate for having the balls to step forward and challenge the social stereotype for teenage films such as this, by producing a film that is essentially based on a plot about glorified execution of children for entertainment.

Should you go and see this?

Absolutely!  A very entertaining watch, even if you haven’t read the book, an excellent film.