The Hunger Games Finally Hits Theaters

By Emily Francisco

Anxiety and excitement plague the minds of every fantasy or sci-fi fan whose favorite novel awaits adaptation into a film. The most recent fanbase to watch its series get a Hollywood makeover is none other than The Hunger Games.

The first in an epic trilogy, The Hunger Games is set in a dystopian version of North America called Panem. The land is divided into twelve Districts where those known as Peacemakers enforce the laws of the nation. To punish the Districts for a past uprising and to quell potential rebellions, the government requires one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to be selected at random from each District annually to participate in a festival called the Hunger Games. The Games force the “tributes” to fight for their survival and slaughter their peers in a televised contest, where only one competitor can win and come out alive.

Katniss Everdeen volunteers as the girl tribute for District 12 when her younger sister Prim’s name is chosen. The novel follows her journey from poverty to the Capitol to the Games themselves, where all of her survival skills are put to the test.

The directors cut very little in adapting the book for the screen, making only subtle changes in the script. Katniss’s trademark mockingjay pin, for example, is given to her by a shop owner rather than by her close friend Madge. The few cuts made the film incredibly true to the original novel, pleasing most fans.

Unfortunately, the first fifteen to twenty minutes of the movie were made up of shaky action shots, leaving audience members more nauseated than intrigued. Once the camera motion died down, though, fans could fully appreciate the wonderful casting of their beloved characters Katniss and Peeta (her fellow tribute from District 12). Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson played their roles with great intensity, pulling viewers into their traumatic lives.

Of course, they always say the book is better than the movie; though it does help to have read The Hunger Games before seeing the film, the adaptation is enjoyable to those new to the franchise as well. Grab a ticket to this movie while it’s still on the big screen- with the landscape and action, it will certainly be worth it.