Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz
Director: Gary Ross
Rating: 4/5
2012 is well under way and The Hunger Games is the first movie that people are truly excited about, the hype has been growing around the release of this movie for weeks.
It's very rare that a movie lives up to all the hype but The Hunger Games really does buck that trend as it is an exciting and compelling watch.
Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games.
Part twisted entertainment, part government intimidation tactic, the Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which 'Tributes' must fight with one another until one survivor remains.
Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy.
If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
First and foremost Jennifer Lawrence is just perfect as Katniss Everdeen and it's great to see a really strong heroine grace the big screen.
But she is a heroine with a heart and this makes her connect with an audience as you are rooting for her to succeed from the word go.
There are also great support performances from the likes of Woody Harrelson and Lenny Kravitz, Lawrence really does have a great on screen connection with both actors.
Elizabeth Banks also looks fantastic as Effie Triket and I would have loved to have seen more of them as they are such fascinating characters.
There is also a great performance from Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, in what is the biggest role of his career to date.
There is a real chemistry between Hutcherson and Lawrence and you see a real and very tender bond develop between the pair.
Director Gary Ross has created a beautiful looking futuristic world; the wealth and splendour of the capital is a stark comparison to the bleak Districts that are filled with suffering and unhappiness.
And Ross has been very faithful to the novel, which should keep the fans of the book very happy, not to mention that the Hunger Games themselves are riddled with tension and danger.
The Hunger Games delivered exactly what it said it would do; a faithful adaptation, interesting characters as well as an exciting storyline that gripped you from the opening scene.
But this movie belongs to Jennifer Lawrence as it is her poise, power, and likeablity factor that make this movie and the journey of Katniss a compelling story.
Having taken over $150 million in the U.S. this weekend I think it's safe to presume that the next two books will be adapted for the big screen and I can't wait.
The Hunger Games is out now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw