rashbre central: i finally watch the hunger games

Tuesday 4 September 2012

i finally watch the hunger games

hunger games
I just got around to watching ‘The Hunger Games’. I gather the target market is similar to the Twilight films. They were not my cup of blood tea although I did like Being Human (UK version) which was another vampire type series.

I actually sought out The Hunger Games thinking I might enjoy it. Strictly, it is more of a teen-flick and the de-rated violence has ensured it's needed 12 Certificate.

The premise is a sort of ultraviolent X factor gone mad TV show that is used by foppish alphas to keep the manual working epsilons in check via fear. In a re-defined and slightly future USA, pick two people from each of 12 redefined US areas and in a fight to the death let the last person left standing be declared a winner.

We get the heroine and hero(ish) person defined from the start and watch the handheld shaky camera carnage as they fight their way to the end of the TV show, leaving 22 other undeveloped characters dead in the woods.

And that’s about it. No real commentary on the totalitarianism and no other resolutions - there’s a franchise to feed.

I initially had high hopes, but I found the run-on-rails plot-line started to drag soon after they disappeared into the forest. We got a series of well known war film scenes replayed with bows and arrows.

I preferred the bow and arrow quirkiness of the much lower budget and far more interesting movie ‘Hanna’. A next-generation super-heroine flick.
hanna
But Hunger Games is a film that’s made north of $400m already, so the producers and marketeers clearly know what keeps the X factor generation happy.

2 comments:

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Not sure that I want to put this on my Netflix list...! I am not attracted to other worldy mythical places that are futuristic or are set in any time, for that matter. About the only reason I would rent it is that I think the young woman who plays the lead is so very talented...But....that just might not be enough for me, I'm afraid.
I have no interest in those "Twilight" pictures---Enough with the Vampires, already..! (lol) So none of those pictures are on my Netflix list...No interest in "True Blood", either....These days it is hard to find a film that makes you feel good and has very little or no violence....The sorry state of The "Industry"...! To my way of thinking, the BEST films are coming from the Independent sector...And I'm deeply grateful for that.

rashbre said...

Naomi : Yes, there's good stuff in the indy sector. It also never ceases to amaze me that when one big company has a hit with a specific film/format that everyone else will try to jump on the bandwagon.

I shall look forward to your next series of film reviews ;-)