Dubbed as one of the most highly anticipated movies of 2012 by Yahoo! Movies, “The Hunger Games” has garnered great attention from the public. There are high hopes for the movie to match the success that the novel by Suzanne Collins, which the film is based upon, had after its release in 2008.
“The Hunger Games” follows 16 year old Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, as she is forced to participate as a tribute in the 74th annual Hunger Games, a nationally televised event in which other tributes must fight for their lives until only one survivor remains.
The setting takes place in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian North American country of Panem which is comprised of twelve districts and controlled by the Capitol. The Capitol, reminiscent of a socialist government, holds unlimited power over the districts. The Hunger Games which were created after the 13th district rebelled is a way for the government to maintain its grip on all the citizens and stump any feelings of mutiny. Each district is responsible for sending one boy and one girl aged 12 to 18 to perform in the Hunger Games.
Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is drawn into the Hunger Games after she voluntarily agrees to take her little sister’s place and is joined by another tribute, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), who also from the same district. Katniss leaves behind her best friend, Gale Hawthorne, as she and Peeta journey to capital city. She realizes that she is going to have to rely on her hunting skills as well as her sharp instincts to defeat the other highly-trained tributes who have prepared for the Games their entire lives. Katniss faces the fact that she must make difficult choices, discover who she can trust and stay alive until the end.
The film, which is directed by Gary Ross, will be released March 23. After the release of the second trailer on November 14, 2011, the hype and excitement about the movie has only increased.
“People, including myself, are so excited for the movie because after seeing the trailer they know the movie is going to follow original plot in the novel,” Eugene Chang, a sophomore at Northwood High School, said.
Readers of the novel have taken their excitement online where multiple websites dedicated to “The Hunger Games” movie have been created. There is even an online countdown of the days until the release of the movie.
The anticipation for the release of the movie even caused a Kansas High School to host its own version of the Hunger Games, the Craving Games where a boy and a girl from each class were chosen to participate late April of 2011.
However, there are some who are less pleased about the movie because of the cast.
“The main character doesn’t look like how I imagined,” Shirin Sadjadpour, a sophomore at Northwood High School, said. “But I’m still hopeful that the actress will play Katniss well after seeing the trailer,”
If the movie does follow the novel, then the audience is guaranteed violent scenes and lots of action. “The Hunger Games” is anticipated by many to receive a PG-13 rating so it might not be the best choice for younger viewers.
However, for the majority of older moviegoers, the overall message is that “everybody should definitely go see the film,” according to Philine Qian, a sophomore at Northwood High School.
Fans of the movie have another treat to look forward to because it is believed that a sequel to “The Hunger Games” is due to be released November 22, 2013.
