I couldn’t believe the hype that surrounded this film. For the past month, I have heard it mentioned on almost every talk show and newscast.
While I don’t usually read or watch dystopic science fiction, I was curious. I wanted to see for myself if it was indeed the movie of 2012.
Yesterday, I joined the millions of other moviegoers who decided to view this film on its opening weekend.
The storyline is a compelling one.
Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, is a 16-year-old girl living in Panem, a post-apocalyptic North America. In a brutal annual lottery called the Reaping, two competitors–one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 16– are selected from each region to fight in the Hunger Games. Only one person can survive and his/her district will receive riches and favor from the ruling class. Katniss bravely volunteers to step in for her terrified younger sister, Prim (Willow Shields). Katniss and her partner, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) struggle to hold on to their humanity as they deal with conflicted feelings in this fight-to-the-death competition on live television.
Survivor. Slumdog Millionaire. The Amazing Race. As I watched the film, these programs came to mind. While the film is set in the distant future, there are many unsettling parallels to the present.
Disturbing. Riveting. Memorable. These are some of the adjectives I would use to describe this futuristic tale of adventure. I may actually pick up Suzanne Collins’ second and third books in this trilogy.
Joanne Guidoccio 
Susan–Thanks for dropping by. I find it hard to read the book after seeing the movie, but it sounds like the first book is worth reading in this case.
Joanne — I just came across your blog today. I read and thoroughly enjoyed the whole trilogy, but the first book is by far the best, in my opinion, and is different than the movie, in that it is told from a first-person perspective. I’d read that one first.