Whilst the plot has a definite debt to the likes of Battle Royale (outlying districts are each required to provide two youngsters each year to compete in a contest to the death for the entertainment of the rich capital) the setting also owes something to Metropolis in its distinction between rich and poor.
Our hero is Katniss (the excellent Jennifer Lawrence combining her steeliness from Winter's Bone with the action elements of some of her other roles) who volunteers in order to save her little sister. She's joined from her district by Josh Hutcherson (not bad but the weakest link in the film), who is secretly in love with her, whilst she has her own fellow back in the district. These emotional sub-plots remain just that - they add depth to the action, but unlike certain other teen franchises don't swamp it.
The action within the games remains firmly 12A certificate so as not to alienate the target audience as Katniss fights for survival against the specially trained volunteers from the richer districts. Meanwhile, outside the arena, we are shown the manouevring and conspiring to provide a spectacle whilst remaining in control. The adult cast is very strong with particularly good turns from Woody Harrelson as the drunken mentor to Lawrence and Hutchison and from Donald Sutherland as the cynically manipulative president.
At the end of the day the satiric points about violence as entertainment and the use of the media to enable to control, etc... are not very subtle, but crucially the story and the film are entertaining and thrilling enough to bear the load.
Overall - 8/10 What it may lack in originality it makes up for in being so well done throughout that it still feels fresh. A genuinely good film.
No comments:
Post a Comment