The Hunger Games... I'm about two months late on this (for reasons that almost prevented me from watching The Avengers last week), but I finally got around to seeing the futuristic but dreary action flick today. All I can say is— That's some f**ked-up s**t. Having kids take part in parades and pageants, as well as conduct interviews on TV talk shows right before the kids kill each other off in televised death matches is one of the cruelest things that could be done in society...even if it's in apocalyptic times. It's ironic to see the populace of the Capitol wear elegant, Renaissance-style attire as they cheer on adolescent "tributes" who slaughter each other out in the middle of a forest. These sadistic folks remind me of the bloodthirsty spectators and warriors who crowd the Colosseum in 2000's Oscar-winning film, Gladiator.
In case you're wondering if I'm disgusted with this flick considering what I wrote in the paragraph above, of course I'm not! The Hunger Games was a gripping and well-made film...though if I was in Jennifer Lawrence's place (I love it when sexy blondes turn brunette) there would be no way in hell I could fall asleep up in that tree when 4 to 5 people are loitering on the grass down below, waiting to kill me. And the romance is pretty f**ked up too. I haven't read any of the books, but it will be interesting to see in the sequel how Gale Hawthorne (played by Liam Hemsworth) interacts with Katniss Everdeen (played by Lawrence) as she pretends to be "star-crossed lovers" with Peeta Mellark (portrayed by Josh Hutcherson), her fellow District 12 partner in the Hunger Games. Don't spoil it for me— I want to find out when the second Hunger Games flick, Catching Fire, gets released in theaters late next year.
One more aspect that I would like to point out about The Hunger Games is its racial theme. The movie came out before the 20th anniversary of the Los Angeles riots last month, but I found it intense when the death of a certain ethnic character in the film sparked an angry mob in the district from which he/she came. And Katniss Everdeen's life was spared in one scene due to her being kind to this character as he/she came to Everdeen's aid early on in the Game. I hope that Catching Fire and subsequent sequels will have thematic elements that are relevant to the real world just like The Hunger Games has. I'm glad that I was able to watch this movie before it ended its run at the theaters. Now carry on. And may the odds be ever in your favor.
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