As some of you may know I have been very conflicted about this movie, because it involves kids forced to kill other kids, a premise which, frankly, sickens me.  I was seriously considering boycotting the film because of this, but then I came to my senses.  It’s just a movie, right?  Well, I still hate the premise — and can see no artistic justification for the “tributes” being 12 to 18 years old instead of a majority age — but the movie is actually pretty well made despite this troubling aspect.

The societal premise is pretty foggy — I am told that I would have to read the books to really understand how this future country quelled an uprising and divided into 13 districts — but director Gary Ross spotlights just a couple of young people who find themselves chosen for an annual death match.  One aspect I really didn’t like is the shaky hand-held camerawork and jumpy editing that dominates the first half-hour, but that eventually settles down to more traditional film styling.  Ross does a really good job of following Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) through the process of being chosen, delivered to the Capitol, being introduced and interviewed on television, training with a former champion (Woody Harrelson) and being scared stiff during the whole process.  This was my favorite part of the story, since we (especially those of us who have not read the books) are as ignorant about the process as they are.

Once the battle royal begins, the premise turns ugly, which is what bothered me in the first place.  This PG-13 rated film limits the blood but not the ruthlessness with which certain bloodthirsty tributes hunt and dispatch the others.  I wouldn’t mind so much if it was George Clooney hunting down Mel Gibson or Jodie Foster, but the idea of young people being forced to kill, with some of them relishing the prospect, just comes across as depraved.  That, and, of course, to make money — after all, it is teenagers who are the target audience, and why would they want to see old people (relatively speaking) hunting each other.  It all just seems like a money grab to me.

However, Ross’ film, which I assume is faithful to the story, reveals a lot of humanity in the hunt as well.  Katniss and Peeta bond, even though they are destined to fight. A young girl named Rue (Amandla Stenberg) takes a liking to Katniss and they bond as well, trying to avoid an alliance of really nasty teenagers from other districts.  To its credit the film shows some of the consequences of killing and the grief that should follow.  Despite my misgivings I was enveloped in the drama, some of which was genuinely exciting.

One more aspect that I didn’t care for is the ridiculous monster dog sequence that leads to the climax.  It’s one thing for the gamekeepers to manipulate the players into situations, but to use what seem to be imaginary, stupid-looking monster dogs is ludicrous.  Maybe this works in the book, but on film it completely took me out of the story.  I didn’t like the earlier fire / fireball sequence for the same reason.  Despite these missteps, however, I have to admit that I was largely impressed with the film. It is an instantly dramatic premise that is seemingly made for cinema.  I just wish it had been with older characters so I wouldn’t feel disgusted or even guilty about watching them battle to the death.  ✰ ✰ ✰.  30 March 2012.