Love this whole series just jumps off my screen in 4K

In Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" (1948), regarded as one of the most famous short stories in American literature, someone in a small rural town is selected by lottery to engage in the center of a yearly ritual which will cleanse the town of its sins. "The Hunger Games" presents a similar compelling premise. In the world of Panem, there is one Capitol and 12 districts. Before the events of the story, there were 13 districts which eventually rose up in rebellion, led by District 13. The Capitol was able to put down the rebellion, and District 13 was razed to the ground. However, the rebellion was not the end of the story, and the current dictator of Panem upholds a yearly tradition to remind the remaining districts of their violent past, called "the Dark Days".

As punishment for the rebellion and as a reminder of who's "in charge", the Capitol hosts a violent pageant every year. Twenty-four young people of pre-college age are chosen by lottery to participate in the pageant; one boy and one girl from each district. The plot is a dark take on reality television contests: the pageant, called "The Hunger Games", requires the 24 tributes (they're not called contestants) engage in a fight-to-the-death contest in a wilderness-like arena controlled by unseen technicians in a war room of sorts. Only one tribute can be declared the winner at the end of the games, essentially requiring the other 23 tributes to perish. The games are broadcast on large screens so members of each district can watch the fates of their representatives. The event is hosted by a television game-show host/MC, Claudius Templesmith (Stanley Tucci), who makes Richard Dawson (of Family Feud fame) seem like a high-cultured gentleman. "And may the odds be ever in your favor!" is the motto of the Games.

Of the 12 remaining districts, District 12 is the poorest, made up of primarily miners and other blood-and-sweat workers. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is a teen girl who has self-taught herself to use the bow to hunt for game and sell in the town. On Tribute Day, all the youth from age 12 to 18 are brought to the town square where Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks), a resident of the Capitol who, like many of her colleagues, enjoys wearing garish and flamboyant outfits, hosts the lottery ceremony. She picks Primrose Everdeen (Willow Shields), Katniss' sister to participate. Katniss, stunned, offers to volunteer for the Games in her sister's stead. Since this is the first time someone has ever volunteered, the proposition is accepted by the State. The other tribute from District 9 is Peeta Mallark (Josh Hutcherson).

Katniss and Peeta are chaperoned by Effie Trinket to the Capitol on a bullet train. There they meet their mentor, Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson), a winner of the Hunger Games many years previously. He is there to help train and instruct Katniss and Peeta, but his highest priority seems to be drinking and snoozing. Eventually, Katniss and Peeta with interesting finesse convince Abernathy that they are worth helping.

Once at the Capitol, they are paraded in front of the elite residents who cheer and decide which tributes they wish to root for. The tributes are then brought to a training facility, being told not to "hurt" any of the other tributes. They say there will be plenty of time for violent engagement relatively soon! They are treated like celebrities about to embark on a fashion pageant, being given beautiful outfits to wear during interviews. Of course, everyone knows the outcome of the pageant means 23 of the 24 tributes will not survive. Eventually, on the fateful day, the 24 tributes are transported to the arena-wilderness area where food and weapons are strewn about which can be used to better someone's chances. We also learn that the game is also "rigged". The control room doesn't just monitor the tributes but has power to influence situations. There are also "sponsors", Capitol residents, who can aid tributes they like. This story has become more relevant with the rise of "fake news" and distrust of television journalism with distorted media.

Overall, a well-done and impassioned view of a bleak future which rings of Orwell's "1984" and the 1970's cult classic "Roller Ball". In "Roller Ball" two teams donning skates battle each other on a rink. In the final game, players can only leave the game if they're killed, which is essentially the same idea as "The Hunger Games". The film finds a good balance between the heartlessness of the competition (if competition it can be called) and the emotions of the characters. At one point, Katniss befriends a young African-American girl, Rue (Amandla Stenberg), who is obviously too young to be part of the games. They become allies to help each other defend against another "gang" who desires to kill them. One of the most touching and poignant moments of the film is their friendship and Rue's fate.

who isnt obsessed with this movie? cult fav classic I LOVE

Great family movie night pick

Rented this because my friend had never seen it. She thought it was good as well.

When it comes to the hunger games I will admit that I fell into the category of people who had watched the movie(s) before I had even read the book and thought I had known everything based off what I saw in the cinema. I had recently read books 1-3 and my views on the movies changed. When I first watched the hunger games movies, I will admit I enjoyed them, but it is very easy to get bored with them. I didnt have a full grasp on why the franchise was so popular, because none of the characters were particularly interesting or had a persona that was easily relate-able based on what was shown on-screen.

After I read the books, I became attached to the characters. I understood what it was like to be in the thinking head of katniss. I also had faces to put to names, and body language I was able to vividly imagine in my head. The books were hard to part with because of how relate-able the characters were and how touching the emotion I felt was.

I had to watch the movies again after I had re-read the books. I without hesitation bought a 24 hour rental for the Hunger Games movie on Amazon. I needed to revisit Panem and understand what was so different about the movies. I was obsessed with finding out what made me so indifferent about whether or not I saw these movies and whether or not I truly cared what happened to the characters in them.

I was followed by much expected disappointment. Small, minuscule details bothered me, mostly because I thought I had the movie all figured out, but also because it was unnecessary to play the stories out that way. We first see Buttercup a black and white cat, when he is really orange (the color of a buttercup flower) as explained in the book. I dont know why this detail bothered me when we only see the cat once in this movie, but it did. He plays a big part in the last book, and should at least I would hope make a bigger appearance in the very last two movies.

A woman who I presume is Greasy Sae, gives katniss the mockingjay pin, and creates no significance. We dont even hear about madge. Not that her character really plays a part, but Katniss did have another friend aside from Gale, a person whom she co-existed with, was terminated from the movie, therefore we as the audience would never be able to feel the emotion behind the mockingjay pin, and instead only look at it as an insignificant bit, that had a minor exchange between prim and katniss.

The exchange between peeta and katniss was hardly filled in detail as well. All we could tell from her flash back memory was that she was cold in the rain one day, and peeta had thrown her some bread. We never receive the context that he burnt it on purpose, and that his mother gave him a black eye for it, and that she was nearing death. We hear some what about this while they're in the games, but its a very bland conversation, and was meant for a pre-story climax, so that the characters can develop.

The only thing we knew about Katniss before they got into the games (from the movie pov) was that she was a hunter, she deeply cared for her sister, she was rude to her mother (which is because her mother mentally abandoned them after their father died, but the movie doesnt tell us this) She and gale unless truth be told otherwise were most likely going to end up being together when they were older out of the convenience and mutual relationship that just kind of worked for them.

Another thing that bothered me was the unnecessary inclusion of words that they had two weeks to win the hunger games. What? There was no mention of that in the book, if anything, it would have been easier to find some way to sneak into the script that they were in there for about a month. Because they were.

I really needed answers about this film. it saddened me because the characters never developed. Peeta is never understood to truly be hopelessly inlove with katniss. all we get is that he loved her, and before I had read the books. I thought (because of an opinion developed having only watched the movies at first) that Both Peeta and Katniss were pretending to like each other. I had thought, based off movie personas, that they would fall in love based off the act, and thats how they would end up together. Boy was I wrong. And gladly I appreciated their relationship way more after I had read the books. I secretly loathed the idea throughout my reading that they may not be together.

I highly suggest reading the books before ever considering watching this movie. The movie steps out of Katniss' head. So you dont have any forethought. All you see are facial expressions, that have no grounds. It is very confusing.

At any rate, I am giving this movie 4 stars because it really brings panem to life and helps you plug in what you dont see in film, into your imagination from what you know about the books.

Will always be one of my favorites

I've read several of the reviews and some criticize that Jennifer Lawrence doesn't look like she's starving to death. Well there is a good reason Katniss isn't starving and underweight when the movie begins. It is simply because she has gained the knowledge of hunting and is able to provide food for her mother, sister and herself and her sister has a vegetable garden and a goat for milk and cheese. The period of time when she was starving was after her Father was killed and there wasn't money to buy food or anyone to hunt for them. It was only after Peeta tossed her the loaf of bread in the rain that she actually had something to feed her family. Then Gail and she began hunting together. So naturally she wasn't starving when the movie began as it begins after the days of starvation have passed and she has also put her name in several times to receive extra rations...even though the more times your name appears the more chances you have to be picked. Which is ironic that Primrose name is only in once and she is selected which causes Katniss to volunteer in her place for the 74th Hunger Games. Yes there are some differences between the books and the movies. For instance, in the books, Katniss is best friends with the mayors daughter. And it is she who gifts Katniss the Mockingjay pin. However the movie runs more fluidly without her and makes more sense that Greasy Say gives her the pin instead. Each of the movies are well done and when watched in order tell the entire story of Panem, which is run by a totalitarian government and how it consumed the lives of the average citizen within each District. It was an uprising against the Capital which brought about the Hunger Games which required one male and one female child from each of the 12 Districts ages 8 to 18 to be chosen through a lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, which was a struggle for survival and fight to the death until only one remained to claim the title and awards as a Victor.. There used to be 13 Districts but it was presumed it had been destroyed. Every 25 years there is a quarter quell. and in the 75th Hunger Games it was the third quarter quell since the uprising it was decided that the contestants would be reaped from all of the Victors in each District. This is what triggers each of the Districts to begin a fresh rebellion. Katniss is the face of the rebellion because of her courage to volunteer in her sisters place during the 74th HG. The outcome of the rebellion in the movies and the books is exactly the same. The movies follow the books well with only minor differences. They are intriguing and extremely compelling almost haunting. I have read each of the books and watched all of the movies multiple times. I would like to see more of Katniss, Peeta and their family & friends a decade after the rebellion. To see what their lives are like and what their new government and society has become.