Sandy Springs Mom Reviews 'Hunger Games'

The hype for the new blockbuster movie "The Hunger Games" has been cooked
up by a fan base with a big appetite, spurring many parents of elementary or tween-aged children to wonder whether it is age appropriate for them. Here is the word from the street.

Adapted from the bestselling young adult novel in a trilogy by Suzanne Collins, "The Hunger Games" is a fascinating and bizarre combination of reality show and gladiator-style games involving young people.

The post-apocalyptic story is set in what was formerly North America, now a dystopian society called Panem. The ruling, prosperous Capitol is surrounded by 12 impoverished districts that serve it.

In their past, citizens tried to rebel but were harshly subdued and to quell any future rebellions, the leaders created a brutal annual tradition as a grim reminder of who's in charge. "The Hunger Games" is a competitive, televised event, in which a male and female teenager, or "tribute," are randomly chosen from each district in a "Reaping."

They travel to the Capitol where they're treated to its lavish, surreal lifestyle and intensive games training, complete with television interviews. However, there is only one winner as tributes must fight to the death in an arena controlled with ever-changing variables by the Gamemakers.

The film has all the elements of mainstream interests: Action; suspense, romance, attractive young actors, and an underdog to root for. The three main actors, Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Australian Liam Hemsworth, form the love triangle but are barely known for their previous roles. The supporting adult cast however includes seasoned actors such as Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, and Stanley Tucci.

The story centers around its heroine Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence), the narrator in the book, who is from the poverty-stricken, coal-mining District 12.

In volunteering to replace her fragile younger sister who is chosen at the Reaping for that year's games, she unwittingly becomes a symbol of moral courage and conscience, much to the ire of the fascist leaders.

Two frightening aspects of the plot of this story, unlike "Twilight," are 1) the possibility that this, at least in part, could actually happen and 2) that young people are used as pawns in a larger scheme of maintaining absolute power.

It is violent, disturbing, and there is bloodshed, though not gratuitous. This illustrates how the producers and director Gary Ross made good on their vow to keep the PG-13 rating not to mention having to squeeze 374 pages into a two and a half hour film. Ross used the hand-held camera technique and close-ups prolifically, which contributed to the nightmarish sense of chaos and survivalism, and reinforced the reality TV concept.

The books go into greater graphic detail and let the reader's mind picture the fine points. I recommend the books and film for tweens and teenagers but not for elementary aged children who might find them alarming and miss the political and social subtextual themes. This a great conversation piece as well as a finely adapted book screenplay, and we the "Panemaniacs" can almost taste the sequel in the near future.

Did you like "The Hunger Games?" Tell us in the comments.