The marketing ploy was genius, even attempting to shy away from mainstream society within the confines of discount book stores (yes I like to stare at books in my spare time) you could not help but notice every book store was hounded by tween girls desperately seeking Hungry game book-sets, for at least one month prior to it's releases. And within days of it's release countless (both comic book and film related) websites hailed this feature as the first dignified coming of tween fandom in the 21st century. Reviews ranging from the "most important film of our generation" to "I get motion sickness, so the biggest mistake of my life was to watch this on Imax.." could not help but be memorable, and so with great sorrow, he gave away £4.85p on Odeon Tuesday double feature..
The film itself was not bad to say the least, it was a little hyped but still a decent rip-off of the Japanese sensation Battle Royale 1, however this film had a little bit more emotional gravity to it as the death's weren't half entertaining, which could hurt it on repeat viewings. Thematically Hunger Game's is set in a consumerist based society in morally dystopian future with one part George Orwell's 1984 and two parts Socialist Doctrine. The ruling upper-class has the tenacity for bright blue colored hair, skinny pants and office politics while the ever watched and vigilant working-classes are hungry, deprived of modern medical advancements and utilized by "The Man" for industry and entertainment purposes. One form of entertainment is a televised reality show called "The Hunger Games," 24 12-18's year old males and females are evenly selected from the 12 industrial colonies (exploited for raw materials by the upper-class) as a punishment for a 3/4 century old uprising. A fight to the death and the surviving victor lives a life of consumerist luxury and guilt, as portrayed by Woody Harrelson. The Consumerist based marketing vs socialist doctrine isn't really lost on the author, it does humor him.
With a mixmatch of preexisting literary references this tale is a new interpretation of our inherited pop-cultural allegories.. which is ok, its not bad thing, it's a bit dated but the execution and style of character engagements attract our attention away, even for audiences who potentially suffer from motion sickness caused by constantly shaking cameras. The ending is pseudo-clever in intertwining inherited allegories with popularity, celebrity fandom and lessons in self-sacrifices. Characters must become likable to exist in this established workforce and society (to be supplied with food and medicine within the game), so they must adhere to social conventions such as glamorizing catwalk's, televised interviews and romantic unions.
Curiosity had clearly attracted me to this film, it's inherited references kept it from being original, but it's ability to execute themes and characters kept it from becoming a terrible film. Now me and my bright anti-socialist doctrine consumerist blue hair must bid you adue as I must suffer the consequences of selftherepy thanks to his friend's review of the naval command "sensation" Battleship.
Awkward video counterpart