'HUNGER GAMES'

'HUNGER GAMES' (PG-13) (3 STARS)

Written by Gary Ross, Billy Ray and Suzanne Collins based on her novel
Directed by Gary Ross
Actors: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Donald Sutherland, Liam Hemsworth, Lenny Kravitz and Stanley Tucci

"Hunger Games" is based on a very popular series of teenage books with a young, admirable female hero. The jam packed audience I saw it with seemed to really like it and so did I. I found it to be surprisingly deep and smartly written also. I love the topicality of the story and I admire the strength of the hero Katniss Everdeen. This should be an inspiring hero for young women and now I know why the books are popular. Add to that another layered, amazing and grounded performance by Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. This actress is impressing me with her two amazing performances in this and "Winter's Bone".

"Hunger Games" takes us to a futuristic World that is pretty unique to me because of the costumes and look of the movie. The plot actually has been done before in movies but "Hunger Games" adds a fresh satiric spin and a good sense of humor. In this futuristic World there has been an uprising from society and it's citizens. For punishment one young man and woman from each district will be pulled from some sort of lotery to have a fight to the death on television. That is not all there is because we also get a satire on reality televison shows, some political humor and a female hero who we can look up to.

You would think "Hunger Games" would be sadistic and violent due to it's subject matter but it is done just right for it's target audience, there were kids that were grade school age in the theatre. It is done just right and there are some tasteful killings and some great action scenes. The movie could also be grim but I was happily surprised about the humor sprinkled in this movie and it was smart and subtle, not outlandish. There are some great supporting characters acted by a great cast and there are some actors here that are really funny. My favorite was Haymitch played perfectly by Woody Harrelson. Haymitch is funny and just the right amount of flamboyant and I think Woody is such an important treasure in movies. Also funny and wonderful is Elizabeth Banks as Effie and Stanley Tucci as the host of the show.

I loved Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss and Lawrence is captivating here and such a smart actress. It is a careful performance and Katniss becomes a compelling hero thanks to Lawrence. Witness her scene where her younger sister is picked in the lottery and her quick and strong reaction to it and you will see what I mean. I liked her as a strong female chacacter created by Suzanne Collins and Gary Ross (Pleasantville) is the perfect director to film this movie with his causal touch. I also liked the look of the movie, it's futuristic dimness but beauty thanks to Clint Eastwood's veteran cinematographer Tom Stern. "Hunger Games" is smart and it doesn't pander down to it's teenage audience. It is a compelling adventure and Katniss is an inspiring heroine.

Now I couldn't stop thinking about the "Twilight" movies when watching "Hunger Games". They both have a female centered lead character and the same target sudience. Oh let me count the ways of how "Hunger Games" is ten times smarter, more thrilling and compelling. First of all Katniss is way more intriguing and smarter than Bella and no it's not because Kristen Stewart is a bad actress, witness her great acting in "Into the Wild" and "Adventureland". Katniss is a more deeply written character with layers and Bella is a simpleton. Also Katniss has a love interest in Peeta who is her district mate. Josh Hutcherson ("The Kids Are All Right") plays Peeta and Hutcherson is ten times a better actor than the brooding Robert Pattinson and the wooden Taylor Lautner.

"Hunger Games" is also a much more assured film in directing, action and suspense. I also love how topical it is for it's uprising plot mirrors today's "Occupy Wall Street" movement very closely. I think the books were written before the Wall Street movement and if they were that makes the story's writing even more brilliant, I don't know. I do know that I was pleasantly surprised by how deep and funny and smartly satiric this movie was. I liked all the characters and in Katniss I found a hero that kicked butt and was very well acted by Jennifer Lawrence one of our very best young actresses.

P.S. I really love the score of this movie in the classical pieces and the soothing country ballad at the end credits by "The Civil Wars".