Hunger Games

Actors:  Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harellson, Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley, Donald Sutherland, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Willow Shields, Lenny Kravitz, Amandla Stenberg
Rating:  9 out of 10, I was really looking forward to this movie after my daughter gave me the books and I read them in very short order. The books were very good and the movie had some really good reviews so I was set up to be disappointed. I was not. The movie was loyal to the books and the small diversions did not impact in a big way.  There’s always a problem when a movie tries to capture the plot that has so many levels but this movie does.  Harrelson proves he can still do more than just crazy and Kravtiz was extremely memorable in a very small part.  This movie though is carried by the persona of Katniss Evergreen played ably by Lawrence.  After reading the books I was wondering if any actress would be up for the central character but Lawrence is more than able.  I really like her as an actress because she takes chances and she certainly does here.  She’s okay with being less than likable in some of her scenes because that was what the scene called for.  I think she will be the next great American actress.  Some of the best scenes were the ones she had with Stenberg who is another young actress we should all keep an eye on for future greatness.  Hutcherson was a bit of a miss as Peeta because he didn’t have the physicality I imagined with the character but he can certainly act and that covered up what I thought he was missing to a large extent.  I was really wondering how they were going to pull off the action scenes of the games themselves but this was the strongest part of the movie.  If anything I think they missed out on the opportunity to show more and especially how the games were being viewed in outlying districts. It’s rare that a movie with its limitations as a media format can capture the depth and texture of a well loved book but this movie achieves it, thanks in large part to the delightful Ms. Lawrence.
MVP:  Who else but Jennifer Lawrence as the deadly but vulnerable Katniss Evergreen