Movie Scene Review: The Hunger Games 2012

Theatrical release poster

Directed by - Gary Ross
Produced by - Nina Jacobson, Jon Kilik
Screenplay by - Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins, Billy Ray
Based on - The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
Starring - Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks,Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland
Music by - James Newton Howard
Cinematography - Tom Stern
Edited by - Stephen Mirrione, Juliette Welfling
Production company - Color Force
Distributed by - (Lionsgate
Release dates - March 12, 2012 (Los Angeles premiere), March 23, 2012 (United States)
Running time - 142 minutes
Country - United States
Language - English
Budget - $78 million
Box office - $691,247,768

Plot
The dystopian nation of Panem consists of a wealthy Capital
ruling twelve poorer districts. As punishment for a past
rebellion and as a way to demoralize the districts to quell
social uprising, each district must provide two "tributes" - one
boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 selected by
lottery (the "Reaping") - every year to compete in the
televised Hunger Games; they must fight to the death in a
vast arena, with the sole survivor rewarded with fame and
wealth.
In District 12, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to be the female
Tribute when her younger sister Primrose is initially drawn.
She and the male Tribute Peeta Mellark, a boy her age from
the same district, are escorted to the Capitol by chaperone
Effie Trinket and their mentor Haymitch Abernathy, a past
District 12 victor and severe alcoholic. Haymitch impresses on
them the importance of gaining sponsors as they can provide
gifts of food and supplies during the Games. During part of a
series of interviews, Peeta publicly expresses his love for
Katniss, which she initially takes as trying to earn sponsors'
favor, but later learns his love is earnest. While training,
Katniss observes the Career Tributes Marvel, Glimmer, Cato
and Clove, from Districts 1 and 2, who have been illegally
training for the Games since a young age and have more
chances to win.
At the start of the games, Katniss ignores Haymitch's advice
and tries to acquire supplies from the Cornucopia, the central
point of the arena full of useful items, and narrowly avoids
being killed; nearly half the Tributes are killed in the initial
melee. Katniss tries to stay as far away from the other
competitors but the gamemaster Seneca Crane directs his
agents to trigger events on the field to force her back
towards the others. She runs into the Careers, with whom
Peeta has allied, and escapes up a tree, where she finds Rue,
District 11's female Tribute, hiding. The two work together to
knock a nest of poisonous tracker jackers onto the Careers,
killing Glimmer and forcing the others to flee. Rue helps
Katniss tend to her wounds, becoming friends, and they work
a plan to secretly destroy a cache of supplies the Careers have
been hoarding, causing the Careers to distrust each other.
Marvel discovers them and kills Rue before Katniss can help
her. Katniss shoots and kills Marvel with an arrow, then
mourns for Rue's loss, making sure her moment of sorrow is
captured on the broadcast. The people of District 11, taken by
Katniss' action, start a riot. President Snow warns Crane that
this turn of events does not bode well for the Games.
When Crane returns, Haymitch suggests that he alter the
game rules to allow two winners to make things interesting.
When this change is announced, with the stipulation that the
winners have to be from the same district, Katniss searches
for Peeta, finding him wounded after fleeing from the
Careers. After moving him to safety, Katniss leaves to get
medicine from the Cornucopia, where Clove attempts to kill
her. Katniss is saved when Thresh, District 11's other tribute,
arrives and kills Clove, believing she had killed Rue, sparing
Katniss's life out of respect for the kindness she showed Rue.
Katniss returns with the medicine and prepares Peeta for the
final hours of the game. Crane sends out wild beasts that kill
Thresh, leaving only Cato, Katniss, and Peeta alive. Katniss
and Peeta make it to Cornucopia where Cato is waiting and
threatens to kill them both as the wild animals approach.
Katniss gets the upper hand, and Cato falls to the ground and
is eaten by the beasts.
Morning arrives, and Katniss and Peeta are still alive. They
think they are the victors, but Crane shuts the district rule
down, only allowing one victor. Katniss then convinces Peeta
to enact a double suicide with her by ingesting nightlock,
which she had obtained in the woods. When the two are
about to take the poison, Crane changes his mind again,
because he sees that their double suicide will ruin the Games
by eliminating anyone from becoming Victor. They are both
crowned victors of the 74th Hunger Games. Haymitch warns
Katniss she has made great enemies with her act of defiance.
Snow condemns Crane to his death for being manipulated by
Katniss and Peeta. He is later shown walking up a stairway,
pondering his next course of action.
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Ratings
TOMATOMETER
84%
Average Rating: 7.2/10
Reviews Counted: 276
Fresh: 232
Rotten: 44
AUDIENCE SCORE 
81%
liked it
Average Rating: 4.1/5
User Ratings: 892,931
More>> www.rottentomatoes.com

7.3/10
547,136 Rate 67 Metascore

Awards
Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Another 33 wins & 40 nominations.