The Hunger Games

( 27 )

Overview

Based on the best-selling young-adult novel by author Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games tells the dark tale of a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen Jennifer Lawrence, who is selected to compete in a vicious televised tournament in which 24 teenagers from a post-apocalyptic society fight to the death for the entertainment of the masses. In the future, North America is no more. In its place has risen Panem, a divided nation split into 12 districts. Every year, each district selects a teen of each gender called...
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More About This Product

Overview

Based on the best-selling young-adult novel by author Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games tells the dark tale of a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen Jennifer Lawrence, who is selected to compete in a vicious televised tournament in which 24 teenagers from a post-apocalyptic society fight to the death for the entertainment of the masses. In the future, North America is no more. In its place has risen Panem, a divided nation split into 12 districts. Every year, each district selects a teen of each gender called "Tributes" to test their worth in a competition known as the Hunger Games, which are broadcast across the nation as entertainment, and to reinforce the government's total power. When her younger sister is selected as District 12's latest "Tribute," Katniss volunteers to take her place, and trains under hard-drinking former Hunger Games champion Haymitch Abernathy Woody Harrelson to sharpen her killer instincts. Now in order to survive the game and emerge the victor, this young combatant must put all of her skills to the ultimate test. Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth co-star.
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  • The Hunger Games: Special Features
    The Hunger Games: Special Features  
  • The Hunger Games: Special Features
    The Hunger Games: Special Features  

Special Features

Disc 2 - Game Maker: Suzanne Collins and The Hunger Games Phenomenon; The World Is Watching: Making The Hunger Games; Letters from the Rose Garden; Controlling the Games; A Conversation with Gary Ross and Elvis Mitchell; Preparing for the Games: A Director's Process (Blu-ray Exclusive); Propaganda Film; Marketing Archive
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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide
There was a subtle humming noise that could be heard just after the announcement that Suzanne Collins' wildly successful novel, The Hunger Games, would be adapted for film. It was the sound of everyone on the Internet going "OMG," industry executives planning whatever it is that rich people plan before getting richer, and T-shirts being printed with "Team Peeta" and "Team Gale" where "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" had been before. It was typical white noise, and none of it mattered. Director Gary Ross' take on The Hunger Games works because it's strictly, unabashedly, Team Katniss. Forced to survive in a postapocalyptic society divided into 12 districts each one poorer than the last save for the wealthy Capitol, home of the totalitarian government and the very lucky, 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen Jennifer Lawrence is a fiercely capable young woman. Certainly, she had some help along the way. Her friend Gale Liam Hemsworth provided her with invaluable hunting tips, and Peeta Josh Hutcherson, a boy from town, gave her bread when starvation seemed inevitable. Even those experiences, however, were lessons in self-reliance. Her family couldn't help her her father was dead, her mother too depressed, and her sister too young, and receiving government aid meant entering one's name multiple times into a lottery system that determined which children would participate in an annual, government-sponsored, televised death match called the Hunger Games. Despite unlikely odds, it is Katniss' 12-year-old sister Prim Willow Shields who is chosen to fight for her life in the arena. Katniss immediately volunteers in her place. Making matters worse, one of her competitors is Peeta, the baker's son responsible for saving her life years before. Clearly, Katniss is a protagonist who can take care of herself in a crisis. When the novels were adapted for film, the question became whether or not actress Jennifer Lawrence could carry her story. On the plus side, this is Lawrence's movie as much as it is Katniss' tale. Like Katniss, Lawrence is beautiful, but in a way that is secondary to the task at hand. She is able to capture the beaten-down, yet doggedly determined and, when nobody's looking, kind aura that a heroine of this nature needs to seem real. Her biggest strength is in her facial expressions, which capture happiness, sadness, and everything in between without ever going over the top. Hutcherson is somewhat bland as Peeta, but this isn't entirely his fault, as his role is much less prominent in the beginning of the series. And the supporting cast is excellent most notably Stanley Tucci as flamboyant television host Caesar Flickerman, and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy, Katniss and Peeta's troubled mentor. Inevitably, The Hunger Games has been compared to Battle Royale, a 2000 Japanese film adapted from Koushun Takami's novel about a twisted government plot which forces a group of classmates to fight to the death on a deserted island. Despite an undeniably similar theme of kids killing kids per the demands of adults, the stories are different enough. Battle Royale, however, never shied away from bloodshed, while The Hunger Games loses something as result of its restraint. Though the combination of sensitive subject matter and a PG-13 rating must be taken into consideration, the fight sequences are at times inexcusably lazy, repeatedly relying on shots of violently rustling foliage and sounds of distress to imply mayhem, rather than show it onscreen. However, this is the only major stylistic mishap. The juxtaposition of the bleakness of Katniss' poverty-stricken mining community with the Capitol's Oz-like metropolis is appropriately jarring, and the absence of both malice and compassion from those watching the Games makes the disconnect between the haves and have-nots palpable. As the film closes, the audience gets the sense that The Hunger Games never really ended, and not simply because there are two books to go in the series. The people responsible for this movie have allowed the material to stand on its own, and respected the ability of young adults to allow romance to take a backseat to issues of class, mass media, and one truly badass female whose bravery and compassion are a welcome change from the swooning, boy-crazy heroines of days gone by.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 8/18/2012
  • UPC: 031398155546
  • Original Release: 2012

    • Rating:

  • Source: LIONS GATE
  • Presentation: Color / Wide Screen
  • Sound: Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
  • Language: English, Español
  • Time: 2:22:00
  • Format: Blu-ray
  • Sales rank: 7,456

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Jennifer Lawrence Katniss Everdeen
Josh Hutcherson Peeta Mellark
Liam Hemsworth Gale Hawthorne
Woody Harrelson Haymitch Abernathy
Elizabeth Banks Effie Trinket
Lenny Kravitz Cinna
Stanley Tucci Caesar Flickerman
Donald Sutherland President Snow
Wes Bentley Seneca Crane
Toby Jones Claudius Templesmith
Alexander Ludwig Cato
Isabelle Fuhrman Clove
Amandla Stenberg Rue
Willow Shields Primrose Everdeen
Kimiko Gelman Venia
Latarsha Rose Portia
Brooke Bundy Octavia
Nelson Ascencio Flavius
Paula Malcolmson Katniss' Mother
Dayo Okeniyi Thresh
Jack Quaid Marvel
Karan Kendrick Atala
Amber Chaney Avox Girl
Raiko Bowman Peeta's Mother
Troy Linger Katiniss' Father
Sandra Ellis Lafferty Hob Vendor
Rhoda Griffis Registration Woman
Sandino Moya-Smith Propaganda Film Tribute
Dwayne Boyd Peacekeeper #1
Anthony Reynolds Peacekeeper #2
Judd Derek Lormand Peacekeeper #3
Ian Nelson Tribute Boy District 3
Kalia Prescott Tribute Girl District 3
Ethan Jamieson Tribute Boy District 4
Jackie Emerson Fox Face
Mackenzie Lintz Tribute Girl District 8
Annie Thurman Tribute Girl District 9
Dakota Hood Tribute Girl District 10
Shane Bissell Birthday Boy
Katie Kneeland Hovercraft Tech
Steve Coulter Game Center Tech #1
Sharon Morris Game Center Tech #2
Tim Taylor Game Center Tech #3
Jack Ross Game Center Tech #4
Leven Rambin Glimmer
Technical Credits
Gary Ross Director, Screenwriter
Diana Alvarez Co-producer
Brian Baker Set Decoration/Design
Lon Bender Sound/Sound Designer
John Berger Set Decoration/Design
Robin Bissell Executive Producer
Martin Cohen Co-producer
Suzanne Collins Executive Producer, Screenwriter
William R. Dean Sound/Sound Designer
Robert Fechtman Art Director
Kris Fenske Sound/Sound Designer
James Newton Howard Score Composer
Nina Jacobson Producer
Jon Kilik Producer
George R. Lee Set Decoration/Design
Judianna Makovsky Costumes/Costume Designer
Alex McCarroll Set Decoration/Design
Philip Messina Production Designer
Stephen Mirrione Editor
Paul Richards Art Director
Louis Phillips Co-producer
Aldric La'Auli Porter Asst. Director, Co-producer
Billy Ray Screenwriter
Rhythm & Hues Studios Animator
Louise Rosner-Meyer Executive Producer
Tom Stern Cinematographer
Bryan Unkeless Co-producer
Juliette Welfling Editor
Joy Williams Songwriter
Debra Zane Casting
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 27 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(17)

4 Star

(3)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(2)

1 Star

(5)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 27 Customer Reviews

  • Posted August 21, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    Best Film Adaptation I've Ever Seen

    Let's face it, when we hear they're making a movie out of one of our favorite books, we have two reactions. First: Yes! We want to see the story come to life before our eyes. The second is fear. "I hope they don't f*** it up."

    Hollywood does it to us all the time. They take a fabulous book and they butcher it as they make the screen adaptation.

    When I went to see "The Hunger Games" movie, I held my breath. How were they going to pull it off? So much of the story is in Katniss' head.

    As the story unfolded before my eyes, I kept expecting Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Katniss Everdeen, to start talking to herself or at least have a voice over. But she didn't. Jennifer was able to show Katniss' thoughts and feelings without uttering a word. She was absolutely brilliant.

    Effie and Haymitch were exactly how I pictured them down to a T. I loved the Lady Gaga-ish costuming of the Capital and yet they were still able to make it look both beautiful and scary at the same time.

    They stayed very true to the story, anything that was left out, I understood why and it didn't bother me. The only line that was left out that I didn't understand why was one of my favorites. Where Peeta is laying in the river and tells Katniss she can kiss him any time now. I really loved that line and wished they'd left it in.

    Everything else from casting to how they pulled it off was absolute magic, something I never say about a film adaptation. The pacing, the acting, the camera work. Fabulous.

    I was blown away by this movie and give it five stars across the board. I can't wait to see what they do with "Catching Fire."

    6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted August 21, 2012

    YOU MUST WATCH THIS MOVIE!!!!!

    BY FAR BEST MOVIE AND BOOK EVER MUST WATCH AND READ!!!!!!!!11

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 19, 2012

    I pre-ordered this in July and was SO EXCITED for yesterday ...

    I pre-ordered this in July and was SO EXCITED for yesterday ... but
    instead of a DVD I got an e-mail saying that my order is delayed. This
    is the SECOND time this summer I've pre-ordered something and had this
    happen. Don't pre-order from BN, it's not going to work out for you.

    3 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted August 19, 2012

    I love the film, and have seen it 3 times. I pre-ordered this F

    I love the film, and have seen it 3 times. I pre-ordered this Film the
    day it was available for pre-ordering, and then on August 18, the day us
    sad it would come out, i got an email saying they don't have it in
    stock, and if they don't have it in 30 days, they'll email me. Very
    disappointing. I'm just going to buy it from Amazon.

    3 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 18, 2013

    Seeing Hunger Games gain so much recognition is difficult to fat

    Seeing Hunger Games gain so much recognition is difficult to fathom; especially when it’s more or less a blatant copy of “Battle Royale”, a Japanese novel (1996), movie (2000), and manga (2000-2005). I’ve read the entire series of “Hunger Games” (2008), and not only is the writing style bland, but the plot is exceedingly unoriginal and not ‘unique’ like many of you are claiming it to be. Like the “Battle Royale” manga, “Hunger Games” includes love triangles, a group of teenagers randomly chosen (BR: by class HG: by district), plans to overthrow authority, teens given weapons and forced into a death match, a pair working together to undermine the game with the help of an older mentor who had previously won the game, both female and male main leads, a corrupted government, signal fires and bird calls, a reality TV show program (which IS in the English adaption of the manga (2006) for the series unlike many of you have known), and the list goes on and on. Evidence of these unconcealed similarities can be found on various Internet articles (whose writers I sincerely thank). I urge you to go right now and read the manga or novel of Battle Royale online so that you can compare the two series. The author of “Hunger Games” blatantly claimed (*cough* lied *cough) that she supposedly never even knew of “Battle Royale”, so you can’t use ‘inspiration’ as an excuse anymore. Instead, she blurted out nonsense about Roman mythology and the Iraq war since she doesn’t want to admit her source of inspiration is a contemporary. How convenient for her own success since “Battle Royale” is a Japanese series that isn’t well known in North America. She basically made an American-version of the series that contains less gruesome content and involves districts in place of school classes. Even if she truly did not know about “Battle Royale” or mysteriously forgot about it in the back of her mind, it is still part of an author’s job to confirm the originality of his or her own to-be published works through researching. I’m posting this all of over the web so that “Battle Royale” can at least receive some acknowledgment that the “Hunger Games” author denied. Sure enough, both series also share resemblances with “The Lord of the Flies” and “The Running Man”. However, unlike the HR author, the BR author has not denied this inspiration. Moreover, the “Hunger Games” is more like a rip-off of “Battle Royale” than an inspiration since the majority of the plot elements are nearly identical. There’s a fine line between the words ‘inspiration’ and ‘copy’, and “Hunger Games” has extended far past it. There are also many popular American series that were inspired by Japanese series such as “The Matrix” from “Ghost in the Shell”, however they rightfully gave credit for the ‘original’ series… unlike a certain someone. I sincerely apologize if I seem rash with my word choice, but it’s so aggravating that Suzanne Collins had dare stated that she wasn’t inspired by “Battle Royale” when she clearly was. What’s more contemptible is that she’s getting not only famous from her rip-off, but she’s also obtaining vast amounts of money from it. But hey, that’s how reality works, right? Therefore, I don’t care if this is marked as spam or hauled with negative comments from “Hunger Game” fanatics. As long as it reveals to some people the credit “Battle Royale” genuinely deserves, then I’m satisfied. 

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted August 18, 2012

    I really enjoyed the film in the theatre, and the books are grea

    I really enjoyed the film in the theatre, and the books are great,
    too-only problem I have is that I pre-ordered this film in MARCH and
    then here it is the day of release and no movie in my mailbox-I am not
    going to pre-order anymore movies from B&N, I'll just go stand in
    line at Walmart from now on-VERY DISAPPOINTED!!!!

    1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted August 18, 2012

    Epic

    Greatest movie ever!

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted May 28, 2013

    The Hunger Games opened a door of adventure and excitement when

    The Hunger Games opened a door of adventure and excitement when I read this book and you probably will to. Normally reading would bore me but this is my go to book in case of emergency (like the power going off). It offers just as much fun as sitting and watching TV. the only difference the TV is in my head! Oh, and of course less ads.

    I gave this book a 5 star rating in my eyes because of how much it reflected onto our way of life. Many people speculate on how the hunger games book is real and its happening now and will soon be in different districts working for the government. But I believe it won't be like that at all, besides i don't think congress wants to dress up like Nicki Minaj 365 days a year.

    but anyway back to the book, the drama Katniss has to bare for a mere 16 year old makes it a interesting not to mention going up against mostly guys who are twice her size. Overall just a great book, you almost have to read this book . I recommend this book to anyone who can afford it or has a chance to see it in theaters. best book ever read. -KYLE W

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  • Posted March 18, 2013

    i was really looking foreward to this film--BUT it looked like a

    i was really looking foreward to this film--BUT it looked like a bad remake of lord of the flies--the casting was horrible and donald sutherland as snow looks more like a grumpy old man than the creepy evil snow--i was extremely disappointed--read all the books and liked them but i made it 1/3 way through the movie and turned it off as not worth my time

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  • Posted January 31, 2013

    I love the books, and I'm happy they made the movie. Good qualit

    I love the books, and I'm happy they made the movie. Good quality acting. The only thing, they left out some important information from the book....!

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  • Posted January 28, 2013

    I Also Recommend:

    A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire #1) (Movie Tie-In Edition)
    The Hunger Games (Hunger Games Series #1)

    This is one of the BEST movies I have seen in awhile. I watched

    This is one of the BEST movies I have seen in awhile. I watched the movie before I read the book and I have to say that the book was just as good. This is a must see movie. If you like to read as well, the book is a good read.

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  • Posted November 24, 2012

    amazinggg. best film adaption of a book in history.

    amazinggg. best film adaption of a book in history.

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  • Posted October 12, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    The Hunger Games [Original Score]
    The Hunger Games Trilogy Boxed Set

    Really good

    Love the movie. Acting is actually done really well. No complaints there. The costumes, the setting and tone is really good. Even the score. My only complaint is the shaky cam but that's really all I can think of. What I find liking more was before games, than the games itself, weird as that sound. Yeah there are some differences from book to movie but that doesn't stop from the movie being any good. The movie is really good. Had heard a lot about this and finally got to reading the books. Like both. Overall very good movie. Recommend both.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 27, 2012

    Terrific Film, but "Blah" Extras

    If this had some good--really good--extras on it I would go for the five stars, but for such a high profile DVD, I'm amazed they did not spring for better extras. These aren't awful--they're just totally blah. Would have loved some deleted scenes, no commentary track?! Even bloopers would have been fun...but the film is great. I am a big supporter of the books and am always cynical when a film is made of a great book--but they have done a solid job here. Casting is especially inspired namely Woody Harrelson and Lenny Kravitz. As for the extras, maybe some of my 'want' list is on Blu-ray, which I don't own:((...and I always feel cheated and somehow made to feel inferior when Blu-ray buyers get the "goodies" while those of us who don't necessarily need, want or can afford Blu-ray get stuck with the lesser extras..oh well--a really enjoyable film.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 24, 2012

    Most awsome. Camera was shaking alot and kinda makes u dizzy

    Most awsome. Camera was shaking alot and kinda makes u dizzy

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 23, 2012

    AWESOME!!!!!!

    AWESOME!!!!!!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 22, 2012

    i preordered this movie a day before it came out, and i got it a

    i preordered this movie a day before it came out, and i got it about 3
    days later!! this movie it just so amazing and i love the characters and
    the theme of it. very creatively done.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 22, 2012

    Pre-Ordering movies suck it seems because i have been waiting fo

    Pre-Ordering movies suck it seems because i have been waiting for my
    movie for days. I got fed up and just ordered the movie on demand but
    still hoping it'll come in the mail soon. Catnip was my favorite movie
    of the year. I love the books, i loved the movie, i loved catnip and the
    whole experience of getting lost in this world was amazing. But like i
    said before, i don't think i'm going to pre-order, i was way to
    disappointed that i can't have catnip yet when everyone who didn't
    pre-order can have it.

    0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 20, 2012

    The movie is as amazing as the book is! A great job was done ret

    The movie is as amazing as the book is! A great job was done retelling
    the story from the characters to the settings. If you haven't read the
    book it's really easy to catch on to the story, and if you have read the
    book you will really enjoy it. A great movie overall!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 6, 2013

    No text was provided for this review.

See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 27 Customer Reviews