Jan Wahl Movie Review: 'The Hunger Games'

You can hear KCBS Entertainment Editor Jan Wahl's movie reviews on KCBS All News 740AM and 106.9FM Fridays at 8:53am & 4:53pm.

(KCBS) – Jan Wahl reviews "The Hunger Games," starring Jennifer Lawrence,Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Wes Bentley,Stanley Tucci, and Donald Sutherland.

Listen To Jan Wahl's Movie Review:

 THE HUNGER GAMES (PG-13)
Move over Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, with thankfully some Truman Show and even Network thrown in. We are talking about the highly anticipated and much hyped film version of the first of three popular novels by Suzanne Collins: The Hunger Games (PG-13). This series sparked young people to read, and hats off to that!

The film, directed by Gary Ross, takes us deep into the tale. This is the future, and a television reality show is a very hot ticket, especially because it presents teens chosen by lottery to fight each other to the death. In this ultimate gladiator-meets-survivor show, flamboyant Stanley Tucci is the host as we root for brave 16-year old Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence). The intense Woody Harrelson hopes to mentor her to success, one plot intermingling with a teen love story.

What makes it all work is the attention to the parallels and parody of our own reality show culture, though Cheyevsky's Network had the idea of killing for TV ratings in 1976. This time it's teens, and the sappy love story is not in the way of the intelligence and action.

There is brutality, violence, but not as graphic as expected. Not for under twelve, but good luck trying to stop them. Three hats..

DVD/Pay-Per-View Releases:
"My Week with Marilyn," "The Descendants," "Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy," "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," "Hugo," and "The Adventures of Tintin."

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