The Hunger Games--Some Impressions (No Spoilers)

When I went to see The Hunger Games this weekend, I actually expected to be disappointed. I saw the trailer a couple of months ago and I was immediately intrigued. I am a girl that loves action and watches a lot of post-apocalyptic shows. The movie seemed really up my alley.

Photo via http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/

However, as the movie's release date approached, my interest waned. The more hype the movie received, the more I thought that it would be disappointing. When the movie opened as a blockbluster, I began to think that I should just wait until I can rent it. Normally, I do not like the "it" movies, so I did not want to spend the money on the show.

An opportunity came up this past weekend to watch the movie with some friends. I went along, a little nervous that I would not be able to sit through the 2 1/2 hour movie.



To my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I felt that the development of the background story--which is often lacking in movies--was great. The whole premise of the movie is difficult for some to stomach, of course. However, I felt that the scenes could have been more graphic and gone there, but they didn't. This is not to say that some scenes weren't difficult to watch, but I felt that what was shown was not more than what was necessary to make a point.

I do think that some of the outlandishness of the futuristic world took some of the sting off some of the more difficult elements of the story. I actually found myself chuckling a little bit throughout the movie, thus tempering some of the hard to watch scenes.

The movie is very poignant and really sends a message---actually, several messages. I was really wrapped up in the story and could not believe how quickly the the 2 1/2 hours passed. At the end, I was left wanting more--but in a good way.

So, if you are looking for a good movie to watch and can handle the premise of the young "tributes" fighting to the death in a reality series, I definitely think that The Hunger Games is worth the exorbitant theater prices. (Believe me, that is really a statement from this deal lover!)