By Claire Ebbitt

Editor-in-Chief

“The Hunger Games” was highly anticipated for film adaptation ever since readers bought Suzanne Collins’ novel when it was published in 2008. Meant for young-adult audiences, the trilogy that includes “Catching Fire” and “Mockingjay” skyrocketed to stardom with other readers (read a review of the novel here) and stayed on The New York Times’ Best-seller Lists for 180 weeks straight, according to Parade magazine.

The film version of “The Hunger Games” has made a similar impact since its debut in March. The movie exceeded my expectations as it brilliantly displayed the novel’s struggle for survival, powerful passion and brutal battles on the big screen.

The movie shows Panem, a ruined North America of the future, divided into 13 districts. When District 13 rebels against the power-hungry forces of the Capitol, the rulers of Panem destroyed the district in a nuclear disaster.  Every year, as a reminder of the citizens’ vulnerability to the Capitol, the remaining 12 districts must provide a boy and girl tribute between the ages of 12 and 18, chosen by lottery, to battle in the Hunger Games.

The test of survival in an arena between the 24 tributes is televised to the whole country of Panem. Whichever child is the last one standing is crowned victor, and his or her district is showered with good fortunes from the Capitol while the remaining districts suffer in poverty.

Twelve-year-old Primrose Everdeen (played by Willow Shields) is picked as the girl tribute from District 12, but her sister, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence), volunteers to participate in the Games to keep Prim alive. Katniss’ fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), is also chosen to fight for his life in the arena. The two do not have much in common, but they both prove to be strong in creating strategies for survival.

Katniss’ heart is lost, however, when she has to say goodbye to her best friend and hunting partner, Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth). Together, they taught each other all they knew to keep their families alive by hunting in the forest, but when Katniss enters the arena, her feelings for both boys constantly shift back and forth.

“The Hunger Games” benefits its entire audience by integrating scenes with blood, violence and extremely good-looking actors such as Hutcherson and Hemsworth. The themes of Collins’ novel are, however, still able to ring clear: the government’s exploitation of its citizens, poverty in its many forms, and the reality and brutality of war.

Loyal fans who read the book before they saw the movie will be relieved that director Gary Ross’ adaptation is faithful to Collins’ novel; Collins also helped in writing the script, making sure to include the most relevant details to the film’s plot.

The slightly altered or omitted details didn’t detract from the overall message of “The Hunger Games” on the big screen. For example, the Everdeens’ family cat, Buttercup, is described in the book as having a “muddy yellow coat,” but in the movie is portrayed by a black cat. These details shouldn’t hinder viewers’ ability to understand the movie, though.

The adaptation of “The Hunger Games” faithfully follows Collins’ novel and fans of the book will recognize most of the exact dialogue used in the book. The actors all have stunning performances that are perfectly in line with their respective characters.

As a bonus for those in the Tarheel State, those who observe the screen closely may be able to recognize some familiar landscapes: “The Hunger Games” was filmed in various locations in North Carolina.

Overall, “The Hunger Games” will enlighten its viewers to the cruelty of real life and force them to think about difficult societal issues. The faithfulness of the movie to the novel will delight fans who are hungry for a play-by-play of Collins’ writing.

And to quote a well-used phrase from the book, the odds were definitely in the audience’s favor when Lionsgate brought forth its film adaptation of “The Hunger Games.”