The highly-anticipated teaser for “The Hunger Games” premiered during the MTV Video Music Awards. Having just finished the first book written by Suzanne Collins last month, I am proud to admit I have Katniss fever. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan at the very beginning. To tell the truth, before Hollywood became interested in the popular series, I didn’t know what “The Hunger Games” was. Thank goodness my curiosity got the better of me.
Destined to be a lucrative franchise for Lionsgate, “The Hunger Games” is about a young girl (Katniss, played by Jennifer Lawrence) who volunteers to take her sister’s place in a fight to the death in a dystopian future. In this post-apocalyptic realm of Panem, there are 12 districts. From each region, a boy and a girl between the ages of 12 to 18 is chosen to fight in “The Hunger Games,” a televised event in which the participants, also known as “tributes” fight to the death until only one tribute remains.
Sounds exciting right?
In the teaser, Lionsgate gave us but a glimpse of this. We see Katniss, who is cast perfectly in Lawrence, sprint through a forest and dodge a fireball while firing a bow and arrow. Although the scene description sounds thrilling, I have to say, the spot underwhelmed me – and yes I know it’s just a teaser. Still, I envisioned the overall look of the film differently. In my mind, Panem was darker and grittier. You know, post-apocalyptic. The Panem we see here is much too clean and bright for my liking. Hopefully, the full-length trailer will be a bit more dim and foreboding.
“The Hunger Games” directed Gary Ross, who also adapted the screenplay, stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland and Lenny Kravitz. It opens March 23, 2012.
As a bonus, you can watch Ross break down the trailer below with a director’s commentary he did for MTV.
So what’s the verdict? Did this inflate or deflate your anticipation for this film? Share your opinions to the right if you please.
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