Arriving with a ton of hype and anticipation, The Hunger Games certainly isn't lacking for attention. As with any project of this kind, the question is whether all of this hype is towards something worthwhile. Luckily, The Hunger Games answers that question with a resounding yes.

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Based on the novel by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games focuses on Katniss Jennifer Lawrence ), a teenage girl living in "District 12," one of the fenced-in Districts in what was once America but is now under the ever-smiling, ever malicious thumb of The Capitol. As a way of observing -- which is to say, punishment and way of reminding everyone who's in charge -- the anniversary of a failed rebellion the Districts attempted decades before, the Capitol holds an annual event called the Hunger Games, in which each District chooses a boy and girl between the ages of 12 and 18 to compete in a contest with one simple, core rule: Be the only person left alive at the end and you win.When Katniss' little sister, Prim (Willow Shields), is chosen to compete, Katniss does what comes instinctively and volunteers to take her place. Along with her District's male contestant, Peeta Josh Hutcherson ), she is whisked off to the Capital for a bizarre bit of pampering and celebrity treatment… all leading up to the time when she, Peeta and 22 other kids will have to kill each other.No, The Hunger Games is certainly not using an original concept – and no, I'm not talking about Battle Royale, but rather stories going back much further than that, from The Running Man to Death Race 2000 to, hell, Spartacus (which, lest we forget, is based on actual events) in which those in power force those who are not into bloodsport as a sick form of entertainment. Forget that this isn't breaking new ground (the old adage, "there are no new stories", holds ever-true here), because what's important is that Collins (who co-wrote the screenplay) has crafted an enthralling tale, centered around an extremely engaging, easy-to root-for protagonist.As a fan of the book, it's with huge relief that I can say co-writer and director Gary Ross gets the tone of The Hunger Games right. This is a grounded, thoughtful and sometimes quite emotional film, with its dark scenario given due weight. Ross doesn't give the film a glossy, romanticized "Hollywood" feel, but rather plays everything very realistically and stark, as Katniss must endure these outrageous and horrible scenarios.I'm sure there will be a lot of debate about the fact that this film uses "shaky-cam" techniques, with that documentary-like, handheld feel seen in everything from the Bourne sequels to Friday Night Lights (and of course, even more extremely in several "found footage" films). It takes some getting used to here and there are moments in the film where Ross goes too far with it as things get too, well, shaky, to a distracting extent. Fortunately, for the most part, the technique calms down as the film goes on and shooting it this way does add to the film in certain ways, as Ross presumably intended.The world of Hunger Games is one of extremes. Katniss and her fellow District 12 residents are poor and downtrodden, but the citizens of the Capital are in a much more fanciful, outwardly "sci-fi" setting, and embrace garish, over the top (and just plain goofy) clothes and styles. The pseudo-documentary style helps sell that this is, in fact, a place where people, even distorted ones, actually live.The other big upside to using shaky-cam here is when it comes to the violence. The Hunger Games is about kids killing each other, and it would be difficult to not get an R rating (which is unnecessary and would exclude a bunch of the book's core fanbase) if you wanted to portray this onscreen, shot in a traditional manner. But Ross is instead able to make things more abstract -- flashes of weapons being used, blood splattering, screams -- which convey the horror of what is happening without showing it in graphic detail. It's effective, added to by showing a close-up of so many of these doomed kids' face in death, underlining what is happening here.Light and fluffy this is not, but it is continually fascinating and involving. This is in no small part due to the work of Oscar nominee Lawrence. Katniss goes through plenty of suffering and pain, both mental and physical, yet is an incredibly strong, focused person, and Lawrence does a wonderful job of showing the moments when Katniss feels most vulnerable, while retaining that inner strength. As others have pointed out, when comparing Hunger Games to that other book-turned-film series that teen girls have been obsessed with in recent years, Katniss is pretty much the anti-Bella Swan, an independent and fierce young woman who is not defined by (or obsessed with) the men in her life.Yes, guys, there is a love triangle element to Hunger Games, but first and foremost, it's hardly the central part of the story, which, again, involves kids being forced to kill one another. In this first part of the trilogy, Katniss' best friend, Gale Liam Hemsworth ), is a fairly small character, in terms of screen time, though he still makes an impression as a steadfast, tenacious guy.As for Peeta, there's a lot to admire about how he is portrayed. While he's an inherently good person, and isn't lacking in physical strength, Peeta is clearly in trouble when it comes to the Hunger Games – even while he himself notes that Katniss, who's one hell of a shot with a bow and arrow, has some ready-made skills for such a macabre competition. Katniss is much more of a classic hero figure, with Peeta in what is usually the damsel in distress role, often needing to be protected. But Hutcherson brings the right, dare I say, "sweet" and vulnerable aura to the role, to make you feel for the kid. And kudos to Ross and company for not bothering to try to hide that Lawrence is taller than Hutcherson – a rare thing in Hollywood indeed when it comes to male and female leads.A clever aspect of Collins' novel, which is retained here, is how it actually somewhat subverts and reflects upon how you can manipulate an audience and put them in the palm of your hand by injecting a love story into the proceedings – which, yes, is amusing given that a certain sect of Hunger Games fans do focus so much on the love story aspect. In the world the book and film are set, The Hunger Games are a televised show, and as Katniss and Peeta's mentor, Haymitch (a perfectly cast Woody Harrelson , who captures the right mix of cynicism and caring) reminds them, they can get the crowd on their side by playing up a romance angle…. Which in this case, can actually save their lives, if the rich "sponsors" watching decide to send them much-needed items in the midst of the game.All of the book's recognizable characters are well cast, including Elizabeth Banks as the Capitol's representative in District 12, Effie (who's very much drank the Kool-Aid), Amandla Stenberg as the Hunger Games' youngest and smallest contestant, Rue, and Wes Bentley as the head "Gamemaker," Seneca Crane – with Bentley sporting one hell of an amazing Future Beard. And despite some understandable wariness his casting caused, Lenny Kravitz actually has the appropriately calming, capable vibe as Katniss' Capitol-assigned "stylist" Cinna , whose job is it is to make her look her best before the bloodshed begins. Donald Sutherland brings the appropriate menace as the main villain of the series, President Snow , who gets a few additional scenes in the film not seen in the book. And Stanley Tucci is darkly fun as Caesar Flickman, the smiling, glad-handing, falsely sympathetic host each contestant must speak to before entering the games - the Jay Leno of the Capitol, if you will.The Hunger Games has its faults. Besides the aforementioned shaky-cam sometimes being a distraction, the film doesn't quite nail its very last moments, ending on more of a vague, "Okay, I guess that's it for now" feel than a "I can't wait for the sequel!" vibe they were likely going for. Also, Ross (whose previous work as a director includes Pleasantville and Seabiscuit) shows his inexperience with action at times – while it was his intent to not glamorize the events inside the Hunger Games or make us root for what is happening, there are still scenes where things could still have been a bit more dynamic or tense when physical confrontations are occurring.Overall though, The Hunger Games is a notable accomplishment, delivering on its source material and capturing the core elements that have helped the books stand out from other series aimed at the same demographic. Both fans of the books and those brand new to the story of Katniss Everdeen will find The Hunger Games compelling. With the first film proving the series is in good hands, I'm excited to see the next chapters play out onscreen.

Eric Goldman is Executive Editor of. You can follow him on Twitter at