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THE HUNGER GAMESMovie Reviews
Futuristic action thriller about an inexperienced girl forced to rely on her instincts in a fight-to-the-death competition that she must win in order to return to her home. Cast:Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth BanksDirector:Gary RossRelease Date:March 23, 2012DVD Release:August 18, 2012From:LionsgateRating:PG-13Length:2 hr. 22 min.
The Hunger Games played to very good reviews. • Dana Stevens wrote for Slate, "...it will more than satisfy existing fans of the trilogy and likely create many new ones.... Lawrence carries the whole film on her sturdy shoulders." • And Eric Andersson wrote in Us Weekly, "...gripping, breathtaking and poignant... Jennifer Lawrence is wonderfully steely as Katniss Everdeen..." More Reviews Below...
The Hunger Games Positive Reviews (52 Reviews, reviews below)
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the rare film that never drags... It could keep running as long as Katniss Everdeen does, and we'd want to be right there every heart-pounding step of the way."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 916 words, 03/22/12
Eric Andersson, Us Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...gripping, breathtaking and poignant... Jennifer Lawrence is wonderfully steely as Katniss Everdeen... it leaves you, well, hungry for the next installment."(See all of Eric Andersson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 101 words, 03/22/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...radiates a hot, jumpy energy that's irresistible. It has epic spectacle, yearning romance, suspense that won't quit and a shining star in Jennifer Lawrence..."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,030 words, 03/30/12
Scott Bowles, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "Like the select participants of its savage sport, the film stands triumphant, if scarred and a bit wobbly from the contest.... The action is brisk, the acting is solid..."(See all of Scott Bowles's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 487 words, 03/23/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an effective entertainment... But the film leapfrogs obvious questions in its path, and avoids the opportunities sci-fi provides for social criticism..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 720 words, 03/22/12
Kat Murphy, MSN Movies: MODERATE(cg) "...glossy entertainment sufficiently bland and sanitized that it will offend no one.... nothing lasts long enough to touch -- or wound -- us deeply."(See all of Kat Murphy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 970 words, 03/20/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (14 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Katniss is a new female warrior and she keeps you watching even while you're hoping for something better the next time around."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,257 words, 03/23/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...exciting and thought-provoking... It's better and scarier than its source book, and aims an angry eye at our bloodthirsty, watch-anything-and-cheer culture."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 573 words, 03/23/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "When you're talking about 'The Hunger Games,' it all comes down to Katniss.... in Jennifer Lawrence director Gary Ross and company have hit the bull's-eye..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 883 words, 03/23/12
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "A lot of it -- the core of it, really -- puts us on the ground, running, in the woods with Katniss, without much in the way of digital effects.... pretty gripping."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 850 words, 03/23/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: VERY GOOD(cg) "...solid and serious-minded... the attractive cast should satisfy fans. But there's a smarter, tougher film hiding inside this one.... has potential to be something more..."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 313 words, 03/23/12
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: WEAK "...if the movie's director, Gary Ross, has qualms about kids killing kids he doesn't share them with the audience.... His approach is hackish and dimwitted."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,056 words, 03/26/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an effective entertainment... But the film leapfrogs obvious questions in its path, and avoids the opportunities sci-fi provides for social criticism..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 720 words, 03/22/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "...in command of the essentials of storytelling and characterization.... it's blood sport the whole family could enjoy, all but the very young."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 846 words, 03/23/12
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Simultaneously retro and futuristic, the script borrows as liberally from Roman epics and medieval lore as it does from reality TV and apocalyptic sci-fi."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 636 words, 03/23/12
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...definitely entertaining, but given its potential to be a devastatingly dystopic film event, this is definitely a missed opportunity."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 514 words, 03/22/12
KEY CITIES (13 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...goes to torturous, even off-putting extremes to prove its heroines' mettle.... But Lawrence is never less than grounded and believable..."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 973 words, 03/22/12
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...sometimes thrilling, sometimes disturbing, sometimes cartoonishly silly... doesn't play it safe, exactly. But it plays it awkwardly."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 954 words, 03/23/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "When they're playing the game itself, the film is exciting and well-executed... But the scenes involving the Capitol are less effective."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 784 words, 03/23/12
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: VERY GOOD(cg) "This is not a movie on fire, and it should have been.... it's frustrating, but you'll probably feel you've gotten your money's worth."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,203 words, 03/23/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Katniss is a great character and has real female appeal.... Yet as this first episode stands, she's also pretty much the only real attraction."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 910 words, 03/23/12
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...solid if unexceptional.... It features a functioning creative imagination and lots of honest-to-goodness acting by its star, Jennifer Lawrence..."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 434 words, 03/23/12
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...smart, tense.... it carefully walks a difficult line: How do you tell an essentially violent story without glorifying that violence?"(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 650 words, 03/23/12
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "...sufficiently alive in its look-and-feel, plotting, and human dimensions to appeal to non-fans, and faithful enough (so I'm told) to the source material..."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 960 words, 03/23/12
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a streamlined fable with enough zing to keep the franchise flying until the next round.... Lawrence is the living promise that the next course will give us more..."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 362 words, 03/23/12
Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: EXCELLENT(cg) "...the story speaks to now, as good sci-fi will. It's kill or be killed, at the will of a dictator, for the amusement of TV viewers. And it's children doing the killing."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 517 words, 03/23/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD(cg) "Efficient if not electric... The one thing that's impossible to ignore, though, is the power of Jennifer Lawrence's performance..."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 613 words, 03/23/12
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: MODERATE(cg) "...an earnest, plodding thumb-sucker - a sugar-coated pacifier to appease the screaming hordes.... a science-fiction movie of the blandest, most generic order..."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 719 words, 03/23/12
Sean O'Connell, Cinema Blend: EXCELLENT(cg) "Gary Ross's decision to film with docu-drama techniques creates an indie realism for this obvious sci-fi fable that brilliantly plays into the tensions and hostilities..."(See all of Sean O'Connell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 712 words, 03/17/12
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Lawrence elevates moments of poignancy into poetry, mawkish scenes into genuine emotion, and the few inklings of class defiance into stirrings of revolution."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 587 words, 03/22/12
Scott Tobias, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "Ross and company deliver on the franchise more effectively than, say, the first 'Harry Potter' movie, but there's little evidence that they had any other agenda in mind."(See all of Scott Tobias's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,114 words, 03/22/12
Stephanie Zacharek, Movieline: EXCELLENT(cg) "...it works because of its deft handling of an even more universal theme: This is a movie about an independent-minded girl who just isn't sure she can trust a boy..."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,572 words, 03/20/12
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...definitely entertaining, but given its potential to be a devastatingly dystopic film event, this is definitely a missed opportunity."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 514 words, 03/22/12
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: EXCELLENT(cg) "...shows a protagonist who doesn't just outplay, outwit, and outlast her adversaries, but competes with such honor, she makes a great role model."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 643 words, 03/22/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: OUTSTANDING(cg) "A film that's clever and assumes its audience is, too. A rollicking tale crammed with characters who sing with their own original voices... masterful..."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,023 words, 03/21/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (7 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: FAIR "...both a feast of cheesy spectacle and a famine of genuine feeling, except for the powerful -- and touchingly vulnerable -- presence of Jennifer Lawrence..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 917 words, 03/23/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Katniss is a new female warrior and she keeps you watching even while you're hoping for something better the next time around."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,257 words, 03/23/12
David Denby, New Yorker: WEAK "I certainly have no quarrel with the casting.... But the rest of 'The Hunger Games' is pretty much a disaster -- disjointed, muffled, and even, at times, boring."(See all of David Denby's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 907 words, 03/26/12
Bob Mondello, NPR: GOOD "...doesn't actually have a lot to say about the social issues it brings up.... Still, the pacing is brisk, its stakes as high as stakes get..."(See all of Bob Mondello's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,016 words, 03/22/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "When you're talking about 'The Hunger Games,' it all comes down to Katniss.... in Jennifer Lawrence director Gary Ross and company have hit the bull's-eye..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 883 words, 03/23/12
Dana Stevens, Slate: VERY GOOD "...it will more than satisfy existing fans of the trilogy and likely create many new ones.... Lawrence carries the whole film on her sturdy shoulders."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,145 words, 03/22/12
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: FAIR "...has some cool moments here and there, and is never entirely dreadful. Lawrence is both radiant and triumphant. They haven't screwed it up badly enough to kill it..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,561 words, 03/20/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: GOOD "Proficient, involving, ever faithful to its source... yet no one seems to have taken the artistic gambles that might have made this respectable adaptation a remarkable one."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,323 words, 03/15/12
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "Jennifer Lawrence anchors this futuristic and politicized elaboration of 'The Most Dangerous Game' with impressive gravity and presence..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,617 words, 03/15/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "When you're talking about 'The Hunger Games,' it all comes down to Katniss.... in Jennifer Lawrence director Gary Ross and company have hit the bull's-eye..."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 883 words, 03/23/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: EXCELLENT(cg) "Fans of the book will not be disappointed... intelligent, intriguing, and ambitious in the best sense of these terms, an entertaining picture..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 841 words, 03/16/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Katniss is a new female warrior and she keeps you watching even while you're hoping for something better the next time around."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,257 words, 03/23/12
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: FAIR "...both a feast of cheesy spectacle and a famine of genuine feeling, except for the powerful -- and touchingly vulnerable -- presence of Jennifer Lawrence..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 917 words, 03/23/12
17.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The Hunger Games's reviews are separated by an average 17.2 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The Hunger Games (52 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The Hunger Games's reviews cover 100.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 44,531 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 856 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The Hunger Games Coverage, Volume & Length (52 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 5.1 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The Hunger Games's reviews on average broke 5.1 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The Hunger Games's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The Hunger Games (52 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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