The Hunger Games (2012)

All Critics (272) | Top Critics (46) | Fresh (230) | Rotten (42) | DVD (4)

The film shows precious little hunger and no sense of game.

June 17, 2013 Full Review

David Thomson

The New Republic

Top Critic

Even when two people are just talking calmly, Ross jerks the camera around. Why? As the sense of danger increases, he has nothing to build toward.

March 26, 2012 Full Review | Comments (275)

David Denby

New Yorker

Top Critic

Ross manages to keep the pacing remarkably swift, given that the games themselves don't start until halfway through the 144-minute running time.

March 23, 2012 Full Review | Comments (13)

Peter Rainer

Christian Science Monitor

Top Critic

Like the select participants of its savage sport, The Hunger Games stands triumphant, if scarred and a bit wobbly from the contest.

March 22, 2012 Full Review | Comments (10)

Scott Bowles

USA Today

Top Critic

It features a functioning creative imagination and lots of honest-to-goodness acting by its star, Jennifer Lawrence, who brings her usual toughness and emotional transparency to the archer-heroine Katniss.

March 22, 2012 Full Review | Comments (10)

Amy Biancolli

San Francisco Chronicle

Top Critic

Watching The Hunger Games, I was struck both by how slickly Ross hit his marks and how many opportunities he was missing to take the film to the next level -- to make it more shocking, lyrical, crazy, daring.

March 22, 2012 Full Review | Comments (170)

David Edelstein

New York Magazine

Top Critic

Lawrence makes Katniss a heroine every bit as strong, fearless and compelling as the patron saint of badass females, Lisbeth Salander.

May 26, 2013 Full Review

Al Alexander

The Patriot Ledger

The filmmakers' devotion to Collins' page-turner will please the book's fans and anyone who likes action, sci-fi, social commentary or a female protagonist with smarts, compassion and survival skills.

May 17, 2013 Full Review

Carla Meyer

Sacramento Bee

An exhilarating debut from the bestselling series about teenagers engaged in a deadly bloodsport.

March 4, 2013 Full Review

Tom Glasson

Concrete Playground

Given the recent failure of so many big-budget films, the odds weren't in The Hunger Games favor, either. Thankfully, Hollywood got this one right.

January 7, 2013 Full Review

Kirk Baird

Toledo Blade

The supporting cast is excellent (most notably Stanley Tucci as flamboyant television host Caesar Flickerman, and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy, Katniss and Peeta's troubled mentor).

January 7, 2013 Full Review

Tracie Cooper

TV Guide's Movie Guide

Some plot threads are underserved but The Hunger Games is a fascinating and disturbing character drama that successfully captures the core themes of the book.

September 27, 2012 Full Review

Ben Kendrick

ScreenRant

Sure this entry is a ripoff of "Battle Royale," but it's still an entertaining ride with great casting that will more than likely please fans of the book and those who've never even heard of it.

September 16, 2012 Full Review

Jeff Beck

Examiner.com

Despite a few minor problems, The Hunger Games proves to be a promising start to what will no doubt become the next beloved Hollywood mega-series.

September 15, 2012 Full Review

Kristal Cooper

We Got This Covered

While the 12A rating renders any serious violence a tad impotent, there is much more going on here than the fawning and frowning of its soppy vampire peer.

September 13, 2012 Full Review | Comment (1)

Matt Looker

TheShiznit.co.uk

A retread of a tale that's The Running Man meets Lord of the Flies with a dash of Twilight for tween-adoring measure.

August 30, 2012 Full Review | Comments (4)

Erick Weber

NECN

I never thought I'd describe a film by Pleasantville and Seabiscuit director Gary Ross as 'whackadoodle,' but if the shoe fits.

August 22, 2012 Full Review

William Bibbiani

CraveOnline

The Hunger Games may be a flawed beast, to be sure, but there's plenty of subtext to glean from the narrative, and a slew of wonderfully rich characters worth investing in.

August 20, 2012 Full Review

R. L. Shaffer

IGN DVD

While a great ride of a movie, it is also one wrapped around an oddly disquieting message.

July 15, 2012 Full Review

Richard Knight

Knight at the Movies

The first genuine can't miss film of the year that you'll want to go back to the theater to see over and over again.

May 22, 2012 Full Review | Comments (2)

Jeffrey Lyles

Lyles' Movie Files

Katniss embodies all that's better than her Hunger Games opponents, being aptly appalled at what she sees while also learning to manipulate her audience.

May 2, 2012 Full Review | Comments (11)

Cynthia Fuchs

PopMatters

The Hunger Games stomps the Twilight saga flat, and though I found those films somewhat amusing, this one is the real deal...

April 30, 2012 Full Review | Comments (6)

Rob Gonsalves

eFilmCritic.com

... Does a more-than-adequate job of introducing a future world and characters I won't mind revisiting. And it gives you a little to think about while you're waiting.

April 27, 2012 Full Review

Greg Maki

Star-Democrat (Easton, MD)

A blockbuster that has something to say about the world we could be living in. Unlike Twilight, this film actually has a deeper and more important philosophical meaning.

April 26, 2012 Full Review

Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

The phenomenal cast with great chemistry and sincere authentic performances from the older actors empowers the material.

April 26, 2012 Full Review

Blake Howard

2UE That Movie Show

• 1. Gale Hawthorne: Oh yeah, I forgot something.
  2. Katniss Everdeen: Oh my God! Is this real?
  3. Gale Hawthorne: Better be. It cost me a squirrel.
  – Submitted by Criselle M (2 months ago)
• 1. Katniss Everdeen: How many times is your name in today?
  2. Gale Hawthorne: Forty-two. I guess the odds aren't exactly in my favour.
  – Submitted by Criselle M (2 months ago)
• 1. Clove: [To Katniss] *Clove has pinned Katniss to ground and has knife to her neck* "Where's lover boy? Oh, I see. You're gonna help him, right? Well, that's sweet. You know, its to bad you couldn't help your little friend. That little girl. What was her name again? Rue? Well, we killed her and now we're gonna kill you." *Picks up smaller knife and is about to stab her in chest*
  2. Thresh: *Appears behind Clove, picks her up by neck and pins her to Cornucopia* D'you kill her?
  3. Clove: No!
  4. Thresh: I heard you.
  5. Clove: CATO!
  6. Thresh: You said her name. YOU SAID HER NAME! *smashes head on Cornucopia twice then drops her body. A canon is then heard. Turns to Katniss* Just this time twelve. For Rue.
  – Submitted by Jenny L (5 months ago)
• 1. Katniss Everdeen: You can't tune out again.
  2. Katniss' Mother: I won't.
  3. Katniss Everdeen: No. You can't. Not like when Dad died. I won't be there for her anymore, you're all she has. And no matter what you feel, you're going to be there for her, do you understand?
  – Submitted by Sarah K (5 months ago)
• 1. Peeta Mellark: They have to have their victor.
  2. Katniss Everdeen: No. They don't. Why should they?
  – Submitted by Evan T (6 months ago)
• 1. President Snow: Hope, it is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective, a lot of hope is dangerous. A spark is fine, as long as it's contained.
  2. Seneca Crane: So...
  3. President Snow: So, contain it!
  – Submitted by Carlo Roy R (6 months ago)