In a now post-apocalyptic time, “The Hunger Games” is a government- mandated televised competition to the death featuring people in 12 regions of the U.S. – regions that once rebelled against political leaders. games to save her little sister. Josh Hutcherson is the young man chosen from her region that she must compete against. I expected “The Hunger Games” to be a popcorn movie aimed at teenagers but it’s not. This is deadly serious subject matter, and the audience takes it that way.

When I saw it, moviegoers kept quiet from beginning to end. It’s tense – much more so than I imagined – and it’s compelling, as you watch contestants being more so than I imagined – and it’s compelling, as you watch contestants being eliminated in various ways.

The film is complex and intricate and it demands your attention. Not having read the book, I don’t know what didn’t make it to the screen. And I don’t care because what I saw, I liked I also like the film’s rugged look and that the action feels real.

The script is clever in how it visually deals with this deadly subject matter I wasn’t crazy about the computer- generated animals that pop into the film at one point.

They just felt computer-generated to me and creepy Overall, the film is solid entertainment. It’s something I didn’t know if I really wanted to see, but I’m glad I didn’t miss it.

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