Review of The Hunger Games

For a movie named the Hunger Games this is quite sappy. Quite graphic in some spots but in a contrived way to maintain the purity of the leading lady. It seemed maintaining this purity/incorruptibility was the main driving force behind the film making it readymade for teenage brains and wallets in subsequent franchises. Yet, I think a more morally ambiguous protagonist would have made for a better film but probably not more box-office. Katniss Everdeen is quite stoic in the beginning but this fades to a faked/heads over heels romantic by the end of the film. This divergence could be a commentary on the perception of the public and private self but in summary it's quite murky especially with the off-beat romantic pairing of the actors. Also, the survival element of the games is quite underwhelming with hard lines of good guys/bads and elites/poors being the only elements drawn. There is no grey area, no deterioration of body and mind. Guess I was hoping for greater moral dilemmas,acting and a overall greater vision of dystopian society while still maintaining a lens on current predicaments. There are definitely a lot of better dystopian films out there that communicate more effectively human nature and where that might lead mankind.