The Hunger Games

PLOT

The nation of Panem is divided into 12 districts, ruled from the Capitol. As punishment for a failed revolt, each district is forced to select two tributes, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18, to fight to the death in the annual Hunger Games until there is only one survivor.

After her 12-year-old sister Primrose is chosen for the 74th Hunger Games, 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen of District 12 volunteers to take her place. She and fellow tribute Peeta Mellark are escorted to the Capitol by their chaperone Effie Trinket and mentor Haymitch Abernathy, the Games' only living winner from District 12. Haymitch stresses the importance of gaining sponsors, as they can provide potentially life-saving gifts during the Games. While training, Katniss observes the "Careers" (Marvel, Glimmer, Cato and Clove), volunteers from the wealthy Districts 1 and 2 who have trained for the Games from an early age. During a televised interview with Caesar Flickerman, Peeta expresses his love for Katniss, which she initially sees as an attempt to attract sponsors; she later learns his admission is genuine.

At the start of the Games, Katniss ignores Haymitch's advice and grabs some of the supplies placed around the Cornucopia, a structure at the starting point, and narrowly escapes death. Half of the 24 tributes die in the initial melee, and only eleven, including all four Careers, survive the first day. Katniss tries to stay away from the others, but Seneca Crane, the Head Gamemaker, triggers a forest fire to drive her towards them. She runs into the Careers, with whom Peeta has seemingly allied, and flees up a tree. Peeta advises the Careers to wait her out. The next morning, Katniss notices Rue, District 11's young female tribute, hiding in an adjacent tree. Rue draws her attention to a nest of tracker jackers, genetically modified poisonous wasps. Using a knife, Katniss saws off the branch holding the nest, causing it to fall on the Careers sleeping below; Glimmer dies, but the others escape. Katniss becomes disoriented from being stung a few times. Peeta returns and tells her to flee.

Rue helps Katniss recover, and they become friends and allies. Katniss destroys the supplies the Careers stockpiled by detonating mines guarding them, while Rue provides a distraction. Katniss later finds and frees Rue from a trap, but Marvel throws a spear at Katniss which impales Rue. Katniss kills him with an arrow. She comforts Rue and, after she dies, adorns her body with flowers. This triggers a riot in District 11. President Coriolanus Snow warns Crane about the unrest.

Haymitch persuades Crane to change the rules to allow two winners provided they are from the same district, suggesting that this will pacify the public. After the announcement, Katniss finds a gravely wounded Peeta. Another announcement promises that what each survivor needs the most will be provided at the Cornucopia the next morning. Despite Peeta's vehement opposition, Katniss leaves to get medicine for him, but she is ambushed and overpowered by Clove, who gloats about Rue's death and prepares to kill her. Thresh, District 11's male tribute, overhears and kills Clove. He spares Katniss once, for Rue's sake. The medicine heals Peeta overnight.

While hunting for food, Katniss hears a cannon go off, signalling a death. She races to Peeta, who has unwittingly collected deadly nightlock berries. They discover "Foxface", District 5's female tribute, dead from eating what she assumed were edible berries from watching Peeta.

Crane then unleashes genetically modified beasts which kill Thresh and force Katniss, Peeta, and Cato - the last three survivors - onto the Cornucopia's roof. Cato gets Peeta in a headlock and uses him as a human shield against Katniss's bow. Peeta directs Katniss to shoot Cato's hand, enabling Peeta to throw him to the beasts below. Katniss kills him with an arrow to end his suffering.

Crane then revokes the rule change allowing two victors to win. Peeta urges Katniss to shoot him, but she convinces him to eat nightlock together. Just before they do, Crane hastily declares them co-victors. Afterward, Haymitch warns Katniss that she has made enemies through these acts of defiance. Snow has Crane locked in a room with nightlock berries, after which the wily President considers his next move.

CAST

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark

Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne

Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy

Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket

Lenny Kravitz as Cinna

Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman

Donald Sutherland as President Coriolanus Snow

Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane

Toby Jones as Claudius Templesmith

Alexander Ludwig as Cato

Isabelle Fuhrman as Clove

Amandla Stenberg as Rue

Jacqueline Emerson as Foxface

Jack Quaid as Marvel

Leven Rambin as Glimmer

Dayo Okeniyi as Thresh

Willow Shields as Primrose Everdeen

Paula Malcomson as Mrs Everdeen

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

based on Suzanne Collins's 2008 novel of the same name. It is the first installment in The Hunger Games film series