The Hunger Games is not a perfect beginning as a YA adaptation but it is certainly an entertaining flick and a star-making showcase for Jennifer Lawrence. This UHD/BD release from Lionsgate offers a nice video upgrade but not night and day while the features are all on the UHD disc.
The Hunger Games
(2012)
Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Science Fiction
Lionsgate | PG13 – 142 min. – $29.99 | November 8, 2016
Date Published: 11/08/2016 | Author: The Movieman
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THE MOVIE — 3.75/5 |
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Plot Synopsis: Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen (JENNFIER LAWRENCE) volunteers in her young sister’s place and must rely upon her sharp instincts when she’s pitted against highly trained Tributes who have prepared their entire lives. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love. Quick Hit Review: Although the Twilight Saga really began the onslaught of the Young Adult adaptations, The Hunger Games took it to another stratosphere raking in nearly $700M worldwide (the franchise on the whole made close to $3 billion worldwide). Even though this first entry was hardly perfect, I found it entertaining and it does a nice job setting up this universe as well as the ensemble cast led by a then relatively new talent in Jennifer Lawrence (this came out a year after X-Men: First Class). |
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.5/5 |
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This release comes with a semi-glossy slip cover. Inside is the original Blu-ray Copy and a redemption code for the Digital HD copy. Please note, these features are only available on the UHD disc. Audio Commentary – Editor Stephen Mirrione, Visual Effects Supervisor Sheena Duggal, and Supervising Sound Editor Lon Bender. From what I can tell, this is a new track and exclusive to the UHD format. Game Maker: Suzanne Collins and The Hunger Games Phenomenon (14:05; HD) is a featurette covering the worldwide popularity of the novel-turned-franchise. The World is Watching: Making The Hunger Games (2:02:00; HD) is an extensive, 8-part, behind-the-scenes featurette with cast and crew interviews. Letters from the Rose Garden (9:08; HD) is a featurette centered on Sutherland’s President Snow’s character and his letter to the filmmakers. |
UHD VIDEO – 4.5/5 |
| The Hunger Games arrives on the new(ish) 4K UHD format presented in its original 2.40 widescreen aspect ratio and given a 2160p ultra-high definition transfer (HEVC codec). It’s by no means a bad looking transfer as detail does look sharp throughout while colors are generally vivid even within this dystopian future setting. All that said, I can’t say this is significantly better than its Blu-ray counterpart. |
AUDIO – 5.0/5 |
| The disc comes with a strong and nicely robust Dolby Atmos track (outputs TrueHD 7.1 for older systems) and it’s an OK improvement over the Blu-ray’s DTS-HD MA 7.1 track. This one features a bit more depth and includes clean dialogue levels but when the action picks up, so does this track, the LFE kicking in for extra measure and each and every channel being utilized to its fullest extent. |
OVERALL – 3.5/5 |
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Overall, The Hunger Games is not a perfect beginning as a YA adaptation but it is certainly an entertaining flick and a star-making showcase for Jennifer Lawrence. This UHD/BD release from Lionsgate offers a nice video upgrade but not night and day while the features are all on the UHD disc. |