With (mostly) positive word running rampant for “The Hunger Games” all throughout the Twittersphere and reviews flooding in daily (including our own, which called it “thoughtful, thrilling populist entertainment that genuinely deserves to be a franchise”) it’s a wonder that Lionsgate would put any more effort into selling this picture that appears to be a surefire box office smash.
In what we’d imagine is one of the last clips to hit the net before its release this Friday, we see characters Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) in a scene that’s been the centerpiece of many of the early trailers, involving Gale’s attempt to comfort Katniss after she’s offers herself up in lieu of her younger sister to compete in the deadly titular tournament. Everything seems to be on par here, with Lawrence continuing to be one of the reasons why this writer had some faith in the cinematic adaptation of Suzanne Collins' novel being more “Harry Potter” than “Twilight," with Hemsworth proving he has all the brawniness and heartthrob appeal those teenage girls will swoon over. Amidst all the box office success of “The Lorax,” “21 Jump Street,” and soon this, it’s really beginning to feel like summer at the megaplexes.
“The Hunger Games” arrives in theaters this Friday, March 23, but you already knew that. But what you might not know is that "The Hungry Games" is also here, offering up a different interpretation of Collins' beloved novels — you can watch that below as well. [Moviefone/Yahoo]
