The Hunger Games, directed by Gary Ross, tells the tale of a post-Civil War II United States, now called Panem, broken up into 12 Districts, and ruled over with an iron fist by a very beardy Donald Sutherland. As punishment for getting all uppity the 12 Districts (the unfortunate losers of Civil War II) are forced to send 24 children (two from each district) between the ages of 12 and 18 to the Hunger Games, where they will battle each other to the death. The story begins as a very weary Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) treads through her downtrodden District 12, a broken down mining community where the spirits are as black as the coal. The audience bares witness to The Reaping, a lottery of sorts where the unfortunate children are chosen. And that's where the tale begins. The success or failure of The Hunger Games rests squarely on Katniss' shoulders. More specifically, it rests on Jennifer Lawrence's ability to pull off a great performance. So does she?
