Film: The Hunger Games (12A)

Director: Gary Ross

Based on the bestselling books by Suzanne Collins, this is a much-loved franchise with a lot to live up to. Not dissimilar to the story of 1980s flick The Running?Man, this tells of a futuristic time in which true life and death gladiatorial games dominate the entertainment arena.

The difference between this and Arnie’s effort from the ‘80s is that it involves children and is a deliberate annual event to keep the people of the defeated zones, after a long passed revolution, in their place. The children (drawn randomly from a lottery of those age eligible and with two from each zones) are made to fight to the death in a specially built area, for a prize of unquantifiable wealth for the sole surviving winner and their family. Quite a rescue from the poverty these defeated zones have been left in.

Jennifer Lawrence (X-Men: First Class) plays Katniss Everdeen, first class poacher and main provider for her family since the death of her father in the mines. When her younger sister Primrose is drawn from the lottery for the hunger games Katniss steps forward to take her place, an unprecedented occurrence and one that starts her on a very deadly path, both personally and, as it turns out, politically. Also starring Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci, Wes Bentley, Lenny Kravitz and Donald Sutherland.

Released Friday 23 March
Showing at Odeon and Cineworld