The Hunger Games

Another director may have exploited the extreme kid-on-kid violence that fills the pages of "The Hunger Games." But Gary Ross adeptly plays it down in his film adaptation, instead focusing on the sheer horror and emotional toll of such barbarism. The film plays out from the point of view of Katniss, an archer and overall skilled survivalist played expertly by Jennifer Lawrence. She owns the role, able to convey with a simple glance extreme stress, deep concentration, and visceral anger. The brilliance of "Games" is truly in what it isn't: a "Rambo"-esque bloodbath of a spectacle, as is the similarly themed 2000 Japanese film "Battle Royale" (also based on a book). When the games start, Ross cuts all dialogue, simply showing shaky flashes of the carnage as a delicate score plays, setting the viewer at the center of the action. It is light, deliberate touches like these throughout the film that give each character their humanity, allowing moviegoers to share in the horror when they are unjustly killed and celebrate when just a few survive.

Katniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to compete.

Director: Gary Ross

Writers: Gary Ross (screenplay), Suzanne Collins(screenplay),

Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth