'The Hunger Games' DVD Satisfies Our Appetite For More

Fans began pre-ordering copies of The Hunger Games in late May, but it wasn't until August 18 that Lionsgate released the anticipated Blu-ray and DVD editions. It was the studio's largest home entertainment release ever, selling nearly four million copies in its first week alone, with nearly a third of those coming from Blu-ray sales. For any die-hard fan, it was no doubt worth the wait.

The two-disc Blu-ray edition includes both the feature film with a digital copy and a second disc with over three hours of bonus features. These features include an eight-part documentary “The World is Watching: Making The Hunger Games,” a feature from the author of the book series “Game Maker: Suzanne Collins and The Hunger Games Phenomenon,” “Letters from the Rose Garden” in which Donald Sutherland talks about how he prepared for his role as President Coriolanus Snow, an inside look at how the control center in the film was constructed in “Controlling the Games,” “A Conversation with Gary Ross and Elvis Mitchell,” the full Capitol propaganda film and the marketing archive. The Blu-ray edition also includes “Preparing for the Games: A Director’s Process,” which features an exclusive look into how three scenes from the book were translated to the screen.

The film, based on the first book in the immensely popular Suzanne Collins trilogy, is set in a future where North America has been divided into 12 Districts. Every year a youth from each district is sent to compete in “The Hunger Games,” a fight to the death implemented as punishment for a past uprising by the 12 Districts
against the head state, the Capitol. The film then follows the efforts of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and the other 11 nominees as they prepare for, and eventually compete in, the games.

The Hunger Games received critical praise to match its commercial success of over $600 million in grosses worldwide. Lawrence was noted for her spot-on portrayal as Katniss Everdeen, backed by a strong cast that features Woody Harrelson, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland, along with up-and-comers Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth. Not surprisingly, the strong directorial effort by Gary Ross has already garnered Oscar buzz as a potential best-picture nominee.

The Blu-ray edition will tide fans over until the sequel, The Hunger Games Catching Fire, is released in November 2013.

Article by Hal Sundt