3 stars out of 4 -- "THE HUNGER GAMES is an effective entertainment, and Jennifer Lawrence is strong and convincing in the central role.
Wall Street Journal - Roger Ebert (03/20/2012)
"At the center of things most of the time, Lawrence remains compelling all the way. As in WINTER'S BONE, she's onscreen alone, or nearly so, a great deal, and she holds one's attention unselfconsciously..."
Hollywood Reporter - John McCarthy (03/15/2012)
4.5 stars out of 5 -- "As action, as allegory, as cinema, THE HUNGER GAMES is the best American science-fiction film since THE MATRIX..."
Box Office (03/16/2012)
3 stars out of 4 -- "HUNGER GAMES radiates a hot, jumpy energy that's irresistible. It has epic spectacle, yearning romance, suspense that won't quit an a shining star in Jennifer Lawrence..."
Rolling Stone - Peter Travers (04/12/2012)
"[Ross] does his strongest work in the early scenes, which set up the stakes with chilling efficiency."
A.V. Club - Scott Tobias (03/22/2012)
"There’s action here...and a great deal of vitality that feels true both to the spirit of Collins’ book and to the idea of movie entertainment..."
Movieline - Stephanie Zacharek (03/20/2012)
"An actress who specializes in combining formidable strength of will with convincing vulnerability, Lawrence is the key factor in making HUNGER GAMES an involving popular entertainment with strong narrative drive..."
Los Angeles Times - Kenneth Turan (03/21/2012)
3 stars out of 4 -- "GAMES shines brightest in its choice for 16-year-old heroine Katniss Everdeen, played with a beautiful steeliness by Jennifer Lawrence....The action is brisk, the acting is solid, and barring an unlikely failure at the box office, a franchise is born."
USA Today - Scott Bowles (03/23/2012)
"[A] triumph of restraint....Lawrence brings an intense conviction to the role..."
Sight and Sound - Anton Bitel (05/01/2012)
4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]he grit, gravity and empathy on display fuse into something fresh....THE HUNGER GAMES finds new ways to play."
Total Film - Matthew Leyland (06/01/2012)
"This HUNGER GAMES is a muscular, honorable, unflinching translation of Collins' vision." -- Grade: A-
Entertainment Weekly - Lisa Schwarzbaum (03/30/2012)