The Hunger Games? Discuss

To the cinema for The Hunger Games.

What a film! A rom-com roller-coaster! Fun and laughter from the word go! A must-see!

That's what I didn't tell Squirrel to get her in the cinema. With her, I set about managing expectations. I laid it out fair, that this was a film of implied peril, menace and threat, interspersed with death and reality TV. But it would be useful. It will set us thinking hard about the rules by which a society works.

I said it like that, in italics. That was a mistake. But then I compounded the error with my stupid clockwork mouth, by bullet pointing techniques used by a ruling elite to suppress dissent, deflect criticism, disguise naked power and maintain social order.

By the time I got to Foucault and opened that opportunity to explore the fringes of social theory, re conspiracy of mind control and world domination, her eyes had glazed over.

Then I said, Look, I've got the tickets now! There might be dragon in it after all. I'll cook your favourite dinner and open the tinned peaches. And on the plus side, I hear the violence is not all mindless! 

It did no good. I could only bring her to consciousness by promising Madagascar 3.

No surprise, Squirrel was not impressed by The Hunger Games. Shark and Tiger thought it was alright, which I am counting to my side. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and resolved to buy the books as soon as they hit the charity bookshop.

So the upshot is, I fully recommend The Hunger Games for any socially aware 12+ who can discuss the rules of reality TV. But for one that likes stories about dragons? Not so much.

Now I hope there's not an unending set of sequels, so it ends up like the wretched Twilight.

And due thanks to National Schools Film Week, from the bolshy parent wing.