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Reel World Reality A ministry of the ChildCare Action Project: Christian Analysis of American Culture (CAP Ministry) A 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Christian Ministry. www.capalert.com/ Entertainment Media Analysis Report A service to His little ones through you in His name by His Word MAR2012.036  (2012), PG-13 [PG-13*] (132.7min) The #1 Christian entertainment media analysis service on the Internet. We give you OBJECTIVE tools NO ONE ELSE CAN to help YOU make an informed decision for yourself whether a film is fit for your family. Over 1300 analyses for parents, grandparents, pastors, youth leaders and more. |
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(While the Scriptural references are certainly not subjective, my commentary may be and sometimes is somewhat subjective.)
 Cast/Crew Details Courtesy Internet Movie Database Production (US): Color Force, Larger Than Life Productions, Lionsgate, Ludas Productions Distribution (US): Lionsgate Director(s): Gary Ross Producer(s): Diana Alvarez, Robin Bissell, Suzanne Collins, Chantal Feghali, Nina Jacobson, Jon Kilik, Louis Phillips, Aldric La'auli Porter, Louise Rosner, Bryan Unkeless Screenplay by: Gary Ross, Suzanne Collins, Billy Ray Cinematography/Camera: Tom Stern Music: James Newton Howard Film Editing: Christopher S. Capp, Stephen Mirrione, Juliette Welfling Casting: Debra Zane Production Design: Philip Messina Art Direction: John Collins Viewed at Showbiz Cinemas When I got up out of the chair at the theater I was so certain that The Hunger Games was going to be another R-13, another hard R-13. But the CAP Analysis Model proved me wrong ...again. The film earned a final score of 56 which is one point above the bottom of the scoring range earned by PG-13 films in the comparative baseline database (67 to 55 out of 100) but in the PG-13 scoring range nonetheless. What I think of a film does not matter to the CAP Analysis Model. The Wanton Violence/Crime (W) and the Impudence/Hate (I) content investigation areas certainly found content to be R-equivalent but the other four investigation areas (S, D, O, M) found content to each be PG- or G-equivalent. I cannot imagine this film has been hailed as the number one film in the world let alone in America. It is about kids killing kids for the enjoyment of the populace. Does so many lauding and embracing such entertainment say something? Jesus, come quickly! Panem is a future North American dystopian totalitarian nation where the "government" controls life for the citizens. The current regime is the fallout of widespread war and destruction waged by the citizens. At least life in post-apocalyptic Panem is peaceful ... so to speak. Panem has been divided into 12 Districts and the Capitol. Death games known as The Hunger Games have become annual amusement as punishment for the rebellion. Two young people, one boy and one girl from the ages of 12 to 18 years old from each District are selected by lottery each year to participate in the nationally televised Hunger Games. The 24 young people participate in the games but only one survives. All Panemians are forced to watch the games as each of the 24 participants do whatever they can to eliminate the other 23 participants before being killed by one of them. The game is to the death. It is kids killing kids. All for the entertainment of the "Big Brother" Capitol. District 12 residents 16 year old Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and her 12 year old sister, Primrose (Willow Shields) have no father due to a mine disaster and mom has become emotional cardboard because of it. Now that Prim is 12 years old the names of both Prim and Katniss have been placed in the lottery bowl. Each of the girls now stands a chance of being one of the 24 participants in the 74th Annual Hunger Games. Why did the writers call the death games The Hunger Games? Your guess is as good as mine but I suspect it is because of the "hunger" (lust) exhibited for the killing in the games. At the Reaping (the selection of the participants by lottery), Prim's name is drawn as one of the two tributes from District 12. Knowing Prim would die in the games Katniss could not let Prim participate in the games so Katniss volunteered to take Prim's place. Katniss' counterpart tribute from District 12 is a baker's son, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). Both are taken to the Capitol and pampered with richness as they prepare ... to die. Now the pair of tributes from District 12 is a miner's daughter and a baker's son. While Katniss is well skilled at hunting and Peeta is unusually strong, chances are that the tributes from other Districts who have been training for The Hunger Games all their lives will have no mercy for Katniss or Peeta. There is, of course, much more to the plot and story and the caliber of the performers, particularly Lawrence were, for the most part, at least as good as seasoned professionals, but I was rather dismayed at the content of kids killing kids and do not wish to overly glorify this film with a detailed plot summary. As if such a society could happen. Though The Hunger Games is a 2012 film and not a 1984 film, it may be saying much the same thing. Your thoughts? I would be particularly interested in hearing from our readers whether the theme of this show might be a foreshadowing of life to come and why so many all over the world embrace this caliber of "entertainment." Following are brief discussions of the content per individual content investigation area. As always the Findings section of this report, the heart of the CAP Analysis Model, is the best source for discovering the full accounting of the content of this film. Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 Some of the killings in this movie are of the caliber of blood-splatter video games ... and they are of young children. Such content is dense enough to clearly be R-equivalent. Indeed, the entire theme of this show is killing -- kids killing kids. In fact, the density of violence in this film is far too extensive to try to discuss it in summary here. Please inspect closely the listing in the Findings section for a full accounting of the violence content. As if God's Word admonishing us against violence is no more than someone's sidebar note on a chalkboard or the ranting of someone's overactive imagination, violence is treated by the entertainment industry as a narcotic, feeding it to us over and over again, more and more extreme each year. God knew of our earthly nature of coveting violence and warned us of it more than 50 times from the Old Testament to the New Testament. One verse in particular that addresses the issue well is Proverb 16:29. In it God warns that violence is "catching": that violence can lead one into the path that is not good. And strangely enough, about 2000 years after God "published His Findings" man did likewise by four professional public health agencies warning that violence in and as entertainment can, among other things, lead the viewer, especially the young, to real life violence and can cause the viewer to believe violence is an effective way to settle conflict. Impudence/Hate (I) - 2 out of 100 The profanity content of this film is atypical of most PG-13 films. There were only five uses of the three/four letter word vocabulary (four of them by teens) and none of the most foul of the foul words. The most evident property of the content of The Hunger Games that applies to this content investigation area is the concupiscence (hunger/lust to do so) for killing. Not only did individual characters portray lust for killing, entire populations did also. [1 Thess. 4:4 - 5, 1 Cor. 6:10] Sexual Immorality (S) - 95 out of 100 This film is refreshingly lite for a PG-13 in sexually immoral behavior and imagery. The only matters applicable to this investigation area in the entire 132.7 minutes of the show were a girl in a bathtub and a camera angle/pose to force the viewer on private parts. Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 70 out of 100 This PG-13 film for adolescents presents drinking of alcoholic beverages and drunkenness. A 2002 study by the ACP revealed that adolescent exposure to drinking in and as entertainment undeniably leads to abuse of alcohol among underage viewers. The report entitled Relation Between Parental Restrictions on Movies and Adolescent Use of Tobacco and Alcohol reports that of 4544 youths from grades 5 through 8 of fifteen Vermont and New Hampshire middle schools (90% of the youths were under fourteen years old) only 16% were completely restricted in their entertainment diets. Within the ACP study population, the prevalence of having tried alcohol without parental knowledge was There is nothing to say that viewing smoking in and as entertainment does not carry the same danger of influence as viewing drinking. Actually, the same matter of behavior modification applies to any behavior demonstrated in and as entertainment, including good behavior. Offense to God (O) - 85 out of 100 There are three abuses of God's name in this film. Each is without the four letter expletive sometimes typical of PG-13 films but each is abuse of His name nonetheless. And each is by a teen. [Deut. 5:11] Murder/Suicide (M) - 85 out of 100 There are many hideous killings in this film but most of them are defensive killings to prevent being killed, which are hardly murder. However, some of the killings are clearly murder. So, there are not only several defensive killings (which were incorporated into the scoring by the Wanton Violence/Crime content investigation area) there are murders as well. It is a killing movie. SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION(S) If needed to focus or fortify, applicable text is underlined or bracketed [ ] or bold. If you wish to have full context available, the Blue Letter Bible is a convenient source. If you use the Blue Letter Bible, a new window will open. Close it to return here or use "Window" in your browser's menu bar to alternate between the CAP page and the Blue Letter Bible page. CHAPTER/VERSE --> Children who see a lot of violence are more likely to view violence as an effective way of settling conflicts. Children exposed to violence are more likely to assume the acts of violence are acceptable behavior. --> Viewing violence can lead to emotional desensitization towards violence in real life. It can decease the likelihood that one will take action on behalf of a victim when violence occurs. --> Entertainment violence feeds a perception that the world is a violent and mean place. Viewing violence increases fear of becoming a victim of violence, with a resultant increase in self-protective behavior and a mistrust of others. --> Viewing violence may lead to real life violence. Children exposed to violent programming at a young age have a higher tendency for violent and aggressive behavior later in life than children who are not so exposed. Further, God speaks darkly of violence 56 times in the Old and New Testament of the KJV.] As always, it is best to refer to the Findings/Scoring section -- the heart of the CAP analysis model -- for the most complete assessment possible of this movie. |
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(The objective heart of the CAP Analysis Model, independent of and insulated from the Summary / Commentary section.)   Wanton Violence/Crime (W) - Zero out of 100 Impudence/Hate (I) - 2 out of 100 Sexual Immorality (S) - 95 out of 100 Drugs/Alcohol (D) - 70 out of 100 Offense to God (O) - 85 out of 100 Murder/Suicide (M) - 85 out of 100 |
| There are some in the entertainment industry who maintain that 1) violent programming is harmless because no studies exist that prove a connection between violent entertainment and aggressive behavior in children, and 2) young people know that television, movies, and video games are simply fantasy. Unfortunately, they are wrong on both accounts." And "Viewing violence may lead to real life violence." I applaud these associations for fortifying 1 Cor. 15:33. Read the rest of the story. From our years of study, I contend that other aberrant behaviors, attitudes, and expressions can be inserted in place of "violence" in that statement. Our Director - Child Psychology Support, a licensed psychologist and certified school psychologist concurs. For example, "Viewing arrogance against fair authority may lead to your kids defying you in real life." Or "Viewing sex may lead to sex in real life." Likewise and especially with impudence, hate and foul language. I further contend that any positive behavior can be inserted in place of "violence" with the same chance or likelihood of being a behavior template for the observer; of being incorporated into the behavior mechanics and/or coping skills of the observer. In choosing your entertainment, please consider carefully the "rest of the story" and our findings. |
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| For G rated Films with G equivalence: G PG equivalence: PG-G PG-13 equivalence: 13-G R equivalence: R-G< | For PG rated Films with G equivalence: G-PG PG equivalence: PG PG-13 equivalence: 13-PG R equivalence: R-PG | For PG-13 rated Films with G equivalence: G-13 PG equivalence: PG(13) PG-13 equivalence: PG-13 R equivalence: R-13 | For R rated Films with G equivalence: G-R PG equivalence: PG-R PG-13 equivalence: 13-R R equivalence: R | For NR rated Films with G equivalence: G-NR PG equivalence: PG-NR PG-13 equivalence: 13-NR R equivalence: R-NR |
