Blowing up in movie theaters this past weekend was “The Hunger Games,” an adaptation of the first book of the famous trilogy written by Suzanne Collins.

Buzz over the film has been brewing for weeks, one not being able to turn on the TV, listen to the radio, or go online without seeing some advertisement for it. Its promotion rivals that of “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” with an equally extreme fan bases.

The real question is, though, did the film live up to all its hype?

Fans certainly thought so as they flocked to theatres at midnight Thursday night to be the first to experience the talked about film.

The weekend in its entirety brought people of all ages to the theatre and astronomical opening weekend revenue reflects this notion.

The film raked in an astounding $155 million in ticket sales during the first weekend alone.It can be confidently stated that profits for the movie will only continue to increase as time passes. Only two movies ranked higher than “The Hunger Games” in ticket sales opening weekend: “The Dark Knight” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.”

The plot is definitely something out of the ordinary, an immediate catch for any film goer. Taking place in a futuristic nation called Panem, the setting is composed of 12 Districts.

Every year, the Hunger Games, a Gladiator-type competition that the whole nation watches like a televised reality show, takes place. The twist is, the ones risking their lives are children. Ranging from ages 12 to 18, one boy and one girl are taken from each District and forced to fight to survive, but only one will come out alive.

The Game’s existence is credited to a long ago rebellion started by the Districts against their corrupt government, the Capitol. The uprising failed and the Hunger Games were born.

The main character is Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, who volunteers to be her District’s girl tribute in place of her much younger sister. Chosen alongside her is Peeta Mellark, played by Josh Hutcherson.

Despite being categorized as a young adult drama, “The Hunger Games” proves to be mature beyond it years.

From the moment the film begins, the audience is presented with the bleak world Katniss lives in, where poverty is rampant and fear of the government is present at every moment. Characters are dressed in rags, never smiling and bartering items ranging from buttons to squirrels in order to survive.

As the film progresses, matters never improve. The scenery changes to that of the Capitol, a place that visibly boasts wealth, power and beauty, yet there is the instinctual impression that this place is just wrong. Here, people are wealthy and happy, feeding off of the milk of their corrupt government and blinded them from horrors that the government promotes.

Katniss and Peeta are constantly being applauded and congratulated, treated like movie stars, but the harsh, underlying truth is they have come to die.

After being prepped and interviewed, the game finally begins. And finally, if the point hasn’t already been made that this whole situation is just wrong, the horror that is the “Hunger Games” is finally shown.

The children turn on each other, viciously and without any hesitation, killing one another by whatever means possible.

Lawrence portrays Katniss masterly, channeling a young woman who does her best to survive in this desolate place while still keeping her morals in check. She is not a weak damsel in distress, but rather the take-charge heroine, wielding a bow and arrow and becoming one of the most formidable characters of the Games.

While she does what is necessary to survive, she does not turn heartless like the others, and even helps another Tribute while competing.

While it is certainly easy to adore Katniss, it might be hard to identify with her. Even before the Games, she is strong and resourceful, and is identified as one of the possible winners from the start.

Hutcherson’s character, Peeta, is more along the lines of ordinary. While he is quite strong and smart, he is more the ‘Average Joe’ of the Games, sometimes paling in comparison to Katniss.

But this is what makes his character so likeable. He is more relatable, and the audience can more readily put themselves in his shoes. Peeta makes himself more likeable too as he attempts to play the game by gaining support of viewers, pushing his personality out there while Katniss is more reserved.

And of course, there is the love-triangle storyline in the movie.

What makes this aspect so enticing is that it is a subplot of the film, one that doesn’t suffocate the audience at every turn.

There is a hint of infatuation between Katniss and another boy from District 12, Gale, but it is never able to grow because she leaves for the Capitol almost immediately in the film.

All romantic hope is then left to Katniss and Peeta, and it is only born as a ploy started by Peeta in attempts to make them look more favorable among viewers.

The line between acting and reality is beautifully blurred through the whole movie, continually leaving audiences wondering whether it is all really an act.

“The Hunger Games” proves itself to be a movie worthy of its books as well as movie worthy of the film world. It is enjoyable for all ages, mature enough for adults yet attractive to teens, with themes that never range near ridiculous or slow.

An all star cast doesn’t hurt either, with names such as Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland, gracing several scenes with lovable characters.

The film’s success can be credited to a combination of all these great aspects and it a sequel is soon to be in the works.