Trailer Talk: 'The Hunger Games'

But … but … where are the shirtless young men and white-faced heartthrobs?

“The Hunger Games,” Hollywood’s latest attempt to turn a young adult book series into a franchise, won’t hit theaters until March 2012. But the film’s new trailer offers some hints about the wannabe blockbuster.

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Jennifer Lawrence, so good in both “Winter’s Bone” and “X-Men: First Class,” stars as a woman chosen to compete in a ghoulish competition set up by a power-hungry government. It’s a futuristic yarn where citizens yearn to break free from their oppressive regime.

The trailer doesn’t give us much in the way of political commentary, and it’s doubtful the minds behind the movie have anything but “Twilight”-esque box office figures in mind.

The trailer doesn’t give us much to chew on, period. The science fiction elements feel flat, as if they were cribbed from a bad SyFy original series. And good luck finding any romantic sparks between the main characters.

The source material’s clout may still be enough to draw a crowd on opening weekend. I never thought I’d miss Robert Pattinson or Taylor Lautner, but either “Twilight” regular could give these “Games” a boost.