In this installment of Chick Flicks Ruin the World, we are diving into a world of thievery. I was obligated to watch the Hunger Games over the weekend, and I have never seen the straight theft of a plot more obvious than this in a long time.

The premise behind this estrogen avalanche? It is in the future and there is an uprising. The plebs of the uprising lost to a central government. The central government decides as punishment to have two from each district be selected to a death match that only one can win, and the winner gets freedom, riches, and such. It took me a minute to figure out where I have heard this plot line before. First, I thinking of the Running Man with Arnold, but that was more game show-esque.

This film had pieces ike Running Man but with a more Truman Show spin on it. Then it hit me. the Hunger Games “borrowed” its plot from the iconic and legendary bad movie with Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Condemned.

The plot for Stone Cold’s movie? He was a selected for a TV show to fight to the death in this open board-game island and the winner gets their freedom. Wow. That’s all I can say. If Stone Cold was a lady (a pretty horrible thought to begin with) and you remove some of the romantic undertones, then the entire premise and the basic outcome are the same. It’s a direct shot across the bow of manliness. What’s next? Terminator with Alanis Morrisette going back in time to destroy music with extreme prejudice to stop the creation of Rock ‘n Roll?

Not missing too many meals,

H.M.M., Henry the Moose of Manliness