The Hunger Games: Movie Review

"The World Will be Watching"

Katness Everdeen just tries to make it day by day illegally hunting in the woods outside her district with her friend Gale. But when her sister is chosen as tribute for the Capital's Hunger Games, she volunteers to take her place in the game where she will have to fight to the death against other teens. Katness and Peeta, the fellow tribute from her district, will have to learn how to survive and fight with all they have if they hope to come out of the arena alive.

The movie was good and pretty accurate to the book (always a plus). I saw it at a midnight showing with my cousin which was fun and exciting. Even though it was good, there were a couple of things I didn't like. First, when filming, more often then not, the camera was bouncing, which made things hard to see. That was fine with me when there was killing  because it seemed to make it less graphic (there was only really one gruesome death in the movie but that is kinda expected with the whole "fight to the death" idea) but got annoyed when Katness was running through the woods and it was hard to see. The bouncing happened so much I had a headache by the time the movie was over (but the head ache could also have been I was up all day and it was just catching up to me). Second, they added things that were not in the book. You were given the chance to leave the games and see what was happening in District 12, the gamemaker's room, President Snow, and Haymitch during the games. These were cool but not all were needed and I felt they were taking things that might be discovered in the following books. This also leaves me with my last point, some scenes seemed like they went by too fast. I felt like I didn't get to spend enough time in parts where I would have liked more time like when Katness was with Rue. This problem could have been solved, I believe, if those extra sense had been taken out.

Okay, enough complaints, rights? It was good and the acting well done. Katness was the same determined, fighting, caring person she was in the book. She didn't seem as tough in some parts as she did in the book early on but, once in the game, she was great. Peeta was perfect. He seemed just like the Peeta from the book but just a little tougher at times. The other characters were well played and were also how they were in the book. The Capital people were quite "colorful" or as my cousin called them, "skittles."

Again, it was a pretty good movie. If you talked to my cousin, she would say they did an excellent job and was completely pleased so we all have our own opinions which is fine. I am probably just being picky. Anyways, if the made book 2, Catching Fire, is made into a movie, I would go see it. Even the midnight showing.

UPDATE: Upon watching it again after the DVD release, I found I didn't have many of the issues as I did before. No headache, didn't notice the bouncing as much, and was entertained and satisfied with how the movie was done. I am now looking foreward to receiving this movie as a birthday gift from my sister :).

Thanks for reading and Happy Hunger Games. May the odds be ever in your favor. :)
Links - Movie Website

Book Review - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
                         Catching Fire, Review
                         Mockingjay, Review - Coming Soon

Trailor -

Updated - March 25, 2012, August 23, 2012