OK, but nicked wholesale from elsewhere

Rating: 7/10 (11 April 2014)

In post-apocalyptic Chicago, the Sorting Hat puts Katniss Everdeen in Slytherin, not Griffindor.
This film, which appeared in the UK with no pre-publicity at all, no trailers, nothing, is apparently based on the first of a trilogy of Young Adult novels, which is curious for what is clearly - given cast and production values - a Major Motion Picture.
The good news is that it is quite nicely realised - a good budget, solid production values on screen (some nice eye candy), good and well-delivered action, a strong cast, and a pleasing central performance from Shailene Woodley as Katniss. Sorry, "Triss".
The bad news is that is so busy trying to emulate the Hunger Games and Harry Potter transposed into a cookie-cutter post-apocalyptic dystopian scenario that it often forgets to be its own thing. I know my synopsis above was somewhat sarcastic, but I honestly sat there thinking "This bit's from Hunger Games. This bit's from Harry Potter. Oh, Hunger Games again." This is a very derivative piece which hasn't worked hard enough to forge its own identity (or hide its sources, if the two are not the same). Which may explain the lack of publicity.
Oh, and the fictional status quo of the five factions-based society (this film's version of The Hunger Games' Panem) makes little sense when examined closely, and raises more questions than it answers. Someone didn't think things through.
So my verdict is that it is somewhat dumb, overfamiliar with its sources, but not unenjoyable.