Good popcorn movie but falls flat in several aspects

Rating: 6/10 (31 March 2012)

I confess I never read the books this film is based on. I also did not read any reviews before stepping into the theater and I was concerned whether this was a movie solely directed to teens or adults like me would also enjoy it.
What really called my attention was the outstanding box office in its first weekend. In short, I came into the theater without high expectations as most of the people who read the books had.
At the end, I left with mixed feelings:
I think the movie counts with great photography (although I hate the shaky camera trend), costumes, good performance by the veteran actors like Donald Sutherland and the Sugar Monster Lady, and a good surprise with the young leading actress. And finally, a nice way to show a dark, hopeless future and a warning to the descending spiral we have been taking with the reality shows.
What is bad? First, the pace was too slow in the first half of the movie. You would imagine they do it on purpose to allow character development, but the feeling is they fall flat. Little we learn about the district 12 boy (Peeta), the past of the main characters like Woody Harrelson's and how the country got to that situation.
Second, not sure if either the Peeta character is bad or the actor did a bad job, but he comes across very weak, and the girl is definitely who wears the pants in the relationship.
Third, the fights sequences had no suspense at all. Immediate kills without leaving the audience at the edge of the seats.
Fourth,the plot: So, the idea of the government is to have the Hunger Games as a way to avoid riots by the masses? Really? After 49 years knowing that every year a friend or relative will be executed in national TV? Isn't this enough to start a riot?
Fifth, the Cato character is not developed at all - spectators are not really led to dislike him, he reminded me the bad high school guy in the first Karate Kid movie. By the way, shouldn't the lead actress be looking less healthy/hot for someone who did not even had bread to eat?
Finally, the feeling is that the book is much darker than what we saw on the screen, and the producers wanted to lighten it up and get PG13 rating to boos audience. That leaves the movie suitable only for teenagers at most.
All in all, a reasonable popcorn movie. Given the outstanding box office though, I would not expect them to change the formula for the other two coming. A real shame given the success of the books.