My first movie in 5 years!

Rating: 8/10 (24 March 2012)

First of all I am a cheap skate with a 4 year old, and I haven't been to the theater in 5 years. I waited more than a year for this film after I read all 3 books in the series in one week when I first bought my Kindle Christmas of 2010.
True, the movie doesn't develop the characters' relationships as well as the novel does, but what can you expect for a 2 hour and 20 minute film? It would have been better if AMC had developed a year long novella for book one alone. You don't really get to see the depth of Katniss and Gale's relationship and the romantic tension that was in the book. Same goes for the angst and romantic tension that Katniss and Peeta shared for days in that cave. Oh, well. The relationship between Katniss and Rue was rather abbreviated also, but the emotion of the death scene was so powerful that I was choking on my tears and trying to keep quiet.
I have to admit that I have never seen a Harry Potter or Twilight film in full. I have either fallen asleep or simply changed the channel. I have never been able to get into those films ever, especially Twilight with their cheesy plots, corny romance, and terrible make-up and lighting. I did catch the last Twilight film, and fast forwarded most of that movie.
I liked this movie because it did highlight the main points in the book, but in order to showcase the characters and their relationships they would have had to make a 6 hour movie, which would have been impossible. My husband also read book 1, and was riveted by it and both of us are not really readers. He was disappointed in that there were no guts and glory as he's a 53 year man and ex-killing machine by way of the U.S. Army so he would have given the film a 6. However, I thought the actual killing scenes were adequate enough without all the gruesome guts and blood. The last fight scene should have been more climatic as it was in the book.
The overall look of the film was rather colorless and dreary. Reminded me of Twilight and the Potter films. Didn't like it. I expected District 12 to be cloudy, drab, and colorless as it was portrayed in the film, but when they got to the scenes of the Capitol, I expected more vibrant colors. There were too many purples. Should have been more greens, oranges, blues, and reds. More primary colors and more sunny days. Same for the scenes in the open fields during the games. I wanted to experience the hard sweat and heat of the day that I imagined as I was in when reading the book. I am tired of colorless films. Real life has sunny blue skies, movie directors! Last movie I saw that portrayed the beauty of sunny days and heat was the Rum Diary with Johnny Depp. Even the last Star Wars movie with Natalie Portman had more color and beauty.
In the book, Cinna was alive and flamboyant. Lenny Kravitz was a huge fail. When I imagined Cinna when I was reading, I always pictured someone big and cheerful like Sam Champion, the weather guy from Good Morning America. Kravitz was dull and lifeless. Johnny Depp would have been perfect in a cameo role! What were the casting directors thinking? And what happened to President Snow? He's supposed to cry bloody tears? I like Sutherland, but a more sadistic looking actor and someone whom I always envisioned to play Snow would have been Malcolm McDowell who is totally creepy in a good way.
The casting of Katniss and Peeta was perfect. Jennifer Lawrence is like a young Renee Zelwegger. She doesn't have to say much, but every look conveys what she is feeling. I wasn't so sure about Josh Hutcherson, and had read that Alex Pettfer was being considered for Peeta, but Josh did an excellent job and comes off more likable and amiable than Katniss as it was in the book where you end up actually rooting for him rather than the handsome and studly Gale in books 2 and 3.
All in all, very satisfied with Suzanne Collins' film adaption, and can't wait for the 2nd and 3rd installments. I am expecting the second film to be very political and civil war-ish as the books, which I won't be looking forward to as much. However, the 3rd installment I am excited for and hoping that they really showcase the angst and love that Katniss has for Peeta. I hope movie two really emphasizes the unrequited love that Peeta has for Katniss. Hey, after all I am still a female.
Anyway loved the film, but loved the books more. I was shocked and a little embarrassed that I had fallen in love with the Hunger Games Trilogy after finding out it was in the children's' section. I hadn't read any type of book since finishing grad school 13 years ago. Makes me want to read another trilogy again! I was so excited to find out shortly after reading the Collins' trilogy a movie was being made that I wanted to travel from D.C. to North Carolina to check out the scene like a teeny bopper! Can't wait for the 2nd film.