As a stand-alone film, this is really good stuff

Rating: 8/10 (13 December 2015)

Forget the sequels, which are cluttered and ridiculous. This first film is pretty good as a stand-alone story, and perhaps the author should have left it at that. Lawrence is very good at being vulnerable and defiant at the same time, and the visuals in the film are good at bringing Panem to life.
The film is mostly exposition, as it has to explain so much to the viewers that haven't read the books—and that's fine. The actual "Games" themselves don't take up much time in the film and are a little underwhelming. But as a "kids" movie, perhaps it's best to limit the violence and gore, right?
You actually care about these main characters, because the acting is well done. You invest in Jennifer Lawrence and even Woody Harrelson, so their fates matter to you in the end.
As noted earlier, they should have stopped with the series right here, on artistic merit. Everything that follows is contrived, convoluted and disappointing.