Could have been far better! Missed a lot of points then won some...

Rating: 6/10 (6 August 2012)

After reading the plot from IMDb, I actually thought this has some promise. Movies about dystopian future are generally very interesting because they tackle issues that currently pervades our present society but in an exaggerated manner. The story has a distinct point of view that is very much culturally relevant.
I tried hard to stop myself from reading the book before watching the movie because I wanted to keep an open mind. But halfway through the movie, I just realized that there's particularly missing in the movie. Something just doesn't add up. I don't get how a girl from extreme poverty would have the grace and restraint that Jennifer Lawrence is portraying. I just don't get the power of connection between Peeta and Katniss. It just didn't make any sense to me. Other characters, aside from Katniss, also seemed to be made out of cardboard and seemed to be placed just to define who Katniss is. Bottomline, there was no one I cared for in the movie except for Katniss. Which is weird. Even the impact of Rue's death was just a total miss.
Then I read the book and everything became clearer. Everything was more pronounced. Each character like Effie and Haymitch had depth and layers. There was so much in the book that I felt that should have been explored in the 140 minutes of the movie. I don't buy the idea that they had to leave out so much because there's only so much they can show in the movie. Surely, LA Confidential was able to achieve that, Lord of the Rings, To Kill a Mockingbird, No Country for Old Men, etc...
And of all the things they have to cut off, why leave out the back stories of the characters that will make them more "human" and realistic to the eyes of the audience. Why leave out the nuances of the characters that can ultimately define the character. Effie, Peeta, Haymitch and Rue were so multi-dimensional characters in the book that the movie just wasted the opportunity to give the film more depth and texture. Even the Katniss in the book was so different from the film. In the book, it was more believable that Katniss actually "feasted" on the food upon seeing it in the train whereas in the movie, she didn't even touch a thing. That actually shows character and where she came from. For crying out loud, she's from a place where she dreams of food everyday!!! And it's instances like that which actually makes the character more believable.
There were more things that the film that left out. There's one thing that the film made sure it hits right on target: Art Direction. However, it's all eye candy. Truly, a missed opportunity. And I'm just purely disappointed that this is coming from the same director that gave us "Pleasantville", one of my favorite films of all time which so cleverly discussed the themes of tolerance and finding oneself.
I suspect the studio had something to do with the direction and they wanted to go the commercial route. But cmon, The Hunger Games is a young adult novel and it successfully navigated through dark and adult themes, so why can't the movie? Surely, the market that was targeted by the book is the same market who will go see the movie.
Despite being disappointed by the initial serving, I hope it gets better on the next installment.
If you're thinking about watching the movie (who hasn't at this point in time?), go watch it but I highly encourage you read the book if you're left unsatisfied.