The first scene grabs your attention: It has a promise of substance and it's not your typically manufactured eye-candy popcorn movie.

Rating: 6/10 (9 May 2013)

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
Story/plot/characters are underdeveloped, but then again so is the book.
There are some scenes (like the parade of the tributes) which felt like crappy CGI work. But I decided it's just part of the dystopian look, and i let it go.
The relationship of Katniss and Rue is also underdeveloped that it made Katniss' reaction seem unbelievable. That partnership in the book was one of the more important highlights for me, and I didn't see that in the movie. Disappointing.
While it's okay for the book to have only mild violence, it's different when it comes to movies especially if you packaged it as an action sci fi movie. Audiences will expect violence, fast-paced action, and a bit more blood and gore. But they're kids so I guess the tone-down is a must. I appreciate that the movie pretty much stayed close to the book, but they could have turn this average novel into something substantial and kick-ass. They didn't. What a shame. What they did is they adapted an average book with a somewhat unique plot into a mildly interesting average movie with a somewhat unique plot.
THE VERDICT:
The cast and the visuals categorized this movie as a somewhat serious dystopian sci-fi flick, but it retains the Young Adult feel of the story. The plot is not something to boast about and I blame that on the writers (the author and director both wrote the screenplay) for sloppily handling it. 2 hours and 20 minutes is more than enough to infuse some substance and they didn't do much about it. But i did enjoy it, it's fast-paced enough albeit lacking in action, and the cast gave this movie spine.
MY RATING: 3/5 - I enjoyed it. Although I'm not sure if the reason why I enjoyed it is because I read the book - seeing the scenes/narratives come to life was part of the entertainment I got.