Enjoyable but not amazing

Rating: 6/10 (28 April 2012)

I'd like to start off by saying I've never read the books so obviously my judgment will differ from those who loved the books. I didn't think the film was brilliant, but I found it enjoyable and I was never bored. In fact, I felt myself getting quite emotionally invested in the characters. This was achieved through the fantastic acting by the cast. Jennifer Lawrence was outstanding. For example, friends who have read the book told me that she is supposed to be faking her love for Peeta, and I had actually gotten that impression out of her acting, even though its never explicitly said in the film. There were a few plot holes that didn't make sense to me and I would have liked to have had more of the back story about the rebellion etc, but I didn't find their absence detrimental to the storyline; i was still able to understand what was going on. I have read a lot of reviews about shaky camera work, but I honestly didn't even notice, and I am someone who is normally quite sensitive to that (The Hurt Locker gave me a headache after 10 minutes). I've also read many reviews that complain about the lack of a feeling of despair and "hunger", created in part because of the toning down of violence. I do agree with this, and I think that's where the film is lacking most, as it does seem that many of the characters aren't quite on edge. However, although I am sure it was done in part to attract a larger audience, I do think that the sight of children killing children is quite disturbing, and has more of an impact on screen than in a book, so maybe it was a wise choice. Overall its an entertaining watch and whilst I do agree it is over hyped, I did enjoy watching it and would even watch it again.