A good movie, but I just wished they paid more attention to details...

Rating: 7/10 (25 August 2012)

I knew nothing about the Hunger Games book series up until this year. When I saw the previews to the movie, I assumed it was just another teen movie to drive me crazy will all the unnecessary hype. But I heard good things about the books from a couple of people and ended up reading it. Safe to say I enjoyed reading the first book and plan to read the rest in the series.
On the contrary I was not too caught up with the movie. I tired very quickly of the teen frenzy, which included the Twilight mania. Although I actually enjoyed the Twilight book series as well, but the movies are probably one of the worst film adaptations of any book series. Again I digress. I had the same fear with the Hunger Games. On a good note, I was pleasantly surprised and happy that this is definitely not another Twilight.
The Hunger Games was excellent in the visionary department. The scenery was excellent. The beautiful landscapes, District 12, the surrounding foliage and woods, and also the Capitol. I imagine you have to get the feel of the setting in the book. From the impoverished slums of the districts, to the plush and vibrant mood of the Capital. They did a splendid job on that.
The Games were done well too. I liked the technique of them showing the blood splatter of the tributes that were killed. I think this could have easily been a Rated-R movie because of how brutal the killings were in the book, but I liked that they made it more easier for kids and teens to watch. The camera angles and tricks were also cool and added great imagery.
I thought Jennifer Lawrence gave a convincing performance as Katniss Everdeen. One minor detail is that she didn't fit the physical description of Katniss (as also Gale) I just remember that some people made comments about some of the African Americans that were cast. (Rue, Thresh and Cinna.)I don't understand double standards. To defend the casting, I think Rue, Thresh, and Cinna where perfectly cast. I love Lenny Kravitz and who could resist the innocent face of Rue? The rest of the cast was surprisingly good as well. It was nice to see Donald Sutherland again.
Again I know the books are always better than the movie versions, but I just wished they paid more closer attention to details. The flashbacks were kinda confusing and would probably be even more confusing to someone who didn't read the book. They cut several scenes and rearranged it. The pacing was sometimes slow and sometimes it felt rushed, but these are minor details that don't ruin the movie.
I watched it four times already so far, so it is definitely worth more than one watch.