Well done, but could have been more...

Rating: 9/10 (1 April 2012)

HUNGER GAMES Movie Review (minor spoilers): I approached this movie with more than a little trepidation. As much as I tried to shield myself from the media, headlines caught my eye and I was truly afraid that the movie would not live up to the hype, which is what SOME people were saying, while others praised it to the skies. After this first viewing, it is important to note two things: 1) If you are a fan of the book, it pretty faithfully follows it. 2) If you have NOT read the book, you will still "get" it; this is NOT one of those movies where everyone who read the book has to explain what is happening on the screen to those who have not.
It clocks in at 2 hours and 22 minutes, so they packed in as much of the book as humanly possible, without making it seem too rushed. The actors did an incredible job of portraying the characters and the costumes were excellent, if not exactly what I pictured from the book.
The changes that were made to the story were fairly minor... and, on reflection, seemed necessary for time and/or clarity. Except for one that I really missed, but, hey, I really liked the scene in the book, so I kept looking for it.
The beginning was very disorienting – loads of camera shake in an in/out of focus montage, but still managed to convey the backstory fairly effectively, although the burnt bread scene, rather important in the book for a lot of reasons, was chopped into several tiny bits as flashbacks and didn't really work except to confuse the un-read audience. The flashbacks regarding Katniss' Mom were odd as well, and happened extremely late in the movie, at that point it almost didn't make sense to have it in the movie at all.
Showing the differences between the Haves (Capitol) and have-Nots (everywhere else) was striking. The silliness of the costumes, the inanity and shallowness of the People of Capital as compared to the rest of Panem underscored their differences: the children who are forced to fight (and kill) each other to survive and silly giddiness of those who view the Games as entertainment and those who exploit the spectacle for political oppression of the masses.
The entire Arena section was very compressed, and contrary to some of the other reviews, not really sanitized, just really FAST. The effects were excellent, and the whole "Reality Show/Gladiator TV Show Heartless Let's keep Those Ratings UP" mood was conveyed very well. There were some brutal scenes, a couple of jump-out-of-your-seat moments, and some funny flashes scattered throughout, enough to break up the tension. Gotta love that Effie!
The heart of the book was the heart of the movie, and I cried during that scene in the film, just like I did in the book... Those of you who have read the book know what I mean.
NOTE: If you have kids who have read the books and who are old enough to actually understand the theme and are able to discuss it, by all means take them to see this movie. Talk to them about it. It was far less violent than just about any Stephen King movie or Jurassic Park, for example. I would not take a young child (under 11) who is sensitive or who has NOT read the books, however.
On the whole, an excellent movie with a few minor quibbles. We saw it in an IMAX format, in perfect seats. I will be seeing this one again!