Really Great Movie

Rating: 9/10 (25 March 2012)

As a fan of the books, I was really excited for this movie but I was still skeptical. To many great books have been made into bad movies. The Hunger Games is not one of those books.
First, the cast. I wasn't sure that the lead actors were the right choice but they all did a great job. Josh Hutcherson is perfect for Peeta. Jennifer Lawrence did Katniss's strength and courage justice. Liam Hemsworth's take on Gale was impressive. I also loved Woody Harrelson's Haymitch and Elizabeth Banks's Effie. Amandla Stenberg was wonderful as Rue. Her death scene made me tear up. The only other movie to do that was the seventh Harry Potter when Dobby died.
I was also very impressed with the scenery and set design. The Capitol looked just like I envisioned it while I was reading the book. The styling of the cast was also right on. Effie's outfits were my particular favorites.
Overall, I only have a couple of issues with the movie. Number 1: I wish that District 12 had been darker. The book describes it as a dark, depressing place covered in coal dust. The movie does show it rundown, but there was to much sunlight and I don't think I saw any coal dust. Issue Number 2: At the end of the Games, the mutts weren't made to resemble the dead tributes. To me, that was a very important thing. In the book it provided a really great emotional moment that the movie lacked. There are some other minor changes in the movie, but I felt like they didn't take anything away from the story.
Fans of the books should have no problem at least enjoying the film. I can't wait for Catching Fire!