Not very hungry

Rating: 5/10 (3 September 2012)

The unfortunate thing about movies that start as successful books is that everyone knows the script (they think) beforehand. That said, The Hunger Games, as the latest literary craze, had a lot to live up to. What comes out is a decent experience that nonetheless falls short of what it could have been.
The plot, for those unaware, revolves around a group of teenagers who are thrown into a last man standing death match at the whims of, and for the entertainment of a totalitarian state. Not the most original plot, however, the execution is what makes it memorable.
I want to separate the book from the movie, and when I do, it is a decent effort. But it is the fact that the movie tries so hard to emulate the book that makes it impossible to completely separate the two. A good movie or book makes you feel the plight of the characters, and the book did better at that than the movie. As a film, it lines up some big names: Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Liam Hemsworth, all of whom could have brought a lot more life to their characters than they did.
The action scenes were decently done. Environments were rendered beautifully, but combat was mediocre and rather dulled down, probably to get that PG-13. None of it really ends up tugging at you too much.
All in all, as a movie, I've seen worse. It is mildly entertaining, but I wouldn't recommend it as any more than a rental. Neither fans nor non-fans of the book will find themselves popping this one in over and over again. It tries to hit every emotional point of the book, and just doesn't end up pressing your buttons hard enough to leave an impression.