Filmmakers were keen on getting everything right.

Rating: 6/10 (23 March 2012)

First off, I think this is a good interpretation of the book. While the filmmakers were trying to hit every mark in the novel, they lost the magic and emotion between the characters on screen. I believe this rooted from the loss of explaining Katniss's background, where she came from, and how she got to where she is now. All of Katniss's past is only hinted at in the movie, making the audience piece it together. The problem with filling in those blanks is that those who have not read the book are missing vital information that tell us about the motivations and drives of Katniss. With such little information given to the audience, Jennifer Lawrence does an amazing job portraying the emotion and strength of the character so that the audience feels connected to her. I am not sure I would have felt so connected to Katniss if it weren't for her great acting skills.
Also, I went to see the movie with my friend who had not read the books, and he asked at the end, "What was that bread thing between Katniss and Peeta?" (Referring to the flashbacks where Katniss and Peeta first met). I realized that they never explained why Peeta threw the bread out to her. There was no hinting at her starving... just that she was there, he saw her, and threw the bread out to her.
My thoughts are that the filmmakers needed to cut out a lot of the Capitol scenes and increase scenes about the main character's backgrounds just so we can understand our main characters more, feel attached to them, and root for them at the end. Towards the end of the movie, I felt deflated and somewhat disappointed in the lack of character development.
While the movie was beautiful and the vision of the world an interesting one, I feel that it lost the magic of why Katniss and Peeta are important. I hope the filmmakers learn from their missteps in The Hunger Games and develop characters more deeply in the next installment, Catching Fire.