Ripped all that was special from the book out and left a big mess

Rating: 3/10 (1 April 2012)

Spoilers from book and movie******************* When I went to see the movie it had been awhile since I read the series and I was unsettled throughout the whole movie because it seemed like all of my favorite parts were missing but I couldn't really put a finger what was so upsetting to me (besides the shaky cam literally making me ill!)
They hardly mentioned the father and how he taught Katniss everything she needed to survive the games...and life in District 12. They didn't talk about why the mocking jays were a symbol of rebellion and so Katniss became an unwitting hero. And just the sets...like the Reaping set...what was that? It was supposed to be in a town square surrounded by shops and quite a festive area...hence making the reaping "celebration" all that more ironic.
Now I'm re-reading the book and getting REALLY upset that Suzanne Collins let them ruin her fabulous book. Just in the first few pages we establish that the Districts are starving, that to hunt food is penalized with death, that Katniss and Gale are both a little ticked off at the treatment of the districts but can't say a word because they'll be killed and can't leave because their families will starve. That Petta literally saved the lives of the whole Everdeen family with his offering of bread to Katniss. And why can't we have the Madge character give her the pin??? The director explains that he can't include everything...why not? It would have given Gale his moment of anger at the Capital (explaining things better about the relationship between the districts and the Capital) and it would have created more of a transition into the other books.
And even dumb things were changed like Haymitch's embarrassing turn at the Reaping. Why not show what a screw-up he was? It would make his recovery and help all that more meaningful? Peeta and Katniss knew who he was...he was showing up at the Reapings every year since he won but now it was their lives on the line.
Nowhere did we really establish the huge effect that the Capitol had on the lives of the people of the district. It all came off as just a futuristic Survivor game. They never show that the Capitol has people within the districts at all times keeping control and imprisoning and even killing people that don't obey. That's why it's such a big deal for her to go into the meadow. She could be killed if caught.
I could go on and on but you really need to hire a good screenwriter to redeem the other inevitable movies. Aaron Sorkin would be fabulous but this type of project probably wouldn't appeal to him. The movies need MUCH more exposition and dialog to be able to convey the depth of the source material. The movie didn't even touch on the real story behind the madness..that Katniss Everdeen, just being herself, changes the course of history much like a Rosa Parks who just wanted a seat on the bus, Katniss becomes a symbol of freedom from oppression, whether she likes it or not.
D.