If they could hold the camera steady and shortened it by an hour, it would have been great.

Rating: 5/10 (26 March 2012)

Another decent movie ruined by shaky cam and a cameraman who doesn't know how to focus his camera. I assume they were trying to make it seem more 'real' that way, but all it gave me was a headache.
I mean, seriously, you have children killing children. It doesn't get much more gritty and real than that. Let the story shine through, it doesn't need bad cinematography to get the point across.
Other than that, I would just call it okay. It felt much the same way as the Harry Potter movies did.. they expect that their watchers have read the books and therefore decide to show bits of scenes rather than show why they're important, assuming movie-goers will fill in the rest with their own already-obtained knowledge. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. I had read the first book, but my boyfriend had not. After the movie I was explaining why scenes they showed snippets of were important.
I know that a movie can't contain everything in the book. There's not enough time, but I would prefer a scriptwriting team that chose a couple moments and really told you WHY they were important in the movie rather than expecting you to fill in your own blanks.
For one, I think that District 11 giving Rue's bread to Katniss was such a huge move, such a sign of the changing of times where the lower districts supported each other, but, instead we should an out of focus, badly filmed riot as a reaction to Rue's death. It was a whole different message. The Hunger Games were designed to keep people apart, keep them in fear... that moment was so huge. It banded the groups together in a way violence couldn't. Showing a scene of them gathering money for bread for Rue and how hard it was for them to scrape it together.. then, after her death, showing the container landing for Katniss, a note inside saying something like 'Win for Rue - District 11" would have been far more moving.
I realize it's probably a hint at the rebellion that assuredly comes up (though I haven't read the last two books) but still. That was such a powerful moment for me.
I also think they spent too much time in the set up before the games. The thing about the book is you feel like it's a whirlwind of activity. The first hour and a half of the movie was so slow as they set up. They could have cut some bits and, with clever directing, they could have told so much more in a short amount of time.
The good things? I appreciated that Katniss was an athletically built girl who looked like she could do everything asked of her and not an emaciated waif who wouldn't have lasted an hour. I appreciated the casting in general.. I can't think of anyone who didn't pull their weight admirably on screen. I appreciate that they didn't shy away from the brutality of the games, that's part of the point.
The short of it? A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the book is worth a thousand of these movies (and less headache.) Without the shaky cam and having to explain what the deal was with the little bits they did show afterward? Definitely see it. The way it is now? Wait for rental.