Will leave you Hungry for more

Rating: 9/10 (22 January 2013)

Based on Suzanne Collins best selling book trilogy, The Hunger Games stars Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen who volunteers to take part in the Capitol's annual Hunger Games, a game show where contestants fight to the death.
I postponed seeing this film as long as possible. I had finished the first two novels (which are both fantastic and readable in a matter of days if you're stuck for something to read) but I checked the film out and when the opening starts and we're thrust into the world of District 12, I was shocked.
The opening is something remarkable. It's great if unyielding from the truth of their poverty. District 12, run down where residents struggle for food and to make a living, but Katniss and her friend Gale (Liam Hemsworth) find escapism in their hunting. And when Katniss' sister is nominated for the games we see Jennifer Lawrence show why she is currently the most promising actress of these last 5 years.
Lawrence was a great choice to play Katniss. The character in the books is quite unusual, quite solemn but with hidden desires and energy that the young actress excels at. Her on screen peak is with Rue when in the arena, a heart wrenching exhilarating piece of acting combined with opportunistic film pacing.
The film starts slowly getting into the feel of the poverty of the districts but as viewers, when we see the world of the Capitol and see how perfect, classy and snobbish everything is we feel the pace pick up and we are right there with the contestants, in a world the Capitol controls where these young fighters have little say in their destiny.
The first book is very imaginative and is very well brought to the screen by director Gary Ross. The excitement and adrenaline really starts pumping when the arena is introduced. The resemblance to the events of the book is spot on, if not better. Katniss' independent tracking and thirst for survival are well shot, especially during the Trackerjacker sequences. The best part of the entire film is when Katniss is with Rue, the excitement and emotion in these scenes are fantastic and it's hard to express how well this works in developing their characters and holding the film and the rest of the story together.
When reading the books I had concerns over how Collins was working the romance angles, being a bit like Twilight with the love angles but this is nothing like that series. This is something calmer, less intense in terms of love and lust. Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) may be viewed differently by people. As the stories progress his character changes and Hutcherson portrays him very well and strikes up a good partnership with Lawrence that resembles their respective adaptations.
There are a few minor lapses and improvements. I only wish the fire sequence was a bit longer as it was in the book. Seeing Woody Harrelson as Haymitch was rather strange at first but it would have been great if he was included more during certain scenes! This film is a great adaptation of a great book. The imagination Suzanne Collins has been wonderfully adapted for the screen with her vivid and controversial environment and ideas and with excellent performances, particularly from Jennifer Lawrence, the Hunger Games is a must watch.