May leave you feeling a little hungry

Rating: 5/10 (6 May 2012)

If I was to describe the hunger games in a single word, yes I know this is becoming a habit with me, it would be this: Stark. Having read the entire hunger games trilogy, I feel that this is appropriate, but does not necessarily make for the best movie. Let me clarify though: the very austere and even severe impression that I get from the movie isn't bad, it just isn't fun. Interesting, compelling, provocative yes, but fun, no.
A brief word to those that are fans of the series: the movie is fine. Structurally there isn't anything wrong with it and all the most critical details are left intact, as they had damn well better be if these people hope to make a trilogy out of this. Being a fan of the series myself and having read all the books, I notice the glaring differences where small or large details have been left out and while I'm not thrilled, it didn't prove to be a deal breaker either. On the whole, I would say that this film is a perfectly adequate adaptation of the novel, not good, not bad, but adequate. It is kinda neat to see some of the elements you read about visualized and I gotta say at least a handful of them are pretty satisfying.
On the positive side, I have to say that the casting is pretty good, with Lenny Kravitz being the biggest surprise and in my opinion, a fantastic choice for Cinna. The acting is good. The sets are at least mostly believable and the overall plot of the novel is left largely intact. This is quite an achievement when you consider positively Godawful adaptations of masterful works of literature like Michael Crichton's Timeline, which was thoroughly butchered into some schlock of cinema featuring Paul Walker.
On the negative side, people who did not read the books may likely find the film somewhat inaccessible, and need to either read the books or have friends fill them in as they go. While I fully understand the significant challenges of adapting a novel into something that gets squeezed into 2 hours and 20 minutes, this is something that has hurt the movie. Details from the book that helped to flesh out characters or events just aren't there and end up leaving the plot feeling thinner than it really is. Things that were included are over and done with so quickly you barely have time to register them or their significance. And lastly, the soundtrack, or to be more precise the distinct lack of a soundtrack. The entire film feels so muted and while that may be good for conveying the naked despair the general population feels, it really doesn't get the audience into the film.
I know it sounds like I've had a lot more bad than good to say about the film, but it really is a decent movie. If you're a fan, you're probably going to see it anyway and its not like anything is going to be spoiled for you in terms of plot twists. If you're not a fan, go ahead and check it out, you could certainly do a lot worse.