The First Blockbuster of the Year!

Rating: 8/10 (4 April 2012)

The Hunger Games is as straightforward as book adaptations get. Nearly every scene is taken word from word for the page, and while some things obviously have to be left out in the interest of time, watching the movie is incredibly close to the experience of reading the novel.
And in this case that's a very good thing, because The Hunger Games is a great book and makes for a great movie. The tone is spot-on, be it the frivolous, manic environment of the Capitol (the ruling city of the future post-war remains of America and yearly organizer of the Hunger Games), the unflinching poverty of District 12 (home of our main character and several other people important to the overall story), or the brutality of the games themselves. Nothing featuring children killing each other should be easy to watch, and the PG-13 rating doesn't stop several scenes from being wince inducing. The violence is never really glorified or lingered on, but it's there.
I loved Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. Any concerns I had about her being a little older than the character or too "healthy" looking were quickly forgotten. Katniss is defined by her determination and resourcefulness, and Lawrence nailed that. I also was pleasantly surprised by how well most of rest of the cast embodies their characters, including Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, who actually made me like the character in the movie more than the book. Lenny Kravitz as Cinna, Woody Harrleson as Haymitch, and Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane all help bring the world to life by handling their characters so well. Even the actors playing the other contestants in the games managed to be memorable and show the essence of their characters, no matter how brief their scenes are.
If you're a fan of the books, put your worries aside. This is The Hunger Games you know and love on the big screen, and it's done well. If you're new to the franchise, just know you're in for a thrilling, often brutal, and occasionally touching story.