Not since Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings has there been a movie that's as exciting and thrilling as its source material.

Rating: 9/10 (23 March 2012)

I just came from a midnight screening of the much-anticipated film adaptation of Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games". Now, like you, I have read all three books of the Hunger Games series and I was just as obsessed by it as you were. Now that the movie has just came out, let me tell you, it is a very intense and moving movie experience. As the film begins, we meet Katniss Everdeen (perfectly played by Jennifer Lawrence), a 16-year-old girl who lives in District 12, the poorest futuristic district of a divided country known as Panem. A skilled hunter and a everyday family-woman who takes care of her mother and her 12-year-old sister, Prim (Willow Shields) and has a friend in Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth from "The Last Song"), another hunter. Her precious life changes from good to bad when her sister is sent to participate in a fight to the death of 24 tributes (12 boys, 12 girls; ages 12-18) known as "The Hunger Games". In an act of sacrifice and courage, Katniss volunteers to take her place. Joining her on this journey is Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), a baker who did a kindness to Katniss when they were young. As the games start to heat up, Katniss and Peeta knows that it's just a matter of time until they have to prepare for the fight for survival. When the Games do begin, it's brutal, intense, and it's also very chilling and devastating. "The Hunger Games", directed by Gary Ross (who co-wrote the screenplay with the author Collins and Billy Ray), is as exciting and thrilling as any fan would expect it to be. Some people are calling it "the next Twilight", but "Twilight" has nothing on Katniss Everdeen, who may be the girl on fire, but a real 21st-century heroine. The performances are incredible, 21-year-old Lawrence is already on fire, thanks to her Oscar-nominated performance in "Winter's Bone". She basically own this movie and you can't imagine anyone else playing Katniss but Lawrence. Hutcherson provides the heart and soul and captures that as Peeta. Hemsworth may not have much to do playing Gale, but he does have a terrific screen presence to play with in the next movies. Then you have a very unrecognizable Elizabeth Banks playing Effie Trinket, who is the PR of the Capitol, Lenny Kravitz as the stylist Cinna, Donald Sutherland as the wickedly ruthless President Coriolanus Snow, Stanley Tucci as the Ryan Seacrest-reject Caesar Flickerman, and Amandla Stenberg who is very heartwarming as Rue and has a scene that is extremely heartbreaking and emotional. Even Woody Harrelson deserves some credit for making Haymitch, a down-on-his-luck drunk turned mentor, a pretty cool wiseguy. I sat with an huge audience and for 142 minutes, our eyes were engaged to the screen. Having put some differences from the book aside and using elements of "Battle Royale", "1984", "Lord of the Flies" and "The Running Man" to keep us chilled out, "The Hunger Games" is a amazing film that knows how to stay true to the book and to entertain us and wrap us with its presence. Go ahead, people. Believe the hype. Note: "The Hunger Games" is rated PG-13 (and for good reason) for the brutally intense violence and disturbing moments that takes place during The Hunger Games. If you have brave 12-year-olds and teenagers who read the books, good for them. Non-fans can get hooked into this film as well and they'll enjoy it, too. In the meantime, I can't wait for "Catching Fire" and I certainly hope the odds be ever in your favor.