Bitterly Disappointing

Rating: 2/10 (23 March 2012)

I read the Hunger Games books and was thrilled to see the on screen adaption of the story. I was very disappointed with this movie. I will keep this short, but here are my reasons.
The film feels like a synopsis of the book. So much of the story was cut out, the film is maybe 1/2 the content of the book. It was rushed so much so that the characters were not believable at all. The acting was good yes, but the characters were very poorly adapted to the screen. I felt no connection with the characters whatsoever.
The books are violent and bloody. The movie, not at all. The most violent death is near the end though nothing is shown. The most gory thing is a cut on one of the character's faces. It's just a line of syrup to give the impression of a cut.
The film felt low budget. It was shot guerrilla style. The camera was very shaky in some parts and the special effects were very poor. I feel like the film makers were simply trying to make a quick buck on a successful book.
Overall the movie was awful. The acting was great, don't get me wrong. But the telling of this amazing story was terrible. It was not believable in the slightest. The special effects were awkward and the characters were flat (at no fault of the actors). Don't waste your money. Go see something else.