Worth the watch

Rating: 7/10 (23 March 2012)

The trailers made it look so very good. I had three movies I wanted to watch this year which I thought were going to be amazing. The Hunger Games, Prometheus and The Hobbit. So far is has started on a bit of a dip.
As I was saying, great trailer, so much hype and hey this could be a great westernish version of Battle Royale. But it is not. Would I have liked The Hunger Games more if I hadn't watched Battle Royale? Probably. I suppose it is not fair comparing the two. It is like comparing Star Wars with Star Trek just because they are in space, or Tomb Raider with Indiana Jones just because they're both adventures but it is an immediate starting point, and the only other movie I can compare it to.
When I went into the theatre I was expecting great things. Maybe the next Harry Potter type franchise, because lets be fair, there is a hole to be filled. I was however impressed. It was a great film just not worth the 90%+ ratings I have been or rotten tomatoes.
If anything (despite being not new) the concept of the movie was always going to keep me interested. I'm a huge fan of Battle Royale. Both have deeper meanings. The Hunger Games on the act of oppression and the obsession of entertainment whilst Battle Royale was more a social commentary on the fears for children after the humiliation for Japan after WW2, (sort of). The Hunger Games focus' more on story and love whilst Battle Royale is more character building and revenge and love. So completely different yes.
SPOILERS BEYOND
Anyway, The Hunger Games was interesting. It spent about half of the movie building a character for Katniss so we can care. I knew she was going to win in the end. There are three books after all. What I didn't get is the lack of character for any other person. Battle Royale which is extremely violent has more character building and we are supposed to feel less for most of them who are cannon fodder bar the main guys. I can't decided whether The Hunger Games wanted us to care or not for any of them apart from Peter and the Girl from district 11. That scene I did not get. The girl from district 11 was one of the youngest and had no speaking lines except up until 15 minutes before she is quickly killed by a spear through the chest (which we don't see due to is being a pg-13/12a rating). Of all the faults I picked with the movie it was this. Because it was made fairly obvious we were supposed to care, exemplified by Katniss' crying and laying of flowers. Overall it felt quite, disconnected. Like you were just watching the fight and not a part of the fight. If that is what they went for I think it was a bad idea. For example, the black male saving Katniss then having no on screen death and just out of the movie. It just felt like, 'Oh this guy is dead, was just an unimportant extra to fill the full 24 participants for the games'. I do understand this it probably due to the book, but the script can be re-written.
Anyway, I liked the film. It is worth watching, it is by no means a waste of time or money. I look forward to seeing the second and maybe third one because quite frankly I want to know what happens from now.