Not As Good As The Book

Rating: 6/10 (3 October 2013)

The Hunger Games wants to be the next Running Man and Twilight but fails at that. Director Gary Ross tries to capture the mood of the book, but he does not capture the sense of urgency and misses the political edge that the book so possessed.
Jennifer Lawrence is a perfect actress for the job, and posses the perfect mix of venerability and anger and heart. She makes the Hunger Games worth watching even if it overstays its 142 minute runtime and displays the nauseating shaky cam during the action sequences. Josh Hucherson is OK as Peeta but Liam Hemsworth as Gale who does not get much screen time, would have been a better choice to portray him.
Overall, the Hunger Games is a mixed bag. Hopefully, the sequel is better