Leave your worries about this film at home...and get ready for a thrill ride.

Rating: 9/10 (24 March 2012)

When I first read this book, I became a fan before I was even finished, being way too obsessed, looking for people to talk to about it, telling other fans that I wasn't sure what my favorite part of the book was, since the book has so many terrific things in it. I didn't expect this film to have the same effect on me. I thought it would be a 'good film', and did not think it would have nearly the same throat-grabbing effect the book did.
Now comes the part where you're thinking, "Well, did it have that effect on you?" Yessir. Yes'm.
In some ways (read carefully now, this will blow your mind), Mr. Gary Ross (Congratulations by the way Mr. Ross), has made a movie that is like the book...only more so.
Let me try and address the main things people will be concerned about, without spoiling too much.
The Story/Plot: This 140 minute film felt more like an 80 minute film, not letting me look at my watch even once, expect during the credits to say, "Wow, it's really 2:30?" Ross keeps this ball rolling. Many were frustrated at certain details left out from the book, or perhaps a lack thereof on focusing on said details. People, this is not that kind of story. Ross and the others figured that out at some point while sitting down and planning, and said to each other, "Guys, this is the Hunger Games. If we spend too much time pausing to share pages worth of background and details that were mostly told by Katniss, it's going to put the brakes on this movie so many times, and people looking for an intense, heart-pounding film to truly do the attitude and intensity of the book justice will be sorely disappointed. Let's focus on the chain of events, letting the blanks fill themselves at the right times." If Peter Jackson had squeezed in every detail from the "Lord of the Rings" books into the films, there would have been five movies, each about four hours long. Let this movie breathe and grow and assault you (in a good way) like it did me.
Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen: Some say Lawrence was too old to play Katniss, or couldn't do it because she was blonde (Really, guys?). Others such as myself, may have found Jennifer a slight tad, well, shapely to be playing the part of a skinny starving sixteen-year old bent on survival and feeding her family. Within the first five (ten?) minutes of the film, watching Katniss tip-toe through the forest and using hunting techniques that made her an obvious pro at hunting game, I was pretty convinced. About ten minutes later she (SPOILER) at the Reaping, which had me further convinced. And then we see her with Peeta (Good Job Josh Hutcherson), Haymitch, and Cinna, and I am even more convinced at this point. Jennifer Lawrence is Katniss Everdeen. I wonder if her technique as an actress will continue to grow and develop, pushing the standards forward in Hollywood for the first time in fifty years. I honestly think the biggest complaint I can make is that I expected her braid to be longer. But her using that mean bow of hers a few times will make you lose focus on her hair (Seriously though, a blonde can't play Katniss?).
The Games: Oh yes. The games. Are they really over already? Why hasn't 'Catching Fire' been made yet? The games are spectacular, bringing to you 'behind the scenes' material that you couldn't get from the book (This is partially what I meant when I said the movie was like the book, only more so), temporarily leaving Katniss or the whole Arena for brief moments to enforce the atmosphere of this story. Seeing Haymitch's dedication to keeping his tributes alive for instance, in a way you couldn't see from the mind of Katniss. From the Cornucopia to the Final Hovercraft, you are THERE. The first scene at the Cornucopia is fantastic, by the way.
I'm already getting tired of TALKING about the film, and I'm already wanting to go and see it a second time (and even a third). Sort of like wanting to read the book again.
But this is just one man's opinion. Go see it!

R.