An excellent attempt at staying true to the book.

Rating: 8/10 (25 March 2012)

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the novel by Suzanne Collins and was therefore eager to see its representation on the big screen and I wasn't disappointed. Unless you wish to be picky about minor things (such as who gave Katniss the Mockingjay pin or the exclusion of elements concerning the mute serving girl) then the director managed to stay true to the novel for the sake of the fans - often something that detracts from novel-to-film attempts. I would have given this a 10-out-of-10 but for some rather important missing points. I looked for and missed the faces of the 20 eliminated tributes on the wild creatures. That scene was altered. Also, visually, it was difficult to show the Gamemakers altering the arena's temperature - an important element as Peeta & Katniss shared body heat in their cave and further cemented their quasi-relationship. Finally, their relationship wasn't convincing (even if it wasn't real.) Not enough kissing or thought-driven justification on Katniss's part to use Peeta. Anyone not knowing the novel would have believed she was falling for him. Best bit: (spoiler) the arrow through the apple and the look on their faces!