Solid start for this trilogy

Rating: 8/10 (15 September 2012)

Having read the books, I wasn't sure how they would capture this dystopian adventure on film. I was pleasantly surprised. This movie does a nice job of setting up the back-story and history leading up to the Hunger Games themselves. I thought that the casting was on the spot and Jennifer Lawrence captures the depth and strength of our heroine Katniss with aplomb. The book had a fairly dense storyline, so there are always sacrifices that must be made in bringing it to film. However, the story hits the high points well. While it's a little slow out of the gate, it finishes strong. If I had to offer a criticism, it would be the lack of emotional depth in some scenes, which too often was sacrificed to the momentum of the story. I expect that the coming 2nd film will be the real highlight of this series as the book was packed with action.