Did not read the books, did not like the movie

Rating: 6/10 (21 July 2012)

First, I will repeat this, I have not read the books. But I can imagine that the books must be obviously better because the movie is kind of bad...
It's called Hunger Games why?? No one is hungry, ever. I mean seriously, it should be Hunting Games, or Last One Standing, but hunger?? Didn't get it.
But the seriously disturbing part is...the plot is gruesome and violent and yet this movie does not convey any emotion to the viewer.
Katniss saves her sister, but you don't feel a connection between them. The sister is a whiny little fool who is 12 years old and can't even make a line. She shows nothing when her name comes up, it's like she doesn't even understand what's going on. We should feel sorry for the little girl, feel Katniss' desperation, but instead you almost want the sister to go and leave Katniss to enjoy her life with Gale!
Then the oppression the districts have to tolerate, and the sadistic rich people who use these poor kids as entertainment. It should make you angry, it should show the ridiculousness of it all, the violence, the ruthlessness of the privileged, how unfair and terrible. But it doesn't, it doesn't move anything inside the viewer. The movie "In Time" does this much better.
And the game itself. Man, 24 teens get locked up in a forest to kill each other. It's terrifying; hunted like prey, having to sneak and hide and kill other kids. It really gets on your nerves!!! But it's all too anesthetized. The kids die and no one cares about them, they don't have back stories, there's no character development, they are all extras!!! Even Rue, who I think touches Katniss' heart, is just another extra! You ask yourself why is Katniss so moved??
And the background love story...what love story??? Is she pretending so they'll win?? Does she eventually fall for real?? Did he really love her in the first place or he just said that to win sponsors? If they loved for real, you don't feel the love.
Things happen but you don't feel for them. The plot is very good, this movie should be full of emotions -anger, anxiety, sorrow, desperation, shock- but it has none.