Made for TV movie?

Rating: 4/10 (30 April 2012)

4 out of 5 stars? a 7+? I don't what you people are smoking. This movie felt like it was made-for-TV. Flimsy and unbelievable.
Why are the 'districts' so docile when government troops don't even look like they are armed with anything but batons? You are telling me people would live like that for 74 years without rising up?
Where is the background story on how Donald Sutherland became the ruling dictator?
It also utterly unbelievable there would be so much cooperation amongst the 'tributes' considering it is 'last man standing' competition. Also, why would the capitol allow 'tributes' as young as 12 to compete? Wouldn't that make for pretty lame competition and entertainment if say most of the 'tributes' ending up being kids? Also, how is that so many of these 'tributes' became experts at knife throwing or swordsmanship when they were randomly chosen and only trained for like 3 or 4 days? The fact is, if you randomly picked people from the general population for something like this, there would be very low entertainment value and would probably drag on. Also, Woody Harrelson quotes that 'most tributes die from the elements, not combat'. Hmmm...if I recall correctly, all of them died at the hands of other 'tributes' save for maybe the girl who died eating the poisonous berries. None of them died from starvation, cold or thirst as Woody Harrelson claimed they would. The fact that Woody Harrelson is in this movie made it even more laughable all though he did an OK job. I am thinking the makers of this movie toked up more than a few times with Woody while filming.
Those who read the book apparently are not fans of this movie and this movie certainly has not stirred me to go and pick up the book.
Cheezy costumes made it feel like Running Man or the Fifth Element. I have seen more entertaining and engaging episodes of Stargate SG-1 and that is a show that I find barely watchable at the best of times.