Good but overrated

Rating: Null/10 (29 March 2012)

Firstly, I haven't read the book, and I judge a film on its own merits which is a good thing. I tend to be able to overlook the hype. Having said that, the film lacks in a few things. 1. the plot was too forced, there were moments that could've been built up better. 2. The use of shaky camera was too much and added to the 'forced' feel of the film. This is the main problem with directors who do this. They don't seem to get that viewers need to SEE what's going on to get into the story, and it's blurry it doesn't engage them, it has the opposite effect. 3. The emotional highpoint of the film was a scene with a minor character, not when Katniss volunteered instead of her sister or the ending, which it should've been. It lacked emotion where it counted. The pacing also could've used a bit of tightening, especially the scenes in the forest. The good parts: plot was engaging and good performance from Jennifer Lawrence, and the action is not bad. All in all, worth watching but it's not what it's hyped up to be.