The definition of disappointing

Rating: 3/10 (29 March 2012)

"The Hunger Games" is one of the biggest letdowns of the year. I really wanted to like this movie, but in the end I was disappointed. This should have been a great movie, fans of the books talk about missing their favorite parts but that is to be expected, after all the movie is never as good as the book. That said, as a person who didn't read the book, I found the movie seriously lacking in key areas. The first area being the camera work, they didn't have to have the camera that close to the people. The extreme close ups and the shaky cam were a big turn off for me, and I couldn't stand it.
The next area was a total lack of connection with these people and what is going on. Believe me, you get it, they are a defeated people, punished every year to watch two of their children die in the games. This is the 74th game, so their numb to the experience now, but that numbness makes it hard to care about their blight. You see things just happen in this movie without a full understanding as to the why it is happening. For example, there is this salute they do in the movie, kissing three fingers and holding them up. You understand this was a sign of the failed rebellion, or something, a sign of respect between the districts, but you don't know exactly what it means and you don't care. The action is hollow and meaningless through the movie.
The actual game of the "Hunger Games" was just as hollow. Only one death meant anything and you didn't get introduced to anyone but Katniss and her inner circle. So when something happened to someone you only heard a cannon fired and that was it.
Now with all this complaining, praise. I don't know how Katniss was or wasn't supposed to be, she certainly wasn't hungry, that's for sure. However, I loved Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, and her inner circle, they were awesome. I loved the actors!! They are the only reason to see this movie. Isabelle Fuhrman was the only villain worth noting and brought more to the table than anyone other bad guy because they weren't developed.
It is just so sad, when you think about the other movies that preceded this. "The Running Man", "Death Race", how could they fail to make us feeling anything for a movie about kids killing kids. It is the definition of disappointment, they had so much promise and the more I hear about the books the more I hate the movies because they left out so much and there was so much to put in.