Really Wanted to Like the Film

Rating: 7/10 (30 March 2012)

I had just recently read the first book "The Hunger Games" so it was fresh in my memory when I went to see the Movie. I was really excited to see how the book would look on the Big Screen and how the Characters would come to life, but I was so disappointed. The Film completely lacked the emotion of the book. The book was amazing, I couldn't put it down. But The Movie just sped through everything not allowing you to feel connected with the story. I was not happy with the Directing Style, The shakiness of the Camera didn't add to the drama it just made it hard to see what was happening and didn't bring you into the situation at all. Production wise I really thought that they would captured the difference between the Capitol and the Districts but they both fell flat to me as well as the impression it should have made on Katniss and Peete seeing the luxury and seeing all the food that is not available to them in their District. There is no Character Development in the Film like in the book. You don't get the tension between Katniss and her mom, the Relationship between Katniss and Peete is something that you really route for in the book even in the end when he's hurt because he realizes she's not sure that she feels the same way and they put on the last show for the cameras, its heartbreaking but you don't get that in the Film. Even the moments of tension weren't as exciting. I believe they took out crucial characters Like the Mayor and his daughter who is the real reason Katniss has the Pin. Peete's Father who has a soft spot for Katniss, the Avox girl who had her tongue cut out for being a traitor (whose story would have added more mystery). Also the end when they are being chased by the wild dogs that can stand on their hind legs like humans and Katniss realizes that they are the dead tributes who have been mutated, these are all impactful moments in the book that really would have added impact to the film. It just surprises me because I know that the author was one of the Executive Producers, so I thought they would have stayed a little truer to the books. I love the actors with the exception of the Casting for Haymitch and Cinna, I don't feel like they delivered the characters in a believable way and they cut so much out from their stories that you don't really feel the connection between them and Katniss and Peete. I really hope that if they do the second book they "up" the Production Quality and really bring the book to life Character development and all.