Got the mood all wrong

Rating: 5/10 (23 March 2012)

I feel like all of the reviewers and fans have gone insane. I can understand why someone who has not read the books might enjoy the movie. But I can't fathom why fans thought it was good. It's not about changing details. It's about changing the entire mood of the film.
It started out well, though the cinematography was overboard and a bit amateurish. We can connect to characters emotionally without having constant closeups and shakiness. They got the capital spot on however. This gave me high hopes.
The minute the game started it went downhill. The dramatic strength of this story is in the contrast between the lighthearted ignorant and almost satirical mood of the members of the capital and the brutal, totally unfunny mood of the games.
My complaints are best summed up by the careers. When they first see katniss in the river and skip along with an excited "oh my god there she is!" "Lets get her" I did a face-palm. So much smiling. They were jogging. The whole point of the hunger games is that it's not really a game. It's not fun. The careers smiled and joked like friends. They are supposed to have an alliance of convenience, barely tolerating each other and always having a plan to slit each other's throat. That tension is necessary to this story and it just makes no sense without it since everyone knows there must be one winner.
Also, they got the rue thing totally wrong. katniss initiates that alliance. Rue is scared and cautious. She would never have assumed katniss would want an alliance because she thinks no one values her as a combatant. Alright fine they got that wrong. Then they spend all of about 5 minutes developing their relationship. Then she dies and katniss mourns her for 10 minutes like she is her best friend. It makes sense in the book because of the nature of their relationship but it felt so forced in the movie. Since they shortened the time frame to fit it into the film she only knew rue for 1-2 days. And then she sobs nonstop.
Well there you go. My opinion. Way to happy and juvenile.