Not Bad for a Book Adaptation

Rating: 7/10 (24 March 2012)

I am a college freshman. Wondering why exactly The Hunger Games had so much hype, I decided to read the books and then check out the movie. I finished the series in three days and became thoroughly pumped for the film, since it doesn't look like the low budget poo of another young adult book adaptation (coughTwilightcough). But this isn't the place for complaining about that.
In terms of following the book, The Hunger Games movie did remarkably well. This can be a good or bad thing. Of course, in order to condense the story many small details were cut. Small, but important to fully understanding the story. Depth, character development, these things are all sacrificed in the movie, which can lead to an unsatisfying middle ground where fans aren't happy and non-fans are confused as to what's going on.
Casting of the characters was better than expected. Jennifer Lawrence makes a convincing enough Katniss, although she is way too tall and curvy to actually seem like she was suffering. I don't really know how that could be fixed though. Josh Hutcherson as Peeta was...unsatisfying. Basically he was there to look wide-eyed and weak. Same with Prim. I hated how the movie makers interpreted Prim as a whiny, scream-y useless kid. Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket was funny and spot-on, Haymitch was meh, President Snow wasn't bad but not as I imagined.
Cinematography was very...shaky, as mentioned in other reviews. Also, the books were quite explicit in describing the violence in the arena, but the movie muted this quite a bit. Most scenes go something like this: someone waves/throws a weapon, the camera zooms around in a blurry manner, and the audience is shown the result (a gash, an arrow in something) without actually seeing the process. This really couldn't be helped if they wanted the PG-13 rating, given the teen fanbase, but it truly reduces the impact and power of the movie. It's fine with me though. The Hunger Games isn't supposed to be horror, per se. I think the series is a good introduction to thinking more deeply about human nature, society, war, and violence. It is STILL a story for kids! As for the Battle Royale thing, BR is distinctly more...Japanese. It's sick, twisted, and gloriously, insanely violent. Its purpose is to shock you and give you chills, maybe make you think about things once you get over the gore, which depends on your taste obviously. The Hunger Games dabbles in these parts, yes, but it's much more hopeful. It taps into the viewer's emotions and sympathy, and advocates that good people still have a chance.
Anyway, basically The Hunger Games movie is pretty decent in getting the point across, although small things are lost in the process. If you want the full experience, read the books.