Entertaining but thin throughout

Rating: 6/10 (3 March 2013)

You can tell this movie was going for depth (which it sometimes achieved) and, during the games themselves, intensity, but it never quite reaches the heights it could have.
The first thing I noticed about the film was the directing style, which had a "Children of Men" approach to it at times (which is interesting considering Alfonso Cuaron is directing the sequel) but instead goes a little overboard. Some shots were extreme close ups and extremely shaky at the same time, giving you a slight headache within the first ten minutes, but that soon ended and for the most part the directing was pretty good.
What keeps this film at six stars for me were the games themselves. The build up to it was quite strong--the emphasis on getting sponsors, the reality show feel the games were supposed to be for Panem, the survival factors--but those did not come to fruition during the games themselves. Haymitch makes it quite clear to Katniss that she needs to find water. He says something along the lines of "water is your new best friend", and yet she enters the arena, escapes the initial carnage, finds some water almost immediately and never needs to restock for the rest of the film. As for sponsors (I'm assuming those "gift drops" are provided by sponsors), we only ever really see that come into play once or twice--a few quick shots of Haymitch shaking hands with some stylish dressers.
But my absolute biggest letdown was the ending. I liked the fact that the rules were changed to allow two competitors from the same district to survive, only to have that rule revoked at the very end. But then, Katniss boldly tries to commit suicide along with Peeta, which draws the sympathy of the Game maker who ends it there with both surviving? I understand the point is for Katniss to be a symbol of rebellion but the whole film seemed to be leading up to Peeta's death (and it should have, because now I fear the next film might involve a sappy Twilight-esque love triangle between Peeta, Gale and Katniss) Still, it was a good film overall and I'm hoping the sequel will top it.