It dragged on a bit, but it was a nice effort

Rating: 6/10 (7 April 2012)

The first half of the film could very well have been rated PG, or even G. Then when the Hunger Games actually start, it may as well be a different film, an R rated one.
It's total suspense and heart pumping at times, which is good. The shaky camera didn't bother me, as it started only when the kids were fighting and running, keeping with the tone of urgency and desperation. Jennifer Laurence is absolutely brilliant as Katniss Everdeen - which the character has many similarities to that of the Oscar nominated role of Ree in Winter's Bone (taking care of her siblings while her mother is catatonic, facing dangerous situations, never giving up and doing it on her own), and really captures the emotional turmoil her character faces.
Now on the other hand, what really bugged me was that the film was too long and really dragged on towards the end, making the ending less than enthusiastic and sort of ruined the prospect of it being a "game changer" . Also, the film has a very interesting message and theme: Combining war with reality TV. The way the kids are exploited like they are not human beings is really horrifying, but the film focuses more on the action rather than the message and the reasons for these terrible Hunger Games.
The book was brilliant, but the film really could have been much better. 6 out of 10