Satisfying, but not for Ross

Rating: 8/10 (11 August 2012)

There are many positives about this film (the acting, the cinematography, the casting, the set, the costuming and make-up). But, there are some flaws (the depth of setting up the games and the lack of emotions in the games, the lack of Howard's music ability, the unrealistic images of the people who are "apparently" starving, and the unnecessary spoilers for the next film). Now is this a bad film? Absolutely not! This film overpowers the flaws with astounding acting from the older actors, particularly Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks, and Donald Sutherland, spectacular cinematography that, though may feel nauseous at times, feels as if the audience is in the games, some beautiful set designs, and memorizing costumes and make-up. Plus, with not as big as a budget as most films, Ross does a good job in creating the atmosphere of the novel. One thing I wish had happened was that Ross had focused more on filming the intensity of the games that was portrayed in the novel, but it is quite difficult to create a film that is better than it's adaptation. This probably wasn't the best film for Gary Ross to direct, but it wasn't a disappointment.