Reasonable expectations were greatly exceeded.

Rating: 8/10 (22 December 2013)

I loved this movie, but after reading several negative reviews, I think my enjoyment was largely due to my initial expectations. I know this is long winded but I want to explain where I was coming from going in.
1. I am not a teenager and I am not someone who generally goes for this type of thing. I originally picked up the first book in an airport shop because I was facing a lot of flying/ sitting in airports time and wanted a straightforward, simple, and entertaining story. It was easy to become immersed and (at the next airport) bought the whole series. Did I think it was a masterpiece? No. I thought it was a good story told in an engaging way but with several immature, eye-rolling (yet forgivable)flaws.
2. I very very very rarely like film adaptations of popular young adult/ children's books. I was not expecting much from these movies and didn't see the first until it was on DVD. I was surprised to find that it was not terrible and found it to be a fairly enjoyable film.
Basically, I feel like the books and movies as a whole are very good compared to the majority of the young-adult/ beautiful special warrior girl/ impossible odds/ love triangle genre.
Now, my review of the actual movie...Yes, some of the dialogue was blah, some parts were a bit obvious, and it bore the unmistakable signs of skimming around to try to stay as true to the book as possible for a movie shorter than Lord of the Rings. However, poor dialogue was made up for by an impressive emotional depth and freakin' JENNIFER LAWRENCE. Some things are *going* to be obvious and my husband who has not read the books (and guesses the end to EVERYTHING) was still entertained and engaged. It held on to the meat of the book and was still able to stand on its own enough that I didn't have to explain/ expand on anything to my husband afterward the way so many readers have to after watching book adaptations with non-readers (I am talking to you, Harry Potter movies). Some reviewers were upset that the actual games did not start until well into the movie, but the story is about much much more than the games themselves and so it seemed natural to me that they would not be the the primary emphasis.
In fact, the movie version downplayed several of the biggest issues I had with the books (Katniss's relentless silliness)which was an enormous improvement. It was visually stunning, emotionally charged, and managed to hold on to a sense of realism and maturity even with Elizabeth Banks in a glittering wig. In short; lighten up. It is an amazing blockbuster flick and a great way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon, not the next piece of cinematic history.