The Hunger Games (2012)

Title:  The Hunger Games (2012)

Director:  Gary Ross

Rating: Rated PG-13 for intense violent thematic material and disturbing images - all involving teens 

Length:  142 minutes.

Tagline: The Games Will Change Everyone, The World Will Be Watching, May the Odds be Ever in your Favor

Synopsis:  In a not-too-distant future, North America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 12 districts. Each year two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcast throughout Panem. The 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss' young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.

My Rating:(★★★★★)  

Quotes: Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!

 ☆«·´`·.¸★☆★¸.·´`·»☆

My thoughts:  I was super excited to see The Hunger Games today, my husband and I had my parents watch our son while we went to the noon-thirty screening.  I've been waiting to see it since I first heard that they were making it into a movie.  Really, really excited.  So excited that even the teaser trailer had me jumping up and down in my seat and clapping.

I am always reserved at my expectations when a movie is made based on a book that I love.  I was disappointed before when I saw Eragon, but I wasn't disappointed this time for The Hunger Games, and I am even more excited to see the subsequent future films.  I thought it was incredibly true to the book, with only a few slight changes and those made sense and weren't integral to the story anyway, so I don't think I would complain too much about it.

The only thing that makes me go "hmm" is that Haymitch wasn't exactly how I thought of him as being when I read the book.  Even though I'm not complaining about it because I actually thought that Woody Harrelson did a pretty good job, he just wasn't how I imagined Haymitch.  I guess it was because he didn't seem "drunk enough" to me.

I thought that the set up to the games and the games themselves were both exciting and scary, it was completely believable and palpable- the fear that Katniss feels as she is about to be raised into the arena.  

So, I'm happy that I was not disappointed, even more happy that I have no huge gripes about the movie.  Can't wait to see Catching Fire!

In the mean time, go out and see The Hunger Games, and as always, Happy Reading!