This was the movie I wanted!

So, I’ll admit that I was late to the HARRY POTTER party and didn’t read any of those books in time to see their movie in the theater (I’m 5/7 competed currently), haven’t done much with TWILIGHT either. So I consider HUNGER GAMES my first experience into the “cult book following turned into blockbuster movie franchise” world.

And what a way to enter it.

I was a part of the midnight screening crowd at the Showplace Icon Theater, in St Louis Park, MN. It’s one of my preferred theaters but its great for midnight showings. The crowd all reacts in the right places, and you could feel the excitement and the buzz all around us. However when the gentlemen introduced the movie at the theater he mentioned THE AVENGERS midnight release tickets were available so guys could “get back” at the girls who brought them there.

Let me squash this rumor floating around if you haven’t read the books. This is not a reincarnated TWILIGHT. Yes, there is a “love triangle” in the storyline but the tone of the movie does not make it the focus at all. The group of 5 gentlemen that I went with thoroughly enjoyed ourselves without any women forcing us to be there. It has action elements, sci-fi elements, and one dude with a kick-ass beard.

WARNING: IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK SOME PLOT SPOILERS MAY BE IN THIS REVIEW. PROCEED WITH YOUR OWN RISK

As someone who has read the books you can tell great care was taken with adapting this to the big screen. There were minor cuts but they didn’t sacrifice story with them, all of the elements and pieces that I enjoyed in the books remained. The added scenes with President Snow and Seneca Crane were welcomed as I enjoyed both of their performances and it was one of the ways to help communicate ideas from the book in a way that fit in this medium for telling the story.

I was a bit concerned as the book is told in first person that this could lead to a lot of voice over sequences, which would pull me out of the movie, but thankfully there were none. Little added scenes like the Snow/Crane ones were peppered in to explain all the necessary details without feeling like they were doing such.

Casting is essential to any movie, and even though there is no current Oscar for it, this team should win one for what they did. Ok, maybe that’s a little extreme but there wasn’t an actor or actress in this film that didn’t feel right. Yes, if you’ve read the book you have some ideas that have popped into your head of what people should look like. While, some of them aren’t what they pictured, they captured the attitudes, feelings, and dialogue as I had pictured (and isn’t that the part that counts?)

The scenes with Rue (the tribute from District 11) were all I could have hoped for and more, and the scene after her death was so exactly what it should be, I got shivers down my spine just from how invested I was in that moment.

All of the acting again was great: Katniss, Peeta, Rue, Effie, Haymitch, Seneca, President Snow, etc. all these characters were represented very well in the films and you could tell the actors had been close with the source material. Gray Ross was also an excellent choice as the director also has to be given credit for knowing the material and bringing out the correct performances from his stellar cast.

HUNGER GAMES also does a great set up for the second and third parts of this trilogy. Slightly but accurately laying the framework for what is yet to come.

This movie has all the elements of a blockbuster hit, but also a quality movie – soundtrack and score, a great script, phenomenal performances, wonderful direction. You can tell it was done with all the care in the world. When we get to the actual games themselves, the violence was not an issue, they put in what was necessary but it was not glorified or excessive. Which falls in line once again with the view Katniss has for it in the books.

It’s a movie that I will see again in theaters, and a new experience for me to have to wait along with the rest of the world for the second movie to be released and for us to do it all over again.

I may pop in added thoughts after my second viewing, but also check out Sven’s opinion.

The book is an easy read because it is such a great story and I would suggest that before you see it, if you can, because I feel like it does enhance your appreciation for how well it was done. If you don’t, it is set up so well that you won’t be lost and will get all the information you need from the film itself.

My first 5 popcorn bucket review. (AND a large pop…it was that good haha!)

Definitely go see it, and read the book, doesn’t matter what order. Just do it.