Overall rating

2 / 5

headache

PostedMarch 25, 2012

from Los Angeles, CA

The character development was nonexistent. The motivations were poorly defined. Any deep ideas in the book were ignored (or completely missed) by the movie makers. And the camera work was so bad it literally gave me a headache.

No, I do not recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Fantastic

PostedMarch 25, 2012

DiSt

from Sterling Heights, MI

Didn't read the book but the movie was excellent!! Highly recommend it to anyone. Can't wait for the sequels!!!

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

4 / 5

Expectations

PostedMarch 25, 2012

otter272

from Oklahoma City, OK

I took my 13 year-old daughter to see this movie because she wanted to see it. I went into this movie having little expectations because I had never read the book. I saw the trailer a while back when I went to see another movie and thought it seemed mildly interesting but didn't really plan on going to see it. Before going to see it, I had read a friend of mine's review of it and he seemed to really like it. However, our movie tastes aren't always the same so, still no real expectations. I also read that it had made a lot of money on its opening day so apparently a lot of people liked it. However, a lot of people also liked Avatar and I did not. So again, no real expectations.
Point being, my low expectations of the movie made it a better movie.
I would not say it is one of the best movies I've ever seen, nor would I saw that, in and of itself, it was an amazing movie.
It was good. That's about it.
The story was good. I really like the premise behind it. I would have liked to have known more background but I was told that the book itself didn't really go into the background much either.
Again, having not read the book, I can't say if it was better or worse than the book.
Would I watch it again? Yes.
Would I pay to see it in the theater again? No.
Am I now planning on reading the books. More than likely.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Great Movie!

PostedMarch 25, 2012

WMR222

from Durham, NC

Of course, with all movies based on books, don't expect the entire book to be represented on the screen. That being said - this movie covered enough of the books most important parts to make it great and true to the story. The actors were perfect for the parts except for Woodie Harrelson didn't fit my concept of his character - he still did a good job. All the press prior to this movie coming out has made it out to be the next "harry potter" but I don't agree. It's not on that level, however, I would put it along the lines of Twilight. I saw clips prior to the movie of some gory parts with kids killing each other with graphic detail so I saw it without my son first. They cut all the parts I was worried about and it was not bad at all so I will be taking my almost 14 year old to see it soon without reservation.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

4 / 5

True to book

PostedMarch 25, 2012

ridewrite

from cincinnati

I enjoyed the movie and was especially pleased at how tastefully the violence was handled. My children are seeing it tonite, so I feel better knowing the violence is mild. Not that it takes away the ick factor of teenagers killing each other, but I think the story has value beyond that, i.e., totalitarian regimes, rebellion within narrow strictures, survival, etc. Plays on a lot of levels.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

4 / 5

Not as good as the book....but pretty good movie.

PostedMarch 25, 2012

debyak

from Charleston, WV

I loved the trilogy and did not expect the movie to be as good. It did, however, do a good job of staying as close as possible to the book. I would recommend this movie and cannot wait for the other two!

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Excellent

PostedMarch 25, 2012

domare

from Boston

I read the book and loved it so I was really looking forward to the movie. It was a wonderful film creation of the book! The acting was excellent and I especially liked Stanley Tucci and Jennifer Lawrence. She was a perfect combination of strength and skill and not glamorized in a Hollywood way.
My only criticism is that they used a hand-held camera and I do not like that effect. Also, the relationships between some of the characters (Katniss and Rue for example) were much more superficial than in the book.
All in all, they did a great job! I can't wait for the sequel.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Greatness!!!

PostedMarch 25, 2012

Archer93

I have read all of the books and fell in love with them!! I could not put them down once I started reading them! When I first saw the trailer for the movie I was soo excited for it to come out! I could not stop thinking about the movie! When I saw it the day it came out I was truly thrilled with the results! Watching what I had read come to life on the big screen was amazing! Just like when I was reading the books, I was on the edge of my seat throughout the whole movie! I would recommend this movie for everyone to go and see =D

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Impressive

PostedMarch 25, 2012

TSacco1232

As a reader of all three books, I was quite impressed with the movie. Although some of the key book details were slightly changed or cut out, the overall effect of the first book was not lost or tarnished. Yes, there were some things I wish were done differently such as the story of the mocking jay pin or the background story before the games. But once the tributes entered the arena, I thought the action was fairly spot-on. I recommend seeing this movie regardless of if you have read the books.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Boosh

PostedMarch 25, 2012

Meepies

Best movie EVER! Honestly, I would want to see that again and again. Besides the unrealistic cuts and the cutting out of the MOST IMPORTANT PARTS!!!!!!!!!!!!! it was awesome. But remember this: PLUG YOUR EARS BEFORE THE MUTTS COME OUT AND DONT LISTEN TO YOUR FRIEND, go to the bathroom first (I cant even describe how many people ran infront of me to go), and Gale is always saying 'Fml'

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Excellent and Entertaining

PostedMarch 25, 2012

Always1

Top 250 contributor
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Top 250 contributor

from Birmingham, AL

The movie was really great. I enjoyed the scenes and the costumes were well put together. The thought of how people were given food and in return they were entered into the contest to compete for survival was unimaginable. The actors really did a great job with their acting roles and scenes. Overall, the movie was enjoyable and phenomenal.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Wonderful Movie

PostedMarch 25, 2012

Bookfriend

Movies are never as good as the books, but this movie was very good. Of course the characters don't look like you imagined, but I liked all the actors and thought they did a convincing job of portraying the essence of what Suzanne Collins wrote. The movie can be enjoyed by everyone, but it is probably better if you have read the books. I would not take small children because of the violence, but it was not gratuitous and is appropriate for teenagers. The scenery was beautiful. I will definitely see it again and will recommend it to friends.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Great Adaptation

PostedMarch 25, 2012

Josephinnegan

from West Virginia

This movie was an excellent adaptation of the even better book. I have read all three books and I was extremely excited for the release of this movie. This movie followed along well with the book however there were some differences. Those are to be expected though when you take a book where most of the plot takes place through an inner monologue. The acting and directing of this movie was great and I am anxiously looking forward to what the next movies have to offer. Stop reading about and go see it!

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

WORTH GOING TO SEE OVER AND OVER

PostedMarch 25, 2012

SaraS13

from Kansas

As a mother of two 11 yr old girls I read the books after watching the trailer. The girls wanted to see it but I was a little hesitant knowing what was in the books but I made them read the books before I would even think about taking them. I decided to take them and I am so glad I did. Even my 9 yr old son could watch this. It is very good and sticks to the books but doesnt show alot of bloodshed. You know what happens without having to see in great detail how they died. I feel that the way the director made this film was exactally how it should of been done. I am now waiting excitedly to go back andr re-watch this over and over. Can't wait until the dvd is released. This was way better than expected and with great actors this movie is a must see. Although nothing like Twilight but always being compared to it I would go see this over Twilight any day! I was impressed with how many older (not teens) there were that were standing waiting with me in line. I am 31 and there was many my age and older.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

They did their best

PostedMarch 25, 2012

Cristhiane

from Chino, CA

And it didn't disappoint! Of course, there's just no way to get a great book like Hunger Games into a movie without losing some of it's crucial self dialogue. But they did the best and I really enjoyed it. I would encourage anyone to watch it.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

4 / 5

Good Movie

PostedMarch 25, 2012

DannG

from Cincinnati, Ohio

Imagine Running Man and Logan's Run rolled into one movie, but longer than both combined. It's a good movie. I'd recommend it for the theater experience.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

4 / 5

Decent adaptation of the book

PostedMarch 25, 2012

daisygurl4

from Columbus, OH

I just recently read the books so it was still pretty fresh in my mind. I think the movie does justice to the book. It really is geared more towards people who have read the books who would understand aspects of the story without it having to be told on-screen; my husband, who went with me and hasn't read the books, got lost a few times and needed me to explain certain aspects to him afterwards. A fan of the books needs to accept that if they put everything in the movie that would translate to the screen the movie would probably be 5-6 hours long. Overall I think it was a good movie and a decent adaptation.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

3 / 5

Mediocre

PostedMarch 25, 2012

Goodgirl2550

My expectations were much too high; after reading the book and thoroughly enjoying it (upon getting past the first few chapters), I was looking forward to great special effects and well-developed characters. But Im a middle aged woman and this movie is geared toward the young, so what do I know? lol

No, I do not recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Fabulous!

PostedMarch 25, 2012

UGADawg

from Atlanta, GA

Loved every single minute of it! I read the book and knew what happened, but my heart raced the entire movie. Loved it. Very similar to the book...cannot wait for the next!

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Loved Everything About It

PostedMarch 25, 2012

Jenc1432

from Cranston, RI

Maybe it's just thrilled Jennifer Lawrence didn't ruin it like Kristen Stewart did Twilight, but I thought it was amazing. Really well made, really smililar to how I imagined the setting, and the acting (especially for a young cast) was great. I thought they stayed true to the book, which is tough to do. Any changes didn't really effect the plot. Katniss is the ultimate protagonist and Jennifer Lawrence is going to make herself a household name. I'm a fan!

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

4 / 5

Good movie but camera problem

PostedMarch 25, 2012

anllyea

from Greater New York area

I haven't read the books yet. Overall I could follow the plot and wanted more! I loved the costumes and the fire effects on Katniss and Peeta. I don't like gory and bloody movies but this used gore effectively. My complaint is that the camera jumps around a lot for suspenseful effect and I nearly got sick from it and had to look away. Again I haven't read the books, but Katniss could've been better, she was pretty nonchalant most of the time, like a dumbfounded look on her face reminiscent of Bella.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

4 / 5

Really Good Movie

PostedMarch 25, 2012

bob101

from Maine

We thought that the Hunger Games movie captured the book really well. The action was great. The actress who played Katniss was excellent. The two male actors, who played Gale and Peeta however were a bit of a disappointment for us. Liam was too much of a pretty boy to play Gale, and Josh just not what we expected the Peeta character to look like. There was also a lack of chemistry between Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson which made a lot of their scenes together kind of awkward. The book plays up this awkwardness between the two characters so maybe it was purposeful but It still made us squirm a bit. We loved the soundtrack. And despite the small criticism about these two male characters, we really enjoyed the film and highly recommend it!

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Excellent movie

PostedMarch 25, 2012

Flurrie

from Connecticut

Our family went to see the movie - including our 16 year old son who had not read the book. We all loved the movie and are looking forward to seeing the second movie. My daughter and I - having both read all three books - were worried about how they could make the movie PG-13 and still represent properly the themes of the book and the violence of the Hunger Games. We were impressed with how well the movie captured the book, and how it did not change too much. A good book is always better, but visually, this movie captured the book.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

3 / 5

okay movie

PostedMarch 25, 2012

deblr

from GA

Not the best I've seen but not the worst either. But Jennifer Lawrence was really good in her role.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Excellent Movie after Reading the Book

PostedMarch 25, 2012

ph3byrd

from Oklahoma City, OK

I have watched many movies made after the book release. I am usually disappointed. The Hunger Games did not let me down. It did have to leave out details as most of these movies do, but it ran almost 2 1/2 hours. To get all of the details would have probably taken 6 plus hours. This is one of a handful of movies I have seen made after a book that I was excited about after leaving the theatre.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

The Hunger Games delivers!

PostedMarch 25, 2012

momuv3

from Tampa, FL

I've read all the books, so I knew what was missing. However, they did a very good job of condensing parts to make a seamless story. Well done. The scenes and actors lived up to my imagination from reading the book.Can't wait for the next one!

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

4 / 5

PostedMarch 25, 2012

JustAReviewer

Having read the book, I can say to those who have done likewise, it makes the transition very well. The writers knew what they were doing when they were choosing what to add and what to take out to make the film adaptation work. By the way, to those who complain about changes, you see, film is different from a book -CHANGES AREN’T JUST GUARANTEED, THEY ARE NECESSARY- now back to the review. The acting is really well done, and they all did what we wanted them to in the film adaptation. Some things from the book are quickly breezed over, big things too, but they left good impacts. The editing of the film can be distracting in the first half, but it gets a lot better. The film carried all of the tension and suspense that people (including myself) loved from the book. I am very happy to confirm that the film made the transition from book form flawlessly, and I am excited to see the series continue, and become the new sensation with Harry Potter finished, and Twilight (thankfully) coming to an end very soon. That does bring me to my one fear though, the love triangle is played up much more here than in the book, and I fear teams may arise, which has a lot of potential to ruin the series for me. The love triangle only felt played up a little bit, which I can sort of understand, I just don’t want this well written book series to become Twilight all over again. As it is though, it is very well worth the price of admission.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

4 / 5

Decent for what time/limits they had

PostedMarch 25, 2012

LTB103

from 1985

I've read all 3 books and consider myself a purist when it comes to book-to-movie adaptations. That being said, some things have to change since they can't fit everything into a movie. But I felt that a lot was left out--the tributes weren't at all depicted as starving or dehydrating as they should have been. The severity of the situation--it should've been days in the arena with no food/water, etc.--wasn't shown.

Also, they cut a lot of little things that would have been easy to include and add to the film, like Madge, Peeta and Katniss's time in the cave, and Katniss giving Peeta the sleep syrup in order to go to the feast to get his medicine. Also, the whole thing was too rushed. It felt like this book, out of all the others, could have been a 2-part movie to get a feel for the characters. The end of it was definitely too rushed through.

All in all, it stuck to a lot of things in the book, which I appreciate. The addition of Haymitch talking to sponsors and the scenes with Seneca Crane and President Snow really helped add to round out the perspectives of the movie, not just seeing it through Katniss's eyes. I'd recommed this to friends.

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

5 / 5

Great movie!

PostedMarch 25, 2012

Pahoua

This movie reflected greatly on the book! I was smiling half the time because it looked exactly how I pictured it to be! It was a phenomenal movie with a great cast and action!

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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Overall rating

4 / 5

Almost Perfect

PostedMarch 25, 2012

Tracker1950

from Prescott, AZ

Having just read the Hunger Games trilogy a couple of weeks before seeing the first movie I had the story fresh in my mind. I had my own idea of how the characters would look and act, what the settings would look and feel like. I was not disappointed for the most part.

Especially impressive was Jennifer Lawrence's version of Katniss, the "girl on fire." She is simply flawless and exactly as I had imagined her.

The two characters I felt were lacking were Gale and Haymitch. To understand the tension between Katniss and Peeta we need to have a better understanding of the relationship between Gale and Katniss. I don't think that was developed adequately in the film

And although we get a picture of Haymitch as a drunken, unhappy "victor" I felt, again, the character was given the short shrift in this first installment. I sincerely hope in the second film these two characters are fleshed out more.

But overall I found the movie very well done. The casting is spot on, the world created matched my vision of it from the books and I look forward to the second movie!

Yes, I recommend this movie.

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