Had I not read the book, I might have enjoyed The Hunger Games. However, since I read the book and loved it, I was sorely disappointed in the movie. There are some key things that took away from the movie: the conversations between the Head Gamemaker and President Snow, the fact that the mutations did not have the faces of the fallen tributes, the notes from Haymitch in the gifts sent by the sponsors, Catniss and Peeta not getting a chance to put the berries in their mouths.
While I understand that books are usually better than the movie, I have never felt this sense of loss after watching a movie that I feel with The Hunger Games.
While I would recommend the movie to a friend, I would recommend it to someone who has not read the book.