SPOILER ALERT!!!!
If you haven't seen the movie yet, wait to read this post because there will be spoilers.
I went and saw the Hunger Games this past weekend and I loved it. Jennifer Lawrence was a great Katniss and despite my initial reservations about Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, I ended up really liking him.
I think the movie did a great job of sticking pretty closely to the book, although there were some obvious deletions due to time. The characters of Madge and the Avoxes never show up in the movie and Peeta's leg seems to have miraculously healed. The background info on Katniss' life and life in the District was only briefly covered and I am curious to see how this will reflect on the subsequent movies, where the rebellion is so crucial. Maybe they will use flashbacks to fill in the holes.
I also felt that they skimmed over the burgeoning relationship between Peeta and Katniss in the days before the Hunger Games and I would have liked to see that fleshed out more, so it didn't feel as though her feelings for him started in the arena.
I thought the movie captured the fear and violence of the Arena without showing a lot of blood and guts. I know that the producers wanted a PG-13 rating and had to tone down the violence from the book, however, I think that the characters themselves showed the violence through either the cruelty with which they fought (Careers) or the desperation and fear (everyone else).
Overall, I really liked the movie and can't believe I have to wait until November 2013 to see Catching Fire!
What did you think of the movie? Did you notice any other differences from the book? Share your comments below!
Miss Keri
