Review: The Hunger Games Movie - LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Opening night, Friday March 23, 2012 my wonderful husband and I went to see The Hunger Games!!

I was super excited!! He was slightly less so :)  Well, it was a game just trying to get in...

1. We ordered our tickets online, like all sane human beings usual.  But when we tried to get our tickets, the machine said we hadn't ordered any.  I am so grateful for smart phones for this reason: I was able to show the manager my confirmation e-mail (which I guess I'll have to start printing out <--- RIDICULOUS) on my phone and he hand wrote us tickets. (That squiggle at the top is a signature...I thought he was writing in Elvish but that's another movie)

2. We arrived two (2!) hours early to the Warren Theater in Moore hoping to get a good spot in line.  Well, that did not work out! Apparently there is a new rule that a line cannot be formed more than one (1) hour prior to the start of a show. So, what did we do for an hour? Ate some dinner, watched people waste spend money in the Arcade, and attempt to form a "line" without the scary manager noticing (not the Elvish-writing one; he was nice).  The scary manager is very good at his job and broke it up every single time.

Regardless of his multiple attempts to thwart my plan for decent seating, we got good seats.

I loved the movie!!  I also knew beforehand that Suzanne Collins (aka The Author and Original Gamemaker) wrote the screenplay.  In my opinion, if anyone can determine what gets cut from the book, she can, and I trust her in those decisions.  I think that's why I was not disappointed to not see certain things in the film.

On that note! For everything that was in the book to be on the screen, it would have been at least 5 hours long! Also, the book is from one perspective, Katniss's (try saying that 5 times fast).  In the book we read her very thoughts...every one of them.  I, personally, am glad they went the route that does NOT include 2 and a half hours of voice overs.  I think the actress, whose name I don't know, did a fantastic job of expressing those thoughts, ideas, and emotions through her acting skills --- because that's what she is, an actress, and that's what this was, a movie!

I've heard some complaints about the camera shaking.  I noticed it once, when [SPOILER ALERT] there was a giant explosion.  But maybe I'm just not that sensitive to it.  Also, I did NOT see it in IMAX because I knew it would be too intense for my taste.

Well, that's it. That's my review.  Also, it was my first blog post.  I guess I must REALLY like the Hunger Games.   Stay tuned for my review of the books! Can you guess if I liked them? ;)