Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the evil Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which "Tributes" must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives, Katniss is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy. If she's ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.I loved this movie. I tore through all three books and had sky high expectations for this movie and it delivered across the board. The cast was great. The tension and story build up was there. There were definitely parts where reading the book helped, but in any good science fiction or "different" world stories - the trick is to make me believe that it could be like that and this movie delivered.
I would absolutely recommend peopled checking this out. It's easily the best movie of the year so far. You should read the books as well. I can't wait for the next two.