Book vs. Movie: The Hunger Games

So last night I went to see The Hunger Games! It was AMAZING!!! I was trying not to get too excited because I didn't want to be disappointed. I thought it really captured the spirit of the book as well as staying really true to the plot. Not that much was changed which was awesome. I have some bullet points I'd like to address, and there might be spoilers.

- I thought all the actors were perfectly cast and did a fantastic job. That obviously includes Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth as well as the rest of the cast. I was especially blown away by Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman. He had a much bigger part in the movie but I was okay with that because he did such a good job. Woody Harrelson as Haymitch was spot-on as well.

- The set was just how I imagined it. Distict 12, the Capitol and the arena were beautifully designed and really similar to how they were described in the book.

- The entire plot and dialogue were pretty much the same, for which I was glad. There were small differences and obviously things were cut, but the important points were all hit.

- The book is Katniss narrating in first person. But since the movie wasn't just from her perspective, we got some extra scenes with the Gamemakers and President Snow. I really liked these additions because I think they explained things that might have gotten lost in the book to movie adaptation.

- I've always really liked Peeta but now I am in love with him. Josh Hutcherson did a wonderful job and I'm really glad he was cast.

- For some things I didn't like, I was surprised that almost half the movie was the training that goes on before The Hunger Games. I think some of that time should have been added to the arena portion, which could have been longer. I thought that Katniss's relationships with Rue and Peeta could have been developed more. I know a lot of it is them sitting in a cave talking, so I understand why that was cut.

- People have been mentioning they didn't like the shaky cam, but it actually wasn't a problem for me. I didn't even notice it but I also don't get motion sickness which could be part of it.

- I like Lenny Kravitz, but I wasn't really a fan of his portrayal of Cinna. I felt like he should have been more emotional than he was. He didn't do horrible and hopefully he'll step it up in the next movie.

Overall, I loved The Hunger Games and I was very impressed with the movie. It really stays true to the book and now I wish I could watch Catching Fire on-screen so I can see the rest of the series come to life. I would definitely recommend seeing this soon!!