The Hunger Games - May the odds ever be in your favor

So I have literally been ranting and raving about this series, encouraging everyone I could to read it. I couldn't get enough of the world Suzanne Collins had built. I have lost sleep because of this thing. What encouraged me to read it was the movie preview I had scene a month prior to the release. From the first page I was instantly in love, I finished the first book in two days. That's a record for me. I'm kind of a slow reader. But enough of my praise for the book. The Hunger Games starred Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Woody Harrelson. The director was Gary Ross who also worked on Seabiscuit, Pleasentville, and Big. There's some variety here, and by his resume something like the Hunger Games is a new ballpark for him. I went into this movie already have built it up to unreachable heights. But I also wanted to treat it as a separate entity from the book. Everyone pictures the books they read differently in their own way. So I knew the director would never be able to capture my version. But I was certain I had nothing to fear. The story of The Hunger Games is a post apocalyptic world being divided into twelve districts and the Capitol. Every year each district offers one male and one female between the ages of twelve and eighteen to be sent into an arena to fight to the death until there is only one remaining. To entertain the citizens of the Capitol, and to show the districts their place under the Capitol. The story starts in district twelve with Katniss Everdeen. Now the actors they got to portray these rolls couldn't have been more perfect. Each actor fit the bill so nicely I was amazed not only with the performances but with how little if at all I had to force myself to imagine these people as the characters I read about. Not to mention Jennifer Lawrence is gorgeous, but that's neither here nor there. If you have already read the book don't go into the movie comparing the two. The only real issues I had were Lenny Kravitz, this guy sucks. He wasn't bad but I'm sure they could have found better. My other issue was Woody Harrelson, I can't imagine anyone else playing this role, I just wish he were a little more rough around the edges. I loved this movie. I can't recommend it enough. I give The Hunger Games a 3 1/2 out of 4. The book ruined me giving the movie a perfect score. But I don't regret reading it first either. See the movie, read the series. I went to the midnight showing, and now I'm going again. This is my Twilight and I will enjoy every second of this story that has enthralled me so. Now I believe that something new can come into this world, something refreshing, something that isn't regurgitated. Unless you have scene the Japanese film Battle Royale.