Let the games begin! But clearly, you don’t need The Littlest Winslow to read another idiot’s opinion about the new film by Gary Ross – the  long-awaited adaptation of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The world is ablaze already, like the Capitol of the Districts the night before the big game! Regardless of the countless other reports, I’m here to confirm that Ross, Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss), and the rest of the creative team behind this movie simply nailed it.

Things that rocked:
Although this movie really is the first major blockbuster of the year (I’ll assume we’re in agreement about forgetting that John Carter ever existed), the tone of the film really stood apart from the pack. District 12 was dark, dingy and abysmal, just as the book had described. The use of a shaky camera added tension, unease and edge. While it had futuristic elements, especially throughout the Capitol scenes, The Hunger Games never felt overproduced, flashy or expensive. Stylistic elements like this allowed the audience to remain character-focused, as it should be considering that Katniss Everdeen is one of the coolest and most ferocious female characters since Sydney Bristow and Buffy Summers. These elements alone are enough to applaud Collins, Ross and the film for.

As the story jumped from the page to the screen, the chosen omissions were more than fair. The Avoxes were only seen, not explained. Madge Undersee and her Mayor father were omitted as well (Katniss finds her Mockingjay pin in town). We also didn’t see the dead kids’ bodies get picked up by a ship. Frankly, these decisions don’t alter the story and really aren’t necessary to the main plot. Kudos to screenwriters Ross, Collins and Billy Ray.

Jennifer Lawrence was absolutely brilliant in the lead role. She did a perfect job of expressing Katniss in full: gutsy, yet reserved; fearless, yet socially awkward. Thumbs way, way up.

Things that rocked less:
In post-movie discussion, my ladyfriend and I weren’t sure how newbies to the series would react to the movie. Did it explain the games enough? Were the sponsors and gifts explained clearly enough? Was Peeta’s character and his motivations fully fleshed out? I’m not quite sure. But if these are the only faults people can find with it, then the movie has done its story justice. I’ll even go on record in saying that The Hunger Games far surpasses the early Harry Potters and the Swedish Millenium Trilogy films. And that, in my opinion, is saying a lot.

The final scene we see is that of President Snow, stricken with discontent, setting us up perfectly for Catching Fire and Mockingjay, the series’ second and third installments. By film’s end, the excitement and heart of the series becomes contagious, and alas, we have been ushered into The Next Big Thing in Blockbuster storytelling. When Catching Fire hits the screens, I’ll be cheering Katniss on, but I don’t think I’ll be alone. The world really will be watching.