I can only speak as one who's read the books and loved them (flaws & all). First & most important. Jennifer Lawrence is perfect as the lead character Katniss. She speaks with conviction, emotes effortlessly and thus pulls us convincingly in to the dystopian world of Panem. Despite a few missteps in casting, standouts like Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland & Josh Hutcherson more than make up for other disappointments. For the gore weary, there is some but the movie wisely shows JUST enough to make the viewer feel the sense of danger. The director thankfully expands upon certain aspects of the book and even occasionally improves scenes that were just ridiculous in the book.

Is this movie perfect? No. Could it have taken more chances? Absolutely. But this low key approach to a "sci-fi" movie thankfully has enough action mixed with character moments and plot to make this a compelling translation.