Okay, I am literally just in the door from seeing the film.
I had to write this while it's all still fresh in my head, so excuse any typos, it's 11:30pm here.
Also there will be major film and book spoilers, so if you haven't read the book or seen the film, I advise you to come back when you have.
I went into the cinema expecting A LOT from this movie, and I think that most fans of the books will do as well. I wanted it to stay as close to the book as possible, I know they have to make changes here and there in order for it to work as a movie, but I really didn't want anything major to change at all!
Opening scenes kinda threw me a little bit, I was like nooo please don't start by changing things about at the very start. But after a couple of minutes you realise it's just to set the background and nothing is really different from the start of the book. I will say I was confused at seeing the coal miners going to work, I thought that The Reaping was mandatory and everyone had the day off work for it? Maybe it's just to show that district 12 are coal miners at the very start of the film. But I still thought it was strange.
The Capitol is everything I expected and much more. There is one scene where you see a father playing with his two kids. Of course they are Capitol children and all dressed up, but I think it is placed in there to show that Capitol children are safe from the Games. There are also a few clips of President Snow which I really liked as in the book he only really pops up at the very end. There is one scene when he is in the rose garden talking to Seneca and just as her turns to walk away, I noticed a smear of blood at the corner of his lips. Obviously intentional, and if you have read Mockingjay you will know why.
As for the actual game, I thought it went by too quickly. It seemed to only be set over a couple of days rather than weeks as it is in the book. The timings for some events, such as the Tracker Jacker attack was totally off. In the film that happens on the second morning, but in the books I'm sure that happens later on. The fire attack was brilliant though, I enjoyed that. Apart from that everything that happens in the game in the book, happens in the film as well.
I though the game itself would be weird to watch, as at that point in the book it's Katniss on her own and all we are reading are her thoughts. Someone they manage to pull this one off by going back to Caesar Flickerman who is giving a running commentary on the goings on in the arena. I loved this, especially at the Tracker Jacker scene when it explains what they are.
Overall, I loved it!
Best book to film adaptation I've ever seen, and thats saying something coming from the girl with a Harry Potter tattoo! It was completely true to the book with some amazing extra scenes added in.
There are a few differences I spotted in the film, if you noticed any more please let me know!
Mockingjay Pin - We all knew the origins of this was going to be different anyway.
Katniss almost dying of dehydration - She manages to find water right away in the arena.
Katniss going deaf - There is some buzzing and hearing loss straight after the explosion, but it isn't mentioned again and afterwords she seems to hear okay.
Mutts - They aren't the dead tributes returned (thank goodness)
Sleeping Syrup - None of it, Katniss just snuck out while Peeta was asleep, no mention of the syrup at all.
Gift from district 11 - There was no gift of bread to Katniss from district 11
Thats all I can think of for now. My head is still spinning a bit from the film. I might edit this post in the morning and add some more n if I think of any. But for now I am off to start re reading Catching Fire!
