“So which one was better, the book or the movie?” It is a question that I am often asked when I see a film adaptation of a popular novel. But it is not one that is easily answered. You might as well ask- Which is a better experience: reading a book or watching a movie? Though they may be based on the same subject, and have the same character names and basic plot-lines, the book and the movie based on it really are different works. And the act of reading versus watching a film are entirely different experiences. The best state of mind is to see both the book and the movie as capable of standing on their own. It is this perspective that I tried to keep when I went to see “The Hunger Games,”  the recent film directed by Gary Ross and based on the novel by Suzanne Collins. The movie has managed to create a huge following, and has broken several box office records on its opening weekend alone, including the record for highest midnight gross ever for a non-sequel film and highest single day gross in the same category. Having just finished the novel a couple days before, I was hopeful for the film. And, like the book, I was not disappointed.

“The Hunger Games” is set in the future, at a time when the United States has been reduced to ruins and replaced by a land called “Panem.” There are 12 districts of Panem, which are ruled over by an all-powerful Capitol. 70 years prior to the events of the film, the districts rose up and rebelled against the Capitol in order to earn their freedom, but in the end were badly defeated. In order to punish them for their behavior, and as a deterrence against future possible rebellions, the Capitol created the “Hunger Games,” an annual televised event in which each district picks two young contestants to compete in a fight-to-the-death tournament, from which only one person can emerge as victor. Our focus is on Katniss, a 16-year-old girl from the 12th district that volunteers as tribute after her younger sister had been selected. The audience follows along as Katniss first trains for, and then enters into the arena for the competition, along with another contestant from District 12, a boy named Peeta.

One of the advantages of reading the book before seeing the movie is that you are able to formulate your own opinion, and can, while reading, create a world based upon your own imagination. Even though I knew that the film could never be exactly as I had pictured it, I found that I was satisfied with the portrayal of Panem, as it was quite similar to my own thoughts. Several scenes, including the grandiose first shot of the Capitol city, fit within my own mental picture. The action scenes were especially dazzling, placing the audience right in the middle of the screen, especially with the use of shaky, hand-held cameras. I was especially impressed by the choice of cast members to portray the many characters within the film. The producers seemed to understand what was most important about each person, and had the actors represent them as such.

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), our protagonist, retained almost every aspect that was essential to her character in the novel. She is strong and quick-witted, and possesses great survival instincts. But she also has a heart, seen in her selfless sacrifice to replace her sister as tribute, or her uncontrollable grief at the death of her friend Rue. She is conflicted by her feelings for two boys: Gale (Liam Hemsworth), the rugged, sturdy type, who is her regular hunting partner; and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), the homely, simple type, born of a family of bakers. And the rest of the characters were also cast perfectly: Elizabeth Banks was just the right amount of annoyingly cheerful in the role of Effie Trinket; Woody Harrelson was cast well as Haymitch, the hopeless drunk that in the end becomes a huge contributor to Katniss and Peeta’s success; and Lenny Kravitz, who surprisingly plays the role of Cinna the stylist well, showing all of the sophistication and confidence that was conveyed within the novel. Though not able to go into too much depth about each one, since we are more limited for time, I nonetheless felt that somebody who had not read the book would be provided with a satisfactory picture of the characters, and of their role within the story.

But there were some differences between the novel and the film, as should be expected. The novel takes place solely within the head of Katniss. Everything we witness is directly from her own observations. An example is when she is in the woods and suddenly is attacked by giant fireballs, which shoot out at her from the trees. She infers that the Gamemakers have set this trap in order to add some action for the people watching at home. Within the film, though, we are not locked inside the head of Katniss, and are able to see action unfolding in all places at once. During this scene, we see what exactly is happening, as we observe the Gamemakers set up artificial fires on their high-tech equipment. The producers seemed to actually linger on the activities of the Capitol and its leaders a great deal more than in the book, perhaps in order to set us up for the films to come.

And then, there were scenes that were cut short, changed, or excluded entirely.  They completely omit the part about the Avox, the young girl that got arrested by the Capitol while Katniss looked on and did nothing to help, which seemed to be symbolically important to Katniss’s character. In addition, there were some parts that felt rushed, as if the film-makers needed to quickly wrap up a scene in order to stay within an allotted time. One of the most important parts of the novel, at the point when Katniss and Peeta are in their cave and are first starting to confess their feelings for one another, was not expanded upon nearly as much as it could have been. Though trying to keep a neutral point of view, I still found that I didn’t quite believe the love story between the two as much as when reading about it.

All in all, though, I was satisfied with this adaptation of “The Hunger Games.” There is enough action to be entertaining, enough heart-warming scenes to feel touched, and some exceptional acting by both new and older faces. The concept of “The Hunger Games” is that of teenagers killing one another for the sake of entertainment, and it actually does show a few deaths throughout. But despite this, the film is not excessively gory or violent, and as such is easily watchable for both young and older audiences. I look forward to the next adaptation in the series, called “Catching Fire,” which will premiere in late 2013.