Hunger Games - 2012 - 5/10

I delayed watching this for the longest time.
Comments from fellow Asian flick fanbase held me off. Constant mumbling about this being a mere ripoff of Battle Royale.
Fears unfounded, it was not an imitation of Battle Royale. Nor was it a passable action romp.
Instead it was a boring character study, minus (according to friends who read the novels) vast chunks of narrative.
As an action film NOTHING happened for the first hour. Blame the screenwriter, blame an inexperienced director.
Contrasted with Fukasaku (BR), who was a master of staccato violence and relentless movement, Ross’s HG was leisurely and spare.
One memorable scene involving bees (wasps, hornets) he milked for several slow minutes. Gibson covered similar territory in Apocalypto far more effectively and efficiently in 15 seconds.
Hunger marketed itself as a big budget actioner, it was not.
I could rate it much lower, but my expectations were already lower than dirt.