Hunger Games LETDOWN

I was excited all week to see this movie. The first Hunger Games movie of a trilogy. I have had my tickets for about a month and we got to the theater early to wait in line. The lines weren't too bad so we actually bumped up to an earlier showing and got a partial refund! (I did have to shoosh Eric during the BD part2 preview). But, the question is how did I like the movie!? I was frustrated. That is the best word to describe it.

*Spoilers*

Here are the things Eric and I agreed on:
1) the absolute desperation of living life in the districts didn't really come across
2) Katniss' internal dialogue adds SO much to the story that it is almost a different story without it. (a few notes in the parachute boxes ain't gonna cut it)
3) I'm not really convinced Peeta would have died from that TINY cut on his leg
4) I have GOT to stop re-reading the books before the movie. It gives me too MUCH detail in my head to work with during the movie and I think in the end it's distracting.

Here are additional thoughts I had:
1) HOW HOW HOW could they leave out the scene where Peeta recounts the first day of school? That was an absolute key scene in Katniss' internal struggle between acting for the camera and real feelings for Peeta. You can see an AWESOME version of the scene that should have been in the movie here.
2) I didn't like the Dr. Seuss-ness of the people of the capitol. I have already seen the Grinch who stole Christmas and I wanted a little more subtlety. I thought what they did to Seneca Crane was EXACTLY right.
3) I'm not sure if the actors couldn't carry it off or the director held them back. Honestly, I went into it completely open to the casting of Katniss and Peeta but in the end I'm not sure it was right.
4) Did they dumb it down? Did they get so scared that little kids (who should NOT have been there anyway!) would be scarred for life? Because, if I recall, BD part 1 had sex and a bloody birth scene and that was PG-13. This should have been rated PG.

Recommendation: See it. But if you have read the books be prepared. If you haven't you will most likely NOT get what was amazing about these books because, frankly, it isn't there!

What did YOU think??
Photo from here