What's the verdict: 'Hunger Games' trailer

The trailer for "The Hunger Games" debuted on "Good Morning America" Monday, and the survey says impressed (also: Can.not.wait until March 23).

After debating about the casting - Jennifer Lawrence as 16-year-old heroine Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as her competitor/love interest Peeta and Liam Hemsworth as her other childhood friend/other love interest Gale –  and checking out a teaser trailer, we finally get to really see the casting in action.
If you haven't yet read Suzanne Collins' post-apocalyptic trilogy, this will help, and here's a brief summary: Katniss volunteers for the brutal, government-sponsored televised game that has kids 12 to 18 fight to the death in order to save her sister from having to "play," so to speak.

November 14th, 2011
03:43 PM ET
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What's the verdict: 'Hunger Games' trailer
The trailer for "The Hunger Games" debuted on "Good Morning America" Monday, and the survey says impressed (also: Can.not.wait until March 23).

After debating about the casting - Jennifer Lawrence as 16-year-old heroine Katniss Everdeen, Josh Hutcherson as her competitor/love interest Peeta and Liam Hemsworth as her other childhood friend/other love interest Gale – and checking out a teaser trailer, we finally get to really see the casting in action.

If you haven't yet read Suzanne Collins' post-apocalyptic trilogy, this will help, and here's a brief summary: Katniss volunteers for the brutal, government-sponsored televised game that has kids 12 to 18 fight to the death in order to save her sister from having to "play," so to speak.



Entertainment Weekly doesn't care if you're into YA lit or not, believing that "even the most determined haters felt their pulse quicken in that final countdown, before 24 children of Panem are sent off to fight to the death in front of television cameras."

The L.A. Times points out that if fans were worried about how the dystopian world Collins' created would be manifested on film, they shouldn't be, as the trailer is appropriately stark.

i09 finds Lenny Kravitz to be "a great Cinna," with a heavily made-up Elizabeth Banks looking "pretty spot on as Effie Trinket."

The Washington Post found the trailer to be "a pretty terrific clip, one that hews faithfully to the book and bodes well for the March release."

On Twitter, Bravo's Andy Cohen got goosebumps, and Time's film critic Mary Pols weighs in that it looks like director Gary Ross "is right in tune with Suzanne Collins."

Even those who've never read the books can get into it: Says JD Harmeyer, "I know nothing about "The Hunger Games"....but from this first trailer, it looks pretty awesome."