spoilers ahead
I'm glad to hear you liked it, Aravis! I did too. Well... I more than liked it.
I really, really loved it. But I'm not without my complaints.
I definitely understand the whole boredom thing. At times, I felt that way as well. I think some of it had to do with the way Katniss was portrayed. Jennifer Lawrence did an incredible job, but I think the creators of the movie took a lot of liberties with her character. I thought they completely changed her personality. In the book, she was arrogant, stubborn, and had a sense of determination that was absent from the movie. She was driven by her anger. Peeta was supposed to be the complete opposite - mellow, calculative, kind, and personable. In the book, they balanced each other out; they were sort of like yin and yang. But in the movie, their personalities were less contrasting.
Another big problem I found was Gale - I'll be blunt, he was way too attractive. I thought he, like Katniss, was supposed to come across as angsty and a bit unpleasant. I'm curious to see how this changes in the next movie. I mean, I'm sure that they will be ramping up the angst since the love triangle becomes so important.
But even though I was confused and a bit unhappy with some of the changes they made, I understand their purpose in the film and I don't see them as huge distractors. Really... all things considered, the movie was very close to the book. Much of it made me smile because it reminded me of the original images I had in my mind when I was reading it.
I think the biggest success of this film is the way it took an already powerful story and transformed it into an even more poignant one. Certain scenes like the reaping, Rue's death, and even Cato's death made me feel a new spectrum of emotion. They added a layer of solemnity that really put the ruthlessness of the Capitol into perspective. I think it's important that this was accomplished, because otherwise it would have seemed like just another teen action movie that included violence for entertainment.
So... yeah. I think The Hunger Games is one of those movies that requires a lot of thought even after you watch it. It's incredible how much meaning a film can add to a story without altering it in any dramatic way. I think it's a work that can stand on its own, which is really saying something, since most films based on book series are pretty hollow representations of their predecessors.
Even if you haven't read the books, I would wholeheartedly recommend this movie. It's pretty spectacular.