“The Hunger Games” is officially here. There was a ton of buzz surrounding this film, and it wasn’t for nothing.

With fans of the best-selling book by Suzanne Collins coming out in droves, the film grossed a whopping $155 million at the box office, making it the third highest opening ever. The film features a mix of new and old stars that helped this blockbuster get an early start to the summer movie season.

“The Hunger Games” is a futuristic action/drama/sci-fi movie featuring a nationwide battle royale called “The Hunger Games.” One boy and one girl from each district across the country are picked at random to honor their district and to try to be the last one standing.

When young Primrose Everdeen (Willow Shields) is picked, her over-protective sister Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) decides to volunteer to take her place, and is joined by Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). The duo begin a whirlwind adventure, as they deal with the crowds of people waiting to see them, the stress of preparing for a fight to the death and, of course, unexpected love.

The film is filled with a blend of familiar faces, including the ever-creepy Donald Sutherland, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci and the always-quirky Woody Harrelson. None of these actors, young or old, are megastars like Brad Pitt or Jennifer Aniston, and that really helped the film. Seasoned veterans such as Sutherland, Tucci and Harrelson provided stability to the film.

Sutherland was perfectly cast in the role of President Snow, the calculating and watchful leader. Tucci lights up the screen as the television broadcaster and talk show host— the Hunger Games are filmed for television entertainment. His purple hair and million-dollar smile perfectly framed the circus that the media can become. Harrelson filled a similar void as the erratic and often drunk mentor for the young “tributes.”

With these solid, supporting roles, the young cast of main characters was able to shine and to steal the show.

Lawrence leads the newcomers with a bold performance as Katniss Everdeen, the newest female action star. Lawrence joins a group of very strong female leads right after Rooney Mara as the outcast/hero Lisbeth Salander in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” The role of Katniss somewhat resembles Uma Thurman’s role as The Black Mamba in “Kill Bill.” Granted, the film is nowhere near as gruesome, but the characters have a surprisingly large amount in common.

Both women are incredibly intelligent, physically strong and determined individuals. While many people would describe their actions as masculine and mimicking their male counterparts, they are both beautiful women who are acting on their motherly instincts.

Lawrence has gotten A-list attention for her part as Katniss after bursting onto the scene in 2010 for her part as Ree Dolly in “Winter’s Bone.” She is on- screen for almost the entire movie, yet her character hardly has a dull moment. She dominates the screen, and her passion throughout the film is evident. Look for her to be landing more big roles in the near future.

Joining her in spotlight are Liam Hemsworth, better known as the boyfriend of Miley Cyrus, and co-star Hutcherson. Hutcherson puts out a good effort as Katniss’ pseudo-lover but, for most of the film, he is there as a tool for Lawrence to use.

As far as adapted screenplays from novels are considered, this film was a success. Was it perfect? No, of course not. Almost any screenplay taken from a novel will have a few kinks as the writers change platforms. Considering the novel takes place primarily in the mind of Katniss — or so I’m told — the writers and Director Gary Ross did an exceptional job of explaining the story and showing the viewers what Katniss was thinking.

This being said, there were some very prominent issues. The beginning of the film explains the “Hunger Games” in about four lines of text before we are introduced into Katniss’ home. The brief intro, as well as the brief glimpse into the daily life of Katniss, makes it very hard to get interested in the movie.

The games have begun before establishing a background, which makes the film feel rushed, and leaves many questions to be answered.