The Reviews Are In: 'The Hunger Games' a Hit With Area Residents

If you notice the person in the next cubicle downing a little more coffee than usual, or the student in the desk next to you nodding off a bit this morning, just blame it on The Hunger.

The Hunger Games, that is.

The much-anticipated movie opened at midnight, and fans crammed theaters all over the nation to get to be among the first wave of people to get to see the much-anticipated adaptation of the book by the same name.

Rosemount's Marcus Theater showed the movie in two theaters, and both were relatively full by the time they dimmed the lights just before midnight.

Cathryn Rossini was there with her 12-year-old daughter Tessa, who used a tried-and-true method to get to stay out late on a Thursday night.

“Just begging,” she said.

“I just really liked the books," she said. "I don't know why.”

Rossini read the books too, and—spoiler alert—said that while she was less than thrilled by some of the violence, she definitely approves of the overall themes of the story line.

“That really did bother me,” she said. “But I think [the movie] really toned that down a lot from the books. And I think the overall message is a good one.”

After the movie, Rossini offered this review: "I'm usually disappointed in movies after I have read the book, but not so in this case. It was a fantastic movie. They stayed true to the book, with great attention to detail, and the acting was phenomenal. You feel drawn into this nightmare, right along with Katniss [the heroine].

"The violence itself is downplayed, thankfully much of it is blurred out. Most of what you will see are the after-effects.

"It was worth getting up in the middle of the night to see The Hunger Games; it is one of the best movies I have seen in a long time."

Rosemount teen Tori Peters read the book, and her friend Payton McCusker of Faribault said she “read it at the last minute and loved it.”

A few seats away Payton's sister, Morgan McCusker, was sitting with two of her friends, also counting down to the start of the movie.

Morgan McCusker said she's a midnight movie veteran, having previously seen the first runs of the Twilight and Harry Potter series, as well as Transformers. She credited her friend, Amanda Penman-Krohn, with getting her to read the books.

“I'm a big fan of the books, said Penman-Krohn, a Lakeville native now living in Apple Valley.

Tony Fazio, general manager at the Rosemount Marcus Theater, said the turnout was about what he expected for the midnight shows.

The Hunger Games is in theaters across the area this weekend, including at the Carmike Cinemas in Apple Valley.