I'm in the opposite camp from you: I rad the books, but haven't seen the movie(s).

In the books, at least, the purpose of the Games was to create a hero for the people and give them hope that they might someday rise to the same heights. Bread and circuses.

I liked the books very much, but am not interested in seeing the movie because it will be ... different from my expectations based on the books, and that will be unsettling. (If I'd seen the movie first, I'd probably feel that way about the books. )

tanstaafl.