Will The Hunger Games Be Awesome? Or Really Not?

We have our Katniss Everdeen, but will Jennifer Lawrence star in a stinker or a blockbuster?

A Hunger Games question: We've got that girl from Winter's Bone playing Katniss. But will she actually be starring in a decent movie? I got burned by New Moon and don't ever want to be in that position again.
—HearstMom4, via the inbox

Understandable. The good news about The Hunger Games is that we won't get a "heroine" who sits in a chair staring out a window for months when someone makes her sad. (Hi, Bella.)

But will this movie give you enough reasons to clear your schedule for March 23, 2012? Let's decide right now:

Probably.

How do I know?

I've taken a long look at all the elements, from the screenwriters to the producers to that Jennifer Lawrence, and I have no other choice. Observe:

The source material. Writer Suzanne Collins may have written a rip-off of Battle Royale, but it's a flaming Hades of a rip-off. The pacing is excellent, and the world, while not exactly the most buyable concept on Earth, is certainly compelling.

We're talking about children fighting to the death in giant outdoor cage matches, while simultaneously struggling with love triangles and genetically engineered predators. Really. What's not to love?

The director. It's Gary Ross, who has a classy—if not slightly sentimental—track record in Hollywood. He cowrote Big, one of the best comedies Tom Hanks ever made, before helming Pleasantville, Seabiscuit and The Tale of Desperaux. Desperaux got pwned by critics, but the other two films won genuine love from movie experts and audiences alike.

The writers. Here we're on shakier ground. Yes, we have terrific source material from novelist Suzanne Collins. But she is only one-half of a writing team that is culpable for Flightplan, Hart's War and Suspect Zero. Don't bother looking those up on Rotten Tomatoes; none of them were very good movies.

The producers. Again, shaky ground, unless you thought Diary of a Wimpy Kid was brilliant, just brilliant.

The lead. Lawrence may have only one major lead role in her CV, but what a role it was. In Winter's Bone, the then-teen artfully walked a tightrope between vulnerability and the toughness of an Appalachian squirrel pelt. Oh, and she got an Oscar nomination out of the deal. No, Lawrence is not brown (as Katniss very well could be), and that is a disappointment to some. But talent-wise, she is a very good match for the role, and that's much more important.

Conclusion: Expect more than a few fights to the death in the movie ticket line