After emerging victorious in the 74th Hunger Games, Katnis Everdeen must now deal with the repercussions of her defiance. This includes her love triangle, President Snow, the 75th Hunger Games, & more importantly the future of the districts & the capital.
Director Francis Lawrence is a step up from the first installment's director, Gary Ross. He was able to create a better film than the first by making it bigger, as any sequel should do, injecting chemistry between Jennifer Lawrence & Josh Hutcherson, & a great collaboration with the cinematographer. Together Francis Lawrence & Jo Willems accomplished spectacular shots that were aided by the beautiful scenery & tremendous visual effects. The Hunger Games here was far & away better than the first. It was more entertaining, exciting, & suspenseful. The screenplay is a mixed bag for me. While it has great ideas about politics & revolution, it also underdevlops characters & contains cheesy lines. While the movie is an improvement on the first it does have a new set of problems.
Staying true to the book is not always a good thing. Film & books are two very different forms of entertainment. Just because something works in a book does not mean it will work in the movie. If something is not essential to the plot then it has no place in the film. I could have cut at least 20 minutes out of the movie. For example, some of the costumes in the movie are just ridiculous. You get sucked into the movie & then you see Elizabeth Banks walk in with clown make up & the movie loses you. I know it is to further show a separation of the lifestyle between the rich & the poor, but their environments already accomplish that. It is a shame considering what a great concept the movie has & it allows moments like those to disconnect you from the situation. Hopefully the rebooted version of this franchise will go for a grittier, more realistic touch. The pacing is also an issue. Sometimes you are waiting for the movie to just pick up already.
The acting is good all around. Jennifer Lawrence was able to do more with the character of Katnis Everdeen than the first. Not only is she one of the best actresses working today, she also does a great job carrying this franchise on her back. Josh Hutcherson steps up this film. He is given much more to do & his relationship with Katnis becomes believable. Woody Harrelson is great as always. He adds humor to situations while also conveying a sense of mentorship. Sam Claflin as Finnick is a great addition to the cast. He was great, bringing in danger & like ability. Phillip Seymour Hoffman & Donald Sutherland are fantastic actors who are great in the film.
While this is better than the first, it is still far from perfect. I wanted to love this movie but I only ended up liking it. Nevertheless the film is an entertaining time at the movies.
3.9/5
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