I am able to admit when I am wrong. And I will not hesitate to admit that when the subject of seeing the original Hunger Games movie was presented to me, I turned my nose up at the idea. Initially I viewed it through the same prism with which i viewed things like Twilight. Something that my younger sister would enjoy, but not something that I as a fan of film would not bother with. But, as I said, I am able to admit i was wrong. Extremely wrong. At the urging of my fiance for years and years, I finally relented and watched the first Hunger Games. To say that I was impressed would be an understatement. That first movie had me hooked. Jennifer Lawrence was great, it was extremely well written, and it left me wanting more. So I was more than ready to see this next installment. I have been converted from non-believer to a fan of the franchise. It is not perfect by any means, but it is extremely entertaining. And I am happy to inform you that the sequel is even better than the first. Director Francis Lawrence did a great job bringing this story to life, and I am very glad he will be directing the next two films. He has a great handle on these characters and does a great job of making us care about them. This film is much tighter in it's execution and keeps us engaged for all except a small portion in the middle. But despite this he never loses the sense of intensity.
Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson reprise their roles as Katniss and Peeta, the first ever co-winners of The Hunger Games. This contest, which pits two adolescent citizens from each of the 12 futuristic dystopian districts in a fight to the death, is just as brutal as it sounds. As victors, Katniss and Peeta are forced to go on a victory tour in which they give scripted speeches and offer condolences to the families of the defeated. But in the background, something is brewing in the background. The people of the districts have been inspired by Katniss and are getting the feeling that they can rise up against the capitol. They regarded Katniss' willingness to take her own life at the end of the previous as an act of defiance against their oppressors and want to join in on the rebellion, even at the expense of their safety or well being. To quiet that hope, President Snow hatches a plot to kill Katniss. Part of this plan is to announce that this year's Hunger Games will only draw from a pool of the previous survivors Games.
As someone who has not read the books, and only just watched the previous movie a few days prior, I was completely engrossed in each twist and turn of this story. The script does well with the tension of the story. It is full of surprises and moments that will have you on the edge of your seat. There are some truly terrifying moments that will leave you breathless, wondering what could possibly be coming next. One scene in particular involving a death fog was very gripping. The movie is PG-13, and there is very little blood shown, but that does nothing to diminish the impact of some scenes.
Jennifer Lawrence is truly great in this film. She masterfully navigates a myriad of emotions in this movie, and does so more than convincingly.There is one scene in particular at the end where she runs through a gamut of emotions without ever speaking a word. She leaps off the screen each frame, and pulls everyone else up with her. That is not to say that the rest of the performances are bad because they are not. Josh Hutcherson does a very good job convincing us of the tortured nature of his character, and makes us really believe he cares more for Katniss than anything else. Newcomer to the franchise, Sam Claflin, was a welcome addition to an already wonderful cast. There is a strength and a vulnerability to his character that he plays very well.Not everyone holds their own though. I am not sure if it is because his character doesn't have much to do in the story, or the way it is edited, by Liam Hemsworth just isn't very good in this. I found him to be very bland and only one scene where I felt he was any good.
But all in all I have to say i would suggest this movie as strongly as I possibly could to anyone interested in heading to the cinema soon. It is a very well executed story and with strong themes that will keep you entertained and leave you wanting more. Luckily we have two more movies to look forward to.
8/10
Brett Royster
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