What an Adrenaline Rush!

Rating: 9/10 (24 November 2013)

This was an excellent step up from the first film, which I enjoyed immensely. I think the best choice the filmmakers made was depicting greater stakes at this point--the feeling of the upcoming revolution was ever-present and the bleakness of the situation was unable to be ignored. That urgency, I think, is what makes this a better film than its predecessor.
The acting throughout was superb, particularly Jennifer Lawrence (of course). I was also pleasantly surprised by Jena Malone and Sam Claflin, who both gave memorable and strong personalities to their characters.
The build-up to the Arena--all the District 12 scenes and the Victory Tour--was so well-handled that they could have made up the entire movie by itself. I almost forgot there was an Arena section of the story. The Arena itself was beautifully filmed and incredibly tense throughout. Even as a book reader and someone who is very familiar with the story, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
I feel that the only weaknesses were the last 10 minutes or so, which could have been expanded just a bit to better explain the situation. I would also have liked to see a bit more of the other Tributes in the Quarter Quell, especially the brother/sister pair which could have been a real interesting dynamic to explore (how did being in the Games together affect them? Did it make them less willing to be "Careers" again?). A missed opportunity, but it is understandable why the director chose to focus on the other, more important themes and characters.
All in all, my issues with the film are simply minor gripes. It is well-acted, well-shot and thrilling throughout and never, ever drags, despite its 146-minute running time. I wholeheartedly recommend the movie, both as an adaptation of the novel and as a stand-alone cinema experience. It is not to be missed.