Lesser sequel to the original Hunger Games movie...

Rating: 4/10 (26 November 2013)

1st watched 11/22/2013 - 4 out of 10 (Dir-Francis Lawrence): Lesser sequel to the original Hunger Games movie doesn't have the bite or allure of the original. The setup and lead-in to the games is very flat and sometimes downright corny. The viewer also doesn't see the purpose behind everything that is happening as clearly as with the original. There is really nothing terribly wrong in the performances with Jennifer Lawrence in the lead as Kat, but the direction doesn't seem to pull in the emotions or necessity for the story. The main characters emotions are very evident – almost too much so – but the other characters are pretty bland as far as their direction towards their purpose. The story starts with Kat being called out of her hunter's life to leave her current boyfriend to go on a victor's tour with her winner & co-partner for her zone – which quickly becomes a tournament to cover up the actual turmoil and possible revolution in the real world. The game provides a little bit of puzzle solving as it is setup like a clock, but not enough to make it very interesting or much fun. There is a hardness to this movie that is actually pretty tough to take in – a world that makes the normal folk kill each other as entertainment for some reason that is not real clear. Overall this is a just a pretty un-satisfactory movie experience for a franchise that promises at least two more movies.hopefully they pick up their game or it will lose it's audience despite the book series popularity.