Better then the first!

Rating: 8/10 (14 August 2019)

I didn't like this quite as much as the second and first time I liked it but that's seemingly becoming quite normal the more rewatches I have. Still, this one is my favourite out of the bunch and I think it excels in a lot of areas. The tension in the first half is so ominous. You get the feeling it's bubbling just below the surface and at the centre of it, you have Katniss who is forced into a role she doesn't want to fulfil. The dialogue in this movie is much better than the first. There is still a decent amount of the clunky awkwardness but I think it works a lot better in this film given the circumstances. The first movie it felt like Katniss was just a quirky badass girl. In this movie you get the sense, it's more of her trying to distance herself from Peeta and the games. Not to mention the fact that they're still both teenagers who were put through a brutal ordeal and now they have to put on an act and act like they're in love. I didn't mind the love triangle in this film. I think it's more in there to reaffirm the fact that Katniss is still young and to show the dystopian society they live in. Katniss has never done stuff like go on dates or have romantic evenings. Gale has been her friend for a long time so it makes sense for her to have an attraction to him. However, she has gone through such an ordeal with Peeta and when they have to act day after day like they're madly in love it makes sense why she might be conflicted on where her emotions lie.
The action in this film is killer. While the first half is much more about the different classes and districts the second half doesn't disappoint at all in terms of spectacle and CGI. The traps in this film feel more fleshed out and unique than the first. The new characters added bring a new depth to the game as they're given ample time in the first half for you to grow attached to them. They don't overshadow the film but they don't feel like random characters either. My personal favourite of the new lineup is Johanna. This movie also deals with the image of pride and self-worth. Members of the capitol don't care about the other districts at all because it doesn't affect them. Katniss (I believe, Might be Peeta.) Remarks that while people are starving in District 12 people in the capitol have invented drinks to make you throw up so you can eat more food again. It shows a complete dissociation from the poorer districts.
While not as good as the first couple times I have watched it I still loved it a lot this time. 8.5/10