Katniss or Kantmiss. This sequel is a copy.

Rating: 4/10 (4 December 2013)

Spoiler Alert. Enjoy the movie first if you don't want to be sullied by another's opinion.
First, there is another movie in the wings and given the boffo box office of this meager effort will make millions more.
Let's see, how can we take a formula, alter it slightly and still keep the same thing? Make a sequel to "The Hunger Games" and call it "Catching Fire." We have a subplot involving the revolution that we thought was set off in the first movie. Obviously it wasn't but with Katniss' providing the impetus, rebellious elements are at work in this movie. One is reminded of the "Matrix."
In normal human existence, those that benefit give enough to those who don't so there will not be a revolution. Here, nothing is given back but propaganda. Kind of reminds me of the current American administration but that's not for this post.
It's all so formulaic and predictable. The whole goal is to get the "Whole World" to hate Katniss Let the floggings begin while showing Katniss in a wedding dress. Starve the people while showing Katniss at an elaborate dinner. This "let them eat cake" motive just doesn't work.
Potboilers are not new. Sinclair Lewis wrote "Kingsblood Royal" and it was a potboiler par excellence. But a potboiler inside a potboiler just gilds the Lily. Why? Here's my opinion inside of an opinion: There is simply not enough material to make three good movies but we want to stretch the franchise. So let's stretch the first concept from a pretty well done movie and see how much we can make without much effort. That what the producers must have been thinking. And make a fortune they did while elevating JenLaw into international stardom.
We know that our heroine will not be killed so this movie just drags through "The Perils of Pauline" but with supporting actors who do a good job of self sacrifice. We find out later in the film that they are all in on the joke but who cares. Supposedly nobody dies and they are all hiding in District 13 (Oh, those triskaidekaphobes.) as opposed to "District 9" which may have been more entertaining.
The acting is good and outside of the plastic "elite" roles, characters evolve to a degree. Actually, the characters do not develop in a sense but do coalesce due to extreme hardship. Supposedly they will all have to kill to survive but it sort of works if you don't pay too much attention.
Katniss as Xena warrior princess kind of works but Xena in a transforming wedding dress? Is she Xena or Kantmiss? The fake "marriage" theme just doesn't work if Snow and company are trying to kill her off. Now she's also the victim of a pregnancy which must be immaculate because there is no sex in this movie. But it is all a lie to get support for her plight from the populace that isn't so downtrodden that they can actually send help to someone else. What?
Now instead of individual protagonists, we have couples and these couples are past winners of the Hunger Games. I thought when you won the first time, you were set for life and your district was favored? What happened to that plot line? When did the couples start winning the stupid games? Supposedly there's only been seven gavels with one winner each so where do we get 24?
Fierce couples they are too. These are some really bad ass pairs who drop like paper tigers and operate like unintelligent zombies. At least the first crew were all thinking people and the games worked out in a way. But here, they face much stiffer competition from the environment that they ever do from any other person. The Mandrills are real, imagined? The mocking birds are real/unreal? When is a bite a bite and imagination can kill you if this were a "Fringe" episode where people were attacked by imaginary steel butterflies. Here the fog causes boils and the water cures but you can't drink it. You have to tap a tree. Just any tree?
Supposedly, this whole mess is watched by the "Whole World" and one wonders what statement is being made. If the winners are really a distraction, why would anyone not let the cat out of the bag so to speak? The winners obviously know that the whole thing is BS and they all seem to be pretty independent minded. During the introduction one of the winners Jena Mallone, I think, chastises the process and complains that she was promised an easy life but she's back in these stupid games. She challenges Snow during the games too. Now, that's pluck. Why not kill her? She's obviously telling state secrets and while no Snowden, her crime would be equally reprehensible to the elites.
There are no surprises. Don't we go to movies like this to be surprised at some point? Aren't we more satisfied when our plot-following senses are jarred out of sync and we are surprised and happy with plot twists? The only twisting thing here is the wire that Katniss shoots into the dome with arrows that fly higher than the sky.