gripping plot with brilliant twists and leaves you wanting more at the end

Rating: 10/10 (8 April 2014)

The film picks up 6 months after where the first one picks off. The film starts with the annual 'victory tour' about to take place. After that concludes the quarter quell is announced by President Snow with the difference being that previous winners will be put back into the arena again to battle it out.
Katniss ,played by Jennifer Lawrence, displays a more serious tone in this movie as the role of being a victor who's supposed to be madly in love to please the Capitol and is then thrust into the quarter quell. She appears very determined to save Peeta as she owes him for things in the past as shown in the first film and the books. Lawrence plays the role of Katniss expertly well, portraying brilliant scenes of emotion of all kinds along with well thought out and well acted out dialogue.
Josh Hutcherson plays Peeta once again and an immediate impression from watching the movie is how much he seems to have matured as an actor as the role this time round was more challenging with him having to do more action sequences along with some impressive dramatic acting through the uses of facial expressions and tone of voice his acting has clearly gone up a few levels not that it was bad before but he was only around the age 18 then so he had time to grow and definitely has.
There are some new additions to the array of actors in the movie. two of them being Jena Malone who plays Johanna Mason and Sam Claflin who plays Finnick Odair. Both play the roles very well and appear to have large roles in the upcoming films also as they're part of the rebellion. Minus one or two occasions where Finnick's accent changes to English Sam Claflin does a very good job of depicting Finnick and stays true to the book also. Jena Malone makes a brilliant transition from a happy and bubbly person in real life to what looks like quite a dark and complicated character that seems fearless. Jena doesn't seem phased by some aspects of acting either as the scene where she strips in the lift might have been a problem for other actors Jena seemed fine even though it was mainly off camera.
The plot is in general very similar to the first film however it takes various twists such as the new quarter quell stipulation and the news of uprising in the districts. the main twist though is at the very end when arena collapses and Katniss is taken away by a hovercraft. Once she awakens the presence of Plutarch Heavensbee is a surprise as he is also part of the rebellion and once we hear what Gale has to tell Katniss about district 12 being destroyed and that they're on their way to district 13 and that Peeta is in the Capitol with Johanna like Haymitch said and the credits then begin rolling you feel a slight bit of disappointment as it's a massive cliffhanger but makes you crave the next one which is unfortunately in two parts and the first isn't out until late November which is a downer but it stays true to the book however and it's an incredible film and a great plot!!!