The Capitol Strikes Back! - The revolution will be televised but no one bothered asking Katniss if she wanted to take part!

Rating: 8/10 (21 November 2013)

"The Hunger Games" books by Suzanne Collins have become one of the most popular YAL phenomenon's of recent years, eschewing the mythical fantasy elements of most of the others and in Katniss Everdeen providing a pleasing counterweight to impassive, self-absorbed Bella Swan, even if the story they tell is hardly original ("The Grapes of Wrath" + "Battle Royale" + "Spartacus" + "Gladiator"+ "Rollerball" divided by Reality TV and Celeb culture)
The first movie was well made and exciting, but could not escape from the limitations of its simple and well-trodden narrative, especially since the visceral violence, moral ambiguity and teenage slaughter that gave the horrific concept its power were virtually airbrushed out, making the feared gladiatorial trial into a glorified paintball game fought between fit good looking teens divided into absolute assholes and decent noble saintly types.
Fortunately the second instalment expands both the story and the characters out as other "part 2s" like "the Empire Strikes Back" "Matrix Reloaded" and "Godfather II" did. Set a year after the last movie, it starts with Katniss and Peeta still playing their star crossed lovers part to an adoring televised audience, having become media darlings and an unwitting symbol of revolution and discontent to the masses in the fictional Roman Empire USA of Pan-Am. Wily President Snow at first tries to use her popularity to stave off revolt, something she acquiesces to since she realises the dreadful consequences of another all-out war, but once their whistle stop publicity tour only manages to make things worse, including bringing her own District 12 under brutal martial law, the situation becomes untenable. Shady new game maker Plutarch Heavensbee, a man with his own secret agenda, advises the desperate Snow to hold a special "quarter quell" edition where only previous victors from each district will compete, in the hope of making Katniss out to be a murderer and so kill her popularity around Pan-Am. With events spiralling out of control for the scared and traumatised Katniss, she and Peeta end up back in the games alongside a host of former champions, most of whom are not best pleased and openly incite sedition. As full scale war looms without, within the new games area, Katniss and Peeta make allies with other enforced former champs Finnick, Johanna, Mags, Beetee and Wiress to form a team against the rest and against the myriad dangers sent against them by Plutarch, including acid mist, killer baboons, lightning, tidal waves and rivers of blood. As this happens Katniss finds herself increasingly torn between her affections for hunky paramour Gale while at the same time finding her respect and feelings for Peeta secretly swelling within to the point where she is willing to put his life before her own.
Naturally the film finishes on a cliff hanger of the "tune in next week" variety, but the fans who've read the books will be in no suspense. The direction from journeyman Francis Lawrence is good, and the script by Beaufoy and Arndt is effective and manages to create a sense of increasing emergency and tension as not only Katniss' world, but the entire system begins to fall apart as a result of her simple desire to live. The costumes, CGI cityscapes and sets are more impressive this time around (the safer bet having paid off) and the Hunger Games arena is a replica of Hawaii (shot in actual Hawaii though) which makes for a visually more interesting setting than No1's generic forest.
The characterisation and the skilled actors bringing them to life are particularly impressive. Lawrence continues to grow as an actress, and oddly makes Katniss more vulnerable and human this time around, a scared, traumatised victim of other people's power play rather than just the ballsy archery chick of the first instalment. Josh Hutcherson still plays Peeta as a noble soul, but there is also vulnerability in him, hidden beneath, while his romantic rival Gale becomes the rifle wielding resistance leader courtesy of Liam Hemsworth but still has very limited screen and plot time. Woody Harrelson makes his alcoholic former champion and mentor Haymitch into a more rounded character, one who has seized the Katniss phenomenon and sees the chance to use it to finally do something good. Ditto Elizabeth Banks as oddly costumed hostess Effie, changing her horizon line of loyalty from the Capitol to her own personal team and so edging from quasi villain to quasi heroine. Stanley Tucci still excels as that personification of game show host false bonhomie and glitz Caesar Flickerman, with Marie-Antionette wig wearing Toby Jones still around as sidekick. Phillip Seymour Hoffman brings his usual cold, sinister cerebral quality to ambiguous game maker Plutarch, someone who may be a good guy but is still someone you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. Veteran master and legend Donald Sutherland (thank goodness these films exist to introduce him to a new generation) expands the character of President Snow, making him less villain and more just the guy at the top trying to keep everything from blowing up, increasingly frustrated as he realises bloody war is coming regardless. Jeffrey Wright, Amanda Plummer, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone and Lynn Cohen make for good former champs and allies, making this more a team event that all against all.
A solid middle chapter, and the last to feature the 'games' concept (already well played out by Episode 1 and feeling quite deja-vu here) it stands as a great improvement on the already solid first part and hopefully a good indication of the civil war drama to come in episodes 2 and 3.