Not as good as the first one

Rating: 8/10 (3 December 2013)

I liked the first installment of the movie better but this one is a very solid movie. I have not read the book so I can't make a comparison but in this part we see the consequences of the actions our protagonist made in the first movie. Katniss suffers from nightmares because she was forced to take a life in the arena and she must travel all around to spread a word about greatness of Panem. And of course, she must maintain an illusion that she loves her partner Peeta. Those are tough times but it's going to get worse for our heroes. President of Panem wants them dead but before that, he would like to see their images broken. To that end he has a new gamemaster, who advises him to conduct more extreme (read more violent) measures to quell the beginning of unrest and rebellion in the 12 districts. This plan seemed, at least to me, pretty counterproductive and there is a twist at the end of the movie which I will not elaborate in detail, but which can be deducted from these actions. The setting is very different from part one, where our heroes were outcasts in the Hunger games but this time, since all the former victors of the games are again drafted to fight to the death, this makes them in some aspect allies or at least sufferers in the same situation. Katniss and Peeta now have friends among the tributes but since they are brought to the arena to die, they also have enemies. Interesting thing for me was the fact that the tributes had the opportunity to criticize their situation on TV. I thought that president Snow tries to have everything under control and this seemed a little naive to me. And there is another plot hole which I must mention. At the end of the movie Katniss escapes from the arena after she destroys a dome above her and the rebels seemed to have waited exactly that but how she knew what to do is never explained. Maybe there is some hint in the book. All in all I like Katniss and Peeta and I am looking forward to the conclusion of their struggle against Panem and president Snow.