We had to wait over a year, but now finally Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is back to the screen.
Living in a repressed futuristic world Katniss had to compete in the Hunger Games in the first part of this trilogy, which will actually be made into a quadrilogy as they are turning the third book into two films. These games are a kind of modern day gladiator entertainment that is staged in order to make the frustrated masses of this utopian world forget about the real issues. Each year only one player gets out alive and in the first film it was Kantiss. However by making everyone believe (or not?) that she was in love with her Hunger Game mate Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and pretending that they would swallow poisonous berries to kill themselves, they cheated the game and were both freed. Now the almighty President Snow (Donald Sutherland) is afraid of a revolution and when Katniss and Peeta cannot convince him on their tour through the 12 repressed districts, he decided that this year’s games will actually consist of all winners from earlier games.
So Katniss and Peeta are back in the ring and the fight is on again.
Although it sounds like a pretty straight forward fantasy action film, The Hunger Games are so much more. For one there’s the oddness of a female lead. Katniss Everdeen really is the heroine of the books and Jennifer Lawrence plays her terrifically well. With grace, fear and bravery she gives the character just enough and never too much of what a heroine needs.
Secondly the Hunger games are no flat story, but run deep psychologically, philosophically and even make remarks about social status and political propaganda.
Although the second film is a lead up to the third and final chapter of the story, it’s highly entertaining, super exciting and most definitely worth the 10 bucks it costs to see on a big screen!
