Synopsis: After being rescued from the Games at the end of Catching Fire, Katniss finds herself struggling with acute post traumatic stress and is manipulated into becoming the figurehead of the rebellion.
Stan's thoughts: My admiration for the adaptations of what are among my all time favourite novels continues. The film makers haven't attempted to gloss over the horror - physical and psychological of what the key characters experience. This first part of the final book is all about media, propaganda and manipulation with a complex character and relationship story thread weaved through it.
Jennifer Lawrence brilliantly portrays the traumatised Katniss who is not only struggling with PTS but a whole raft of mixed up feelings about Gale and the captured Peta. It sounds like teen schmultz but this is something far more intelligent and psychologically probing.
Josh Hutcherson doesn't get much screen time as Peta in this one being in the Capitol but through Katniss he is ever present and we do get to see much more of the ever so handsome Liam Hemsworth as Gale. Bonus.
Was slightly worried at the end of Catching Fire that Finnick (Sam Claflin) was going to be a more stable and together character than the book portrays but that seems to have been set right although I think his character's story has been a little sacrificed in order to keep the running time down. New cast members Julianne Moore as President Coin and Natalie Dormer as Cressida slot in perfectly though.
Have seen this three times now (yep) and it is some sort of Capitol torture having to wait for the final part in November.
Ratings
- Stan’s 90%
- IMDB 72%
- Metascore 64%
- Rotten Tomatoes 65%
- RT Audience Rating* 75%
* Number of people rating 3.5/5 or higher
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