The second installment of the popular Hunger Games trilogy picks up where the first ones ends, as Katniss and Peeta tour dystopian Panem after winning the 74th Hunger Games, a brutal annual competition designed to punish Panem’s districts for past offenses. The mounting violence and rebellion are well-matched by the vision of director Francis Lawrence (Gary Ross directed the first) and the work of costume designer Trish Summerville, which give the film a dark tone and visual appeal lacking in the first installment. Although the film’s plot is sufficiently engaging, the sumptuous makeup and fantastical costumes, including a monarch butterfly Alexander McQueen gown worn by Elizabeth Banks, make this film a spectacle worth checking out.
Should You See It? Yes. — S.Z.
Viewed at Wehrenberg Galaxy 14 Cine