Basic Story: Katniss and her fake man kicked some butt in the last hunger game - a celebration of the last time the government kicked the rebel's butt (I would rate that one 3 fists up by the way). Unfortunately for her though, her willingness to kill herself rather than take another's life turned her into a rebellious icon. This was not her intent, however. She just wanted to save her sister and hang out with her real man but she got pulled into heroism (or is it heroinism - you get my meaning), insurgency and potentially revolution (just thinking ahead). Evidently people are no longer willing to put up with the government's gloating about their victory and over-the-top opulence of the wealthy elite who benefit from the situation - think French nobles set in some Terry Gilliam-like future repressive otherworld and you got it. The have so much food…. How much food do they have? They have so much food that they have ipecac filled champagne so that they can barf and scarf down some more. All the while the various districts (places where the subjugated live - like shantytowns) try to get by on scraps.
The state (led by a sinister Donald Sutherland) sees what's going on (as the ever-surveilling power that it is) and decides to try and eliminate the inspirational Katniss. But how? Well, they need to rope her back into a dangerous game (like Prince John ala Robin Hood) and once involved they could kill her or rather she would be killed in the game and the legend would be over. Well, that was the plan. She goes, she fights, then fights, then some of those who are supposed to kill her help her (to her surprise) and then she realizes that like the state the rebels have plans for her as well. WHAT? She is not only a rebel but probably their most important member. There's an explosion, the state's all powerful net of repressive surveillance is taken down and Katniss (along with the inner core of the rebellion) escape.
Sound like Richard Bach's Illusions: Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah? Sound like the Empire Strikes Back meets Matrix 2? Yep.
Did the challengers really win? Well, I would argue that although the government has not been overthrown (yet), the pace of insurgency has increased and the rebel core is in tact. If the rebel's have not won completely dethroning Sutherland, it is clearly moving in that direction - boringly and uncreatively so. Indeed, the only thing that potentially saves this film series is if Katniss gets shot by an arrow that she herself shoots and her fake boyfriend decides to date her real one raising her child that she gives birth to right before her passing (acknowledging that this way they can still keep Katniss alive). This would lead to an interesting court battle as Katniss' sister and mother might file for custody. And, did they really need to beat up Lenny Kravitz in Rodney King like fashion. He is the only recurring black character in the film. But, I digress.
Pop Struggle!
Film: American in Origin (2013). Film Information.