Last seen in theaters just over 10 years ago, and honestly a bit surprised to find I feel pretty similarly as I did then: very unexpectedly solid stuff for YA and a pound-for-pound improvement over the first one. The rare franchise sequel from this era that basically only keeps and hones in on the stuff I liked (refreshingly bleak attitude about its central romance, fairly considered and grim political world-building, Jennifer Lawrence's talent for looking genuinely and expressively scared/traumatized) and jettisons the stuff I didn't (horribly choppy shooting style, awkwardly and honestly cheaply integrated designs/VFX, not very many good setpieces or interesting supporting roles once the games start).

As with both, the first half that focuses on the depressing backstage showbiz scaffolding of its fascist empire that rules through distracting violent spectacle (and the subsequent celebrity narratives/media manipulation around it) is where its at its strongest, and with the obligatory set-up already out of the way this one really gets to up its stakes and lean into being a downbeat, defeated, and PTSD-riddled depiction of class despair and uprising for teenagers with actual mounting danger and dread. And even when it gets to the capitol and has to do the games again, it's with just enough dark, complicated tweaks to not feel like a retread. Both in terms of plot, because all the other fighters are picked from the pool of surviving victors meaning the dynamics are a lot less juvenile and they can be played by adult character actors with just as much personality as the outside ones who stole the show in the first. (Harrelson, Banks, Tucci, etc... In this case: Jeffrey Wright, Amanda Plummer, Jena Malone, Sam Claflin get added.) And honestly just as a basic gruesome concept, as the characters are forced to deal with the limits of the symbolic defiance and start laying out all the tangible intrigue towards incipient rebellion.

And that's before mentioning Francis Lawrence, who has always been a solid medium talent to watch since Constantine and who has far more dynamic and controlled camera skills for the kiddie survival-horror setpieces than Ross did (even just the naturalistic lighting, basic elegant blocking/movement is a crazy improvement), and Philip Seymour Hoffman who makes for a morosely laid back game maker/conspirator. Also, I get that some people are averse to them on principle but if you're gonna do a franchise middle chapter non-ending, it's best to take advantage and make it as unsatisfying and miserable as possible imo and this also kinda nails that… Sucks they went on to fumble the ending of these movies (and books by the sounds of it) so badly, I think this one might be remembered more fondly if they didn't.

Only major disappointment was that even watching in 4K the home release could not translate the surprisingly strong IMAX decision they made a decade ago to wait to open up the frame until the games start in the final third, introducing the new 70mm format/aspect ratio gradually as a panicked Lawrence is being raised in the elevator and then keeping it for the entire time she's in the dome. Feels a bit funny to remember that (or this movie) so vividly but that's the power of 70mm IMAX, it's been nice to see big movies back to taking full advantage of it recently.