Liam Hemsworth and Jennifer Lawrence Divided affections

A vast totalitarian regime (called Panem) spies on and crushes all indications of rebellion in the populace. In exchange it provides the proles with reality-TV circuses in which a boy and girl are chosen from among the 12 known “districts” (making 24 contestants in all) ruled by an ageing oligarchy. This can be read as rule by mass surveillance and brutality. The scale of violence is high — realistic rather than brushed over, as suits child warriors who must kill.

A victor of the previous Games is Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence), whose late teen affections appear divided between her official partner (Hutcherson) and her wild-girl heart (Hemsworth).

This coy interplay runs against the adult themes of the film, as do sequences in which the remorseless dictators (Sutherland and Hoffman leave the greatest impact) appear to be weaving a holographic maze to confuse poor Katniss and her companions. The special effects are unconvincing and unnecessary.

A host of secondary players has been assembled (Harrelson, Kravitz, Tucci) with the effect of filling the screen with familiar features that lend bulk and authenticity to the cruelty so often on display. It’s not improbable that in the third Hunger Games film, Mockingjay (which, like the last Harry Potter movie will arrive in two episodes directed by Francis Lawrence), the ratcheting up of mayhem will probably mark the final conflict between a revolt to be led by Katniss and her enemies in their fastnesses.