The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

I made a big mistake before going to see The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: I read the book first. And so by my own fault, I went in expecting certain things from the movie, as well as already knowing what would happen. When I left the theater, I wondered why I had no real definitive thoughts on the movie adaptation and realized my mistake was going into Catching Fire as a book reader and not as a movie goer. 36 hours later, I was back in the theater, hoping to see the movie in a new light, and after my second viewing, my eyes were opened to how fantastic Catching Fire was.

Just before the 75th Hunger Games are to begin, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), winners of the 74th Hunger Games, head off on their Victory Tour throughout the dystopian land of Panem. Before they embark, President Snow (President by name, Dictator by practice, portrayed by Donald Sutherland) warns Katniss that her actions in the arena have sparked a rebellion, and in order for her loved ones to live, she must convince the people of Panem that she loves Peeta, and more importantly, the Capitol itself, to squash the rebellion before it occurs.

Despite appearing to fall for Peeta and getting engaged, Snow isn't happy with victors' performance on their tour. Besides, Katniss' heart really lies with Gale (Liam Hemsworth), whose strength, courage, and resilience are attributes she has yet to see in Peeta. Snow and head gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) concoct a plan that will rid Panem of Katniss Everdeen for good.

For the third Quarter Quell, a special edition of the Games that occurs every 25 years, Katniss and Peeta are placed back in the arena. Other victors like the bodacious and borderline sociopathic Johanna Mason (Jena Malone) and the slyly seductive Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin) are back in the game, while four career tributes from Districts 1 and 2 have also returned to compete again. In Katniss' eyes, the odds aren't exactly in her favor, but some surprising allies show up to help her and Peeta survive.

There were a lot of things that Catching Fire remarkably improved on in comparison to The Hunger Games. One step up was in the abilities of its field of actors. I was always a fan of Josh Hutcherson before, but my opinion sharply declined when I saw The Hunger Games. However, like his character, Hutcherson matured as an actor and was a far more effective Peeta than in the original. Elizabeth Banks, who plays Effie (they actually said her name in this movie!!), was able to make her character's change of heart as real to the audience as it was to Katniss and Peeta. Other actors returned and delivered their usually impressive work, including Jennifer Lawrence, Donald Sutherland and Woody Harrelson. When it comes to Master of Ceremonies Caesar Flickerman, all that can be said is that Tucci may just have been born for the role.

From the pool of new characters, Jena Malone was simply perfect as Johanna. While I was skeptical at first, hoping for the character to be played by Naya Rivera or Mila Kunis, I really can't imagine anyone else being as well fit for the part as Malone. Although his true accent arose a few times, Claflin was otherwise an appropriate choice for Finnick and did a good enough job bringing the fan favorite from the books to life.

There's also a much better story here than in The Hunger Games, with better character development and better writing. The trade-off? I didn't always feel the sense of excitement that I felt while watching The Hunger Games. There were certain scenes in that movie that thrill me every time I watch them - for example, the feast scene with Katniss vs. Clove. Since we never get a sense of rivalry between Katniss and these four all-star careers, and because the urgency of murdering children is no longer present, the arena scenes in Catching Fire aren't as intense, and the action is scarce.

Now it could be argued that the arena is not as central to the story in Catching Fire as they were in The Hunger Games, but aside from the cornucopia bloodbath (which was far better in this movie than in the original), there wasn't much intensity in the third Quarter Quell. Having said that, there were a fair amount of moving scenes. The acting by Lawrence, Hutcherson, and Harrelson was amazing during the scene when Snow announces that tributes will be reaped from the existing pool of victors. Also, the stop at District 11 on the Victory Tour was incredible with its combination of James Newton Howard's music and Jennifer Lawrence's raw emotion as she played Katniss in her moments of sadness over the loss of her friend Rue. 

Another complaint I have with this movie is one I shared with its own predecessor. Catching Fire was simply too short. And while the pacing was miles better in this movie than in the original, I still feel like it could've benefitted from an additional 5 or 10 minutes. But a stylistic edge to Catching Fire is that like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Catching Fire is more mature than its prequel, as the characters now with a firmer grasp on what kind of an impact their actions can make. 

While not always as exciting or entertaining as The Hunger Games, Catching Fire stands out for being more mature and with better acting, storytelling and visuals. A disclaimer though: unless Francis Lawrence can make something worthwhile out of the mess that is Mockingjay, don't get your hopes too high for the sequel.

Rating: 4.5/5