Movie Review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
Written by Anthony Sargon
We all know that most sequels are generally never as good as the original. Although a few have definitely managed to outshine their predecessors (The Empire Strikes Back, The Godfather Part II, Spider-Man 2), the majority of them sadly miss the mark. Thankfully, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is a superb sequel that improves upon its predecessor in every single way imaginable, and leaves the audience wanting more.
Following the events of the first film, Katniss Everdeen just wants to forget the games. She's haunted by images of the people she's had to kill, and her "relationship" with Peeta is starting to take its toll on the two of them. Things go from bad to worse when it becomes clear that Katniss and Peeta's victory at the 74th Annual Hunger Games is leading to a revolution, something President Snow is not too pleased about. In an effort to end the rebellion and silence Katniss for good, our two recent winners are thrown back into The Hunger Games in an "all-star" battle that promises to be unlike anything Panem has ever seen before.
I haven't read the novels, so this review comes from a totally unbiased perspective. I liked the first "Hunger Games", but I didn't love it. For one, there was way too much shaky cam, which I found extremely distracting, and the film had some pretty cheesy effects. I was also probably expecting too much given all the hype surrounding the film, so I guess I was a little underwhelmed.
None of these issues apply to "Catching Fire", however. The performances are all great, especially the incredibly gorgeous Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. She exudes so much confidence that you just want to curl up in her arms, like little Peeta. Speaking of Peeta, I though Josh Hutcherson was much less annoying in this film, and I actually believed his and Katniss' complicated affair. Liam Hemsworth gets more to do this time around as Gale, and he's solid in that. Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks are once again great as Haymitch and Effie, but my favorite still remains Stanley Tucci as the super over-the-top TV host with his purple hair and pearly whites.
Directed by Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend) the film is beautifully shot, and like I said, the shaky cam problem is no more. The action looks great (and clear), and Lawrence is great at building palpable tension. Weirdly enough, the movie had elements that reminded me of "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" with all the different teams, alliances, and supernatural obstacles that they had to weather during the games. It's fun, and it's very well paced. This is what I thought the first "Hunger Games" movie should have been like.
One nitpick I have is that I thought too much of the film's running time was taken up by Katniss playing dress up (we get like three scenes of her showing off her dress), which was a tad excessive. Either way, I'm still very eager to watch the last two films (book three will be split) in the series and see where the story goes next.
The Verdict:
"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is that rare sequel that improves upon the original in every single department. Whether or not you've read the books, go out and see this, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
Numerical Score: 9/10
Read the Original post on A Geek's Blog
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