The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

            Don’t even try to lie: You saw the first Hunger Games film. I did, you did, and a whole lot of others did just the same.

            However, opinions may have been a little mixed after the initial viewing. I know more than one person who was rather blunt about their dislike of the film. It was pretty much a perfect 50/50. People either loved it or hated it, with little room for in between.

            I will be straightforward: I liked the first film, but I do realize it was plagued with multiple issues that hampered its critical success. Shaky camerawork was the most obvious, but issues of character development, a distinct lack of a soundtrack, and a lack of focus on key elements of the story didn’t help either.

            So, needless to say, Catching Fire had little to live up to, and a lot to overcome. However, a different director signaled changes. Francis Lawrence, a seasoned director who directed the brilliant 2007 adaptation of I Am Legend was given the helm. Things were changing, and the tone of the first trailer for Catching Fire said as such.

            So was the sequel able to live up to the hype? Well, to make a long story short… yes.

Cast:

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen
Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark

Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorn

Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy

Lenny Kravitz as Cinna

Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee

Donald Southerland as President Coriolanus Snow
Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair
Jena Malone as Johanna Mason

Jeffrey Wright as Betee Latier

            The Positives:

            NO SHAKY CAM. Seriously, this was the biggest problem of the last film. The complete and utter lack of good camerawork was reprehensible, but this film does a 180. Far better in terms of shooting, and even gives some actually interesting camera shots.

            The acting is terrific pretty much all around. Jennifer Lawrence is stunning as per usual, Josh Hutcherson certainly performs better than last time around, and the side characters are also well-executed. A shout-out to Woody Harrelson, as he’s pretty much nailed down the role of Haymitch perfectly.

            A lot of the opening dialogue is taken right from the book, something the first film should have already done. I recognized multiple lines, and they sound crisp and clean on the silver screen. It’s good to see some of the novel made it into the script.

            The Hunger Games takes everything that makes a person and breaks them. There are after-effects from the bloodbath, and no person is able to survive it. So when one of the opening scenes shows a PTSD-esque moment, I realize this film is taking a very powerful issue seriously: the effects of taking a life.

            The encounter in District 11 is heart-wrenching, and probably the most powerful moment of the film. District 11 certainly knows how to work the major feels, as they had the best scene of the last Hunger Games film.

            Multiple plot themes that were brought up in the novel are utilized in the film. For example, the mental struggles Katniss endures having to choose between two loves, the choice of protecting her family or fighting back, etc.

            The new side characters introduced in the film. Mags, Betee, Wiress, Johanna, and Finnick. They look exactly like I thought they would. I wanna highlight Johanna especially, because Malone plays the role of cold, snarky killer perfectly. Out of all the new characters, she was the most well-done.

            The action sequences are clean and crisp, longer, and more exciting than in the previous film. Definitely a more fulfilling experience.

            The final shot of the film is perfect: Katniss. We see her begin to cry, then to apathy, and then to rage. In just a few moments, we see Katniss begin her long, painful, torturous spiral into insanity.

            The Cons:

                        The CGI isn’t… I almost feel bad about saying this, because I have seen perfect CGI and this isn’t it. It’s not terrible, but just not the absolute best we could have.

            The film tries to cover the entirety of the film, and in the end feels rather rushed. There’s just too much in the novel to take it all on.

            One critical item the film overlooks, however, is District 13. It’s almost totally glossed over.

            Long story short, they screwed up Finnick. Instead of the light-hearted jokester we had in the book, I felt this Finnick was more aggressive and unfriendly than he should have been.

            In fact, the outright aggressiveness of all the Tributes was fairly strange, Beetee included. Just seemed like everyone was more confrontational than they were in the film. I’m not sure why.

            This might be the first time I’ve ever heard a film censor itself. It’s funny, but it is extremely out of place. Either say the expletive, or don’t say it at all. A censor is distracting in a film medium.

            The Final Verdict:

            Well, I’m glad to say the film certainly succeeded in reversing the most critical flaws of the first film. Camerawork definitely improved, as well as just about everything else.

            The plot and story of Catching Fire isn’t as interesting as its predecessor, however, but still manages to succeed in numerous ways. The most important, however, is this: How willing would you be to change the world? Are you willing to pay the cost it would take to fight, even for an uncertain outcome?

            What of yourself would you sacrifice?
                                                                                                                                                9/10