Every
few years we get a new series that takes the film industry by storm. Harry
Potter became a worldwide sensation and the highest grossing movie franchise in
history. Twilight, as bad as it is, made billions and broke box office records.
And now the Hunger Games is in the spotlight and people are going crazy for it,
because nothing says fun like a bunch of teenagers killing each other. Based
off the acclaimed book series by the same name, the story of Katness Everdeen
is certainly one I can get behind. An underdog willing to sacrifice herself for
her family and fight for her people, and unlike Twilight Katness is a likable
and empowered lead character that doesn't whine all the time and want to date a
sparkly vampire. Catching Fire is the second installment in the series and
takes place what seems to be a few months after the last movie. Katness is back
home before having to go on a winners tour due to her new found fame, but all
she wants to do is stay with her family and put all this behind. Before leaving
she is visited by the president who wasn't too happy that both her and Peeta
survived the games, she has even become a beacon of hope for the rebellion
against the government. So by threatening her family he plans to keep her on a
short leash hoping she won't say anything that will start a revolution. So her
and Peeta set off on the tour and put on their best happy face, but in reality
there's still a bit of tension between the two from the previous games; but the
world thinks they're in love so they have to go with the public image for their
family’s sake. After an incident at one of their stops, sh*t hits the fan. The
rebellion is right on the verge of happening and Katness is the face of it. So
the president starts to scheme, and with some advice from the new head game
maker he formulates the perfect plot to get rid of Katness. For the 75th Hunger
Games, the tributes will be picked from previous winners; and being the only
woman from district 12 to win, she's entered by default. Put up against trained
killers, Katness is in for the fight of her life; you don't win the Hunger
Games, you just survive. I was not a big fan of the last Hunger Games movie, I
thought it was pretty good but not a movie that I was compelled to watch again
soon after. Catching Fire is a vast improvement over the last movie and I
really liked it. The writing in this movie was quite a bit better than the last
one, I was told Catching Fire was the best book in the series and you can
certainly see the improvements from the first movie. Catching Fire is a bit
more CGI heavy than the last movie but fortunately pulls it off, nothing looks
cheap and lack luster like the dogs from the first movie. The actual tournament
is also a lot more entertaining than the first one. In the last movie I actually
thought some of the action scenes were boring but in Catching Fire they are
pretty badass. Jennifer Lawrence does a great job as Katness, and while
everyone in the film does a good job she stands head and shoulders over them.
Another improved aspect would be the love triangle between Katness, Peeta, and
Gale. It's a lot less annoying in this movie, but still suffers from some sappy
moments. A surprising part that I liked was the political aspect; we get a real
good look into the capital and the presidents thoughts. In the last movie we
were just told that the capital was evil, but in this one we actually see it.
But what I loved most about this movie is actually something they decided to
take out since the first one, no more shaky cam. The cinematography in the
first movie wasn't great, and the shaky cam was out of control. In this one the
overall cinematography was much better and they took out the shaky cam all
together, which made me happy. While a big improvement the movie still manages
to have its flaws. While less annoying the love story has more than a few sappy
moments. The movie also suffers from the occasional cheesy line that sounds
forced and out of place. Catching Fire also feels a little too long, it's not a
super long movie but by hour two you're ready for the director to wrap it up.
It also takes a too long to get to the games; while it was interesting to see
more parts of this world it takes over an hour for them to make it into the
arena. Perfect it is not but Catching Fire is a huge improvement over the last
movie and one of my favorite films of the year. Its themes on hope and survival
are very compelling, and are complemented by some very intense action
sequences. It's very easy to see why this series is so loved and has become a
worldwide sensation. And as for myself I'm certainly looking forward to the
next installment in the series,
Mockingjay Part 1.
Pros: The games are much more entertaining than
the last movie, good writing, interesting political aspects; Jennifer Lawrence
is great as Katness, no more shaky cam.
Cons: A little too long, some cheesy lines, while less
annoying the love story certainly gets sappy, takes too long to get to
the games.
4/5 Stars
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