Director : Francis Lawrence
Cast Headliners: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson
Original Release Date: November 22nd, 2013
The
Hunger Games is starting to become one of those franchises which is poised to be
up there with the greats. In the wake of a Harry Potter world, studios sought
the next big thing and Lionsgate has found it with the Suzanne Collins trilogy,
released a few years back. Last year’s
titular first installment, The Hunger Games, was a pretty good if flawed
adaption which delivered the emotional intensity of the book but was brought
down by a rough cinematic style and a sem-rough budget. I personally am a major fan of the series, so
I was not upset by any means but I would say “the book is better.” I can
happily say that this film surpasses the first both as an movie experience and
as a translation of the source.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is
that very important middle chapter of the Hunger Games trilogy. Like other great trilogies, the world is
introduced in one installment which may or may not be able to exist on its own
as a standalone story. The first film
was a riveting tale of a strange far future world and of Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer
Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) trying to survive in the death
match arena for which the series is named.
Whereas the theme of that was all about merely trying to survive in a
fight to the death between youths and the dangerous wilderness, there were
hints of so much more. That is why I
adore Catching Fire as my favorite installment of the novels, as it both is an
improved version of that survival while bringing in themes of rebelling against
the dystopia that is the Capitol. It is
a darker film where all stakes are raised.
Katniss is recovering from the
trauma of the first film. She nearly
died and nearly had Peeta die as well.
She also feels conflicted over Gale (Liam Hemsworth) and of her place in
the world. It is incredibly interesting
to see Katniss back in her hometown of District 12 again, changed by the
horrors she faced in the arena last go around.
Catching Fire, like its predecessor, is filled with some great
characters and performances but it is Jennifer Lawrence who steals the show as
Katniss. She portrays an incredible range of emotions portraying
her scarred psyche. It is easy to see
why exactly she becomes such a hero symbol to the citizens of Panem, as it’s
easy to feel sympathy her sorrow, to fall in love with her charm, and to cheer
her on in her trials. Katniss is packed with nuance and the now-Oscar
winning Ms.Lawrence really delivers the goods when it comes to this.
I can say the best thing about this
film is that it has MORE. More of an
ensemble cast, from the dashing trident wielding warrior Finnick Odair (Sam
Ciaflin), the eccentric inventor Beetes
(Jeffrey Wright), and the new Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Phillip
Seymour Hoffman). Plutarch has an especially important role going into the
further films, but here Hoffman is a stellar calculating and commanding presence
from the Capitol’s control room of the Quarter Quell games which occupy the
film’s second half. Praise must be
given to Jena Malone as Johanna Mason, whose spunky fierce attitude makes her a
fantastic rival to Katniss. The returning
cast is great too, with Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) having some great quips and
even Peeta being even more likeable.
And Donald Sutherland as President Snow, leader of the Capitol, is
absolutely menacing. One can tell that when he makes a threat such as promising
to kill Katniss’ family, he is going to do it with utmost efficiency. The power
drips off every word he says. Each
character has great new development, with more time being given to get to know
them. There is some fantastic dialogue and moments. There’s even once in a while some great and
smart humor as well, especially when it involves Haymitch being, well, Woody
Harrelson. And Stanley Tucci’s ridiculous, vile, but also
lovable Ceaser Flickmann.
The characters are amped up to the
next level, and so is the story. The slow
but ever increasing spark into uprising by the people of Panem is presented
very well, and by the time the chaos leads into the “Quarter Quell” games the
intensity is at an all-time new level.
The plot never lets up, with an exciting string of twists, especially
the ending which blows away the first films.
This “Quarter Quell” match of the
Hunger Games is the highlight of the film. Last time, it was a standard yearly tournament
in the canon of the film’s universe but was shocking for us to see because of
its slaughter of kids. This time
however, more time is spent leading to the circumstances of why this emergency
game is forced upon Katniss which makes it start pack even more emotional
intensity. Her opponets were children this time, but now it is a sort of
all-stars match of past victors, many of them who are older and more
experienced than her and Peeta. The
arena packs dangerous threats, from poisonous fog (one of the standout
sequences) to giant killer monkeys to tidal waves and more. The threats created by the Capitol are
incredibly extreme, making the frequent set pieces excellent and leaving one on
the edge of their seat.
The
plot, characters, and Hunger Games themselves are injected with steroids of
quality, but perhaps one of the greatest things about Catching Fire is the new
talent behind the scenes. The new
director is Francis Lawrence, of I Am Legend fame. Like that film, there are
some incredible views of desolate landscapes such as the mountains of District
12 and the ominous metropolis of the Capitol.
The world feels very finely crafted and authentic which gives proof that
he was a perfect choice for this world.
Whether it be by his choice or not, the most welcomed improvement of
this movie is that it does not have the “realistic camera” of the first film.
The closed in, shaking camera has been avoided making everything crystal clear
and eye appealing. This makes the fast moving energetic scenes much more
tolerable on the eyes, and thus the entire film is candy for the eye. It can be inferred that an impressive budget
was put into this as well, with special effects dazzling. Catching Fire does
not like in amazing futuristic technology, and it seems very real here. After seeing the wonderful work done here, I
am pleased to hear that he has been contracted for all future films in the
franchise.
Overall, Catching Fire is, to say
the truth, awesome. Its dark tale ranges
the gamut of emotion from sorrow to anger to adventure. Deeper themes of rebellion and the meaning of
society begin to rear their heads, and each moment brings something more. It is an exciting installment in an
exciting franchise, and this time it truly delivers on the promise of what
Hunger Games is all about. Once again I can say as a fan, it was everything I
wanted and even a bit more. I loved
seeing the perspective of President Snow and Plutarch, which was absent in the
book. I loved seeing new lines of humorous dialogue made from the film, such as
Katniss, Haymitch, Peeta, and Johanna meeting for the first time. I loved seeing the epic moments in the
Quarter Quell come to life, which was nearly every moment in that arena. This is both an exciting blockbuster and a
thought provoking saga. This, like its source novel, is a must-experience and one of the best things of the year if not
in many years. 9 out of 10
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