Fans disappointed by the first installment of the popular Hunger Games series should rejoice at the second. Catching Fire, released Friday, November 22nd, was a hit at the box office, grossing a $25.25M opening–even better than the first movie. Fans and critics alike have lauded the movie as a worthy adaptation of the novel.
The movie is a riveting return to Suzanne Collin’s post-apocalyptic world, with gorgeous camera work and costumes as usual. Opening with a somber winter scene depicting Katniss’s PTSD, one of the first things the viewer notices is the lack of shaky camera; instead, scenes pan smoothly, a nice change from the nauseatingly jittery shots of the first movie. No doubt this is due to the change of directors from Gary Ross to Francis Lawrence. The first-person point of view is depicted much more deftly, and the viewer receives the insight into Katniss’ thoughts and emotions without any awkward narration. Scene cuts were also done well, dramatizing the situation when necessary and focusing on character emotions.
Similar to the first movie, in Catching Fire we get to see the events of the novel from multiple points of view–the arena planners, Gale, and even President Snow himself. In addition, the new director has added a non-canon character: Snow’s granddaughter, who is as of yet unnamed. Despite the fact that she was not in the original book version, this character fits right in, increasing the complexity of Snow’s character and adding some irony to the situation. In an interlude with Snow and his granddaughter, the former asks the latter why she is wearing a side braid, to which she replies that all the girls at school are wearing one (emulating Katniss).
The acting in this movie is similar to the first–understandable, as all the characters are played by the same people. As such, the same problems exist; for instance, Jennifer Lawrence’s acting comes off as a little overdone and fake, with her exaggerated facial expressions. However, the raw emotional aspect is done well, especially during the Victory Tour, which is a real tearjerker.
The new characters, such as Finnick Odair (Sam Claffin) and Johanna Mason (Jena Malone), are quite good and add a new element to the movie. Johanna Mason in particular was fascinating. From crass and vulgar to witty and sarcastic, many facets of her character came out throughout the movie. On the other hand, while Claffin seemed to lack natural charisma, struggling with the ‘charming’ aspect of Finnick’s personality, the acting went from mediocre to superb as the fighting portion of the movie started up.
Although the acting was a tad dubious, the graphics of Catching Fire were absolutely stunning. The tribute debut and Caesar’s show are suitably over the top, with tastefully done flashiness. And the arena is a treat to see, though a little fake in places. Perhaps that’s due to computer graphics not yet within the range of virtual reality.
Overall, we would call Francis Lawrence’s Catching Fire a worthy sequel to The Hunger Games. In fact, it’s better by a long stretch. Fans of the book who didn’t enjoy the first should definitely come see the second installment, which has all of the good aspects and none of the bad.
We give Catching Fire 4 out of 5 flames.
