Review: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Lionsgate Pictures

Well, finally getting around to writing a review of this one. I saw it the Monday after it came out in theaters, and I must admit that I don't have much at stake in this trilogy or the story hence my neglecting to write a review. Sure, the first film was quite good, and I was impressed with the performances and direction most of all. Jennifer Lawrence is always good and Lionsgate is quite lucky to have roped her into all three films (although she did increase her salary drastically after the first film's overwhelming success). I haven't read the books either, so knowing nothing about the series aside from the fact that it's a mish-mash of other stories (specifically Battle Royal) I was excited to find that I could enjoy the first film without already being a fan.

But of course, with a enormously successful start to a film series, the most pressure generally falls on the sequel. Early news had original director Gary Ross decline the offer to direct Catching Fire as well as a couple new writers taking the place of the old ones. Thankfully, Ross and the original team successfully established a specific look and feel to everything in Pan-Am (or however you spell it), so the new guys had a lot to work with the second time around. And of course, the whole original cast returned along with some more big names including Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jeffrey Wright. So as always, we wonder if the sequel will maintain and ideally improve on what the first began.

Lionsgate Pictures

And I believe the all around answer to be yes. Catching Fire essentially seeks to up stakes and risks of the first film, and it does so successfully. The world of Pan-Am is extended and the audience becomes a bit more aware of what Katniss (Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) are dealing with now. As always, Lawrence is great as the protagonist and delivers a fine performance, and she expands upon the character of Katniss who struggles between choosing to survive on her own or to become a symbol for the country to rally behind in rebellion against the oppressive government.

However, the plot does make it a bit clear that the author, Suzanne Collins, didn't exactly know where to go with things. Much like the 2nd Evil Dead and the 2nd Harry Potter, she basically repeats most of the plot of the first film, especially in how there's another Hunger Games tournament that our heroes are forced to participate in. In this way, the story doesn't make for the most interesting viewing, but they make up for it with good pacing, action, visuals, and of course Lawrence's ability to carry most of the show.

Lionsgate Pictures

Another thing I noticed, and what I missed compared to the first one, was the lack of the hand-held camera style of cinematography. I seem to find myself alone in this opinion because most of my friends complained about it and were glad it didn't carry over into the second film (obviously because of the change in directors). Still, I found the cinematography in the first one to not be too over-done to the point of dizziness or inability to tell what's going on. Instead, I felt it added just enough style to heighten the tension and make even the scenes without fighting feel uneasy. Plus, it added a unique feel that helped it avoid feeling like other big budget, special-effects heavy films. So while Catching Fire retained the look of the first in regards to texture, color, and setting, it lacked the hand-held camera from the first or some other stylistic choice that could have helped it feel more unique.

But in all, Catching Fire is a successful sequel. I don't necessarily think it's better than the first film, but it does expand upon the visual offerings. Even though it does borrow heavily from the first film it makes for entertaining viewing that is mostly thanks to the solid cast and especially to Lawrence.