The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the second installment in the wildly popular series based on Suzanne Collins’ novels, has upped the ante. It boasts better acting than the first film from both its leads and it’s supporting cast, superior effects, greater appeals to emotion, more elaborate costuming, and is tied together with a more confident director at the helm. Sequels often face the difficult task of not only living up to the original film, but in a trilogy the second feature can often consist of dull filler storytelling. This couldn’t be farther from the truth in Catching Fire, as this film is darker, grander, and takes place on a wider scale than the first installment.
Following their joint victory in the 74th Hunger Games at the end of the first film, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) of District 12 embark on a victory tour of the country. This journey allows the two young adults to witness the oppression present in the country, as well as exposing them to the uprisings in other districts. Katniss’ survival in the Hunger Games is seen by many as an act of defiance against the tyrannical President Snow (Donald Sutherland), who brutally tries to suppress any false sense of hope amongst the people of Panem. This allows for the grander story of political repression and revolutionary sparks to take form, as such themes were paramount to the books and elevate the film.
Following their joint victory in the 74th Hunger Games at the end of the first film, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) of District 12 embark on a victory tour of the country. This journey allows the two young adults to witness the oppression present in the country, as well as exposing them to the uprisings in other districts. Katniss’ survival in the Hunger Games is seen by many as an act of defiance against the tyrannical President Snow (Donald Sutherland), who brutally tries to suppress any false sense of hope amongst the people of Panem. This allows for the grander story of political repression and revolutionary sparks to take form, as such themes were paramount to the books and elevate the film.
President Snow, with the assistance of his new Head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman), hatch a plan to destroy Katniss’ image as the symbol of hope people are rallying around. For the celebratory 75th Hunger Games, the third ‘Quarter Quell’, tributes are to be drawn from the pool of living victors. This means that midway through the film, Katniss and Peeta are once again thrust into a man-made arena and forced to fight to the death, though this time with their competition being adults and experienced killers. In the jungle arena, which is shaped like a clock face and contains many surprises hidden in the trees, Katniss must make alliances if she wants to survive another lethal competition, and this time the President will make sure only one person leaves the games alive.
As the two leads don’t even venture into the arena until well over an hour into the film, Francis Lawrence takes his time showing us the world of Suzanne Collins’ novels brought to life. Whilst in the Capital, Katniss witnesses the extravagance and decadence of their lives, so indulging that many citizens of the Capital intentionally throw up at balls only to be able to sample even more food. This is grotesquely contrasted with the poverty of the districts, where Katniss’ friends are struggling to get and food at all. The political undertones are strong in this film, furthering our emotional investment in Katniss’ thrilling exploits.
As the two leads don’t even venture into the arena until well over an hour into the film, Francis Lawrence takes his time showing us the world of Suzanne Collins’ novels brought to life. Whilst in the Capital, Katniss witnesses the extravagance and decadence of their lives, so indulging that many citizens of the Capital intentionally throw up at balls only to be able to sample even more food. This is grotesquely contrasted with the poverty of the districts, where Katniss’ friends are struggling to get and food at all. The political undertones are strong in this film, furthering our emotional investment in Katniss’ thrilling exploits.
Jennifer Lawrence leads this stellar cast with an explosive performance that shows more attention to detail than most teen fiction characters are granted on screen, demonstrating her true acting talent. The following can be said about almost any of the side characters as well, with Oscar winners and newcomers alike all giving to their characters. Sutherland is more nefarious than the first time around, Hutcherson more confident in the role, and Stanley Tucci even more eccentric as the darkly ironic commentator Caesar Flickerman. Newcomers to the series such as Sam Camflin as Finnick or Jeffrey Wright as Beetee, both former victors, are fitting for their characters and all likeable in their own way.
Francis Lawrence may be new to the series, but his direction on this film displays his talent at balancing blockbuster effects with human emotionality. This leads to a more beautifully shot film, with wider frames being employed opposed to Gary Ross’ shaky-cam from the previous film. The material is slightly darker this time around as well, though still within the confines of the PG-13 rating to the dismay of some older fans of the books. While Lawrence paints a grander picture of Panem and the suffering of its people, his film is not devoid of cliché. In fact the overemphasis of Katniss and Peeta’s romantic tension leads to many moments of cheesy dialogue that take away from the seriousness of the rest of the film. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is loyal to its source material, as well as improving upon the first film with more mature content and with some appeal to harder-hitting and broader ranging themes of rebellion. The costume, set-design, and visual effects teams have all done some fantastic work here, and through a combination of factors such as Francis Lawrence’s direction and higher quality performances, Catching Fire is a more ambitious and enjoyable film than its predecessor.
Francis Lawrence may be new to the series, but his direction on this film displays his talent at balancing blockbuster effects with human emotionality. This leads to a more beautifully shot film, with wider frames being employed opposed to Gary Ross’ shaky-cam from the previous film. The material is slightly darker this time around as well, though still within the confines of the PG-13 rating to the dismay of some older fans of the books. While Lawrence paints a grander picture of Panem and the suffering of its people, his film is not devoid of cliché. In fact the overemphasis of Katniss and Peeta’s romantic tension leads to many moments of cheesy dialogue that take away from the seriousness of the rest of the film. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is loyal to its source material, as well as improving upon the first film with more mature content and with some appeal to harder-hitting and broader ranging themes of rebellion. The costume, set-design, and visual effects teams have all done some fantastic work here, and through a combination of factors such as Francis Lawrence’s direction and higher quality performances, Catching Fire is a more ambitious and enjoyable film than its predecessor.