THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE Review

By Darin Skaggs

     Over the past few years, culture has become overtaken with the phenomenon of Young Adult book series being adapted into a film series and released in separate years.  These include the decade long Harry Potter series, the five part Twilight series and most currently the four part The Hunger Games series.  Part two of the series titled Catching Fire just came out and is definitely one of the better adaptations. 

     The Hunger Games is set in the future.  Every year there are “The Games” in which two children, a girl and boy, are chosen from each of the twelve districts and forced to play in games where it is a death match.  The winner is the last one standing and is deemed the Victor.  In the last film Katniss, played by Jennifer Lawrence and Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson, were the first contestants to be part of the game that had two winners.  In this new film the government is upset about it.  After a long tour through the twelve districts, Katniss and Peeta are then forced by President Snow to compete in a game with new rules.  The new rule is that randomly selected Victors will compete in the 75^th Hunger Games.

     The first film in the series was good, but nowhere near great.  What happens before the games was good.  All the looks at reality TV and how Katniss feels about being forced to be in the games is compelling.  When the film arrived to the games it all fell apart.  The action in the film was clunky and it seemed to just be rushed through.  The main problem with the film is that the director, Gary Ross, was just doing a greatest hits of the book instead of adapting the source material to make the film its own thing.  Catching Fire, who is directed this time around by Francis Lawrence, does not do that.  This film is its own thing.  I have not read the books but this film had a better through line.  Nowhere in the film does it seem like they are trying to appeal to the readers only.

     Jennifer Lawrence, who was great in the first one, does even better in this film.  She is one of the most noticeable people in the world but she sinks into this role so well, you believe Katniss Evergreen exist somewhere out there.  Most of the actors do better in this film as well.  It seems they care more about the roles that they are playing.  No one stands out as a bad performance.  The last film had the two leads be the only focus during the games.  They seemed that they were supposed to have other characters have more story arcs throughout the film, but were just turned into caricatures.  This time around about half the contestants all have personalities and we get to know them better.

     The film explores the darkness of the situation better than the first.  Katniss wakes up screaming at night from nightmares, but puts on a brave face whenever in public.  There are some amazing images that will stick with you that you probably don’t expect from these kinds of movies.

     The film is great and doesn’t just get to the games and the action.  It explores it themes first and even during the games.  The only real problem in the film is the action is still clunky.  It was almost like they shoot the violent stuff and then edited it to make the film PG-13.  There is also a love triangle story the film doesn’t really need.  The creators do a good job of slipping it in the story for the romantics out there, but still having it be in the background.  It could be viewed that Katniss is struggling with who she loves because she’s young and that is what she should be worrying about, but she can’t because of the games.  The film basically ends like The Empire Strikes Back with a big cliff hanger to make you want to see the next one, and honestly I cannot wait.