WARNING: There might be some slight spoilers in this review. I tried my best not to, but my definition of a spoiler might be different than someone else's. I can tell you that there are some MAJOR spoilers for the first movie/book. Although if you haven't seen the first movie, why are reading this? lol. You've been warned.
I want to start off this review by saying to the director, Francis Lawrence- thank you, thank you, thank you for not using shaky cam! It was nice coming out of the theater not having a headache or feeling nauseous for the rest of the weekend. That was my biggest complaint about the first movie. I'm not saying Gary Ross didn't do a good job or anything. I respect him for having his own style of directing. I've just never been a big fan of shaky cam. Moving on.
Catching Fire is one of those rare sequels that's better than the first movie (and I love Hunger Games). It picks up I believe about six months after Hunger Games. Katniss (Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence) has returned after winning the 74th Hunger Games and is still trying to deal with what happened. Her and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) must now embark on a Victors Tour through the various districts of Panem. Along the way she can sense that, because of her actions in the Games, a rebellion is brewing. Also happening is a special version of The Hunger Games known as the Quater Quell. This 75th Hunger Games will set in motion events that will change Panem forever.
I still remember that people weren't too happy when it was announced that Jennifer Lawrence was going to play Katniss. I'd like to think she's proven them all wrong, especially in Catching Fire. The way she able to portray such raw emotions is incredible. You really buy her as this young girl struggling to survive such horrible situations.
Someone who really surprised me was Josh Hutcherson. His acting has gotten a lot better this time around. Not that he was terrible in Hunger Games, I just didn't really buy him as Peeta whereas in this one I did.
But the person who surprised me the most was Sam Claflin as Finnick. When they first cast him I just couldn't picture it. One, because I had read the books beforehand and had my own idea of what Finnick should look like. And two, the most recent movie I had seen him in was Snow White and the Huntsman. I liked the movie itself but thought he was terrible in it. So I went into this with low expectations. It was such a nice surprise to see what an outstanding job he did. Sam really captured the character well- someone strong and very charming, but was more than meets the eye.
Woody Harrelson is back as mentor Haymitch. How awesome is he? I just can't imagine anyone else playing the role.
I'm sure people are curious about Liam Hemsworth as Gale. While I think he was very good, some of the advertising for this movie has been very misleading. Just like in the first movie, his character isn't in it all that much (he definitely has a bit more screen time in Catching Fire for sure, but still). Don't worry though- Gale will be featured much more prominently in Mockingjay.
There are so many other amazing actors who gave great performances- Elizabeth Banks, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, Stanley Tucci, and many more. I just don't have time to talk about them all individually. All I'll say is I can't really think of anyone who gave a bad performance.
I already mentioned before how happy I am with director Francis Lawrence (whose previous movies include Water for Elephants and I Am Legend). He really brought this book to life. I was especially blown away by the look of the arena. The budget for Catching Fire was about double than that of Hunger Games. He certainly put that money to good use. I'm looking forward to seeing what he does with Mockingjay.
I'm not sure who the costume designer was, but he/she deserves an award. I absolutely loved all the clothing, especially Katniss' dresses.
The composer for Catching Fire was James Newton Howard, who also did the score for Hunger Games (you hear hints of it in this one. I'll admit, I cried when I heard Rue's theme again. Music is very important in a movie. It has to fit just right with each scene and if it doesn't, it could very well ruin the movie. I've seen it happen. Luckily that's not the case here. The score for this movie was beautiful and really sets the tone for each scene.
There's only one reason I'm not giving this movie a perfect score. This is nothing negative about the movie itself, it's more of me nitpicking since I read the books. There was one or two scenes from the book that I really wanted to see but sadly didn't make the cut. I completely understand though. Any time you're turning a book into a movie things are going to change. Whether it be for time or the scene just doesn't work in a movie setting. Overall though, Catching Fire is a VERY faithful adaptation. Probably the most faithful I've seen in awhile.
If you liked The Hunger Games then you'll LOVE Catching Fire. If you're lucky enough to live near an IMAX theater, definitely splurge and see it in that format. The movie looks amazing on a huge screen, especially the scenes in the arena. You really feel like you're there.
I'm so looking forward to Mockingjay now. Why why why must we wait a whole year?
My Rating: 9.5/10
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