The “Girl on Fire” is back, and she’s better than ever.
Ever since The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was released it has been the talk of the box office. I had high hopes for the movie, and I was completely blown away. It was well worth the wait from where the first movie in the popular franchise left off.
After winning the 74th annual Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) returns to District 12, hoping to resume a somewhat normal life. Very quickly into the movie, the viewer is able to see that this will not be possible. It is clear that Katniss has developed feelings for her best friend, Gale (Liam Hemsworth). However, it is not long before she and her “star-crossed lover” Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) must embark on their Victory Tour around the districts and convince everyone that they are madly in love. Along the way, Katniss and Peeta are able to see that President Snow (Donald Sutherland) was right: an uprising is indeed on the way. Katniss is able to see just how much hope she has instilled in the oppressed people of Panem, but if Katniss can’t convince President Snow that she and Peeta are in love, her family will face execution.
After returning from the Victory Tour, everyone is anxiously waiting for the announcement of the 75th Hunger Games, also known as the Third Quarter Quell. Katniss learns that she will be going back into the arena, this time facing other victors. Along the way, she teams up with the swoon-worthy Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin), stubborn and rash Johanna Mason (Jena Malone), Beetee (Jeffrey Wright) and Wiress (Amanda Plummer) to win the games. Katniss is surprised though, when she discovers who the real enemy is.
What I thought was so great about Catching Fire was that it really took the viewer on an emotional roller coaster. The viewer is really able to get a sense of how the people of Panem are suffering, which only came in snippets in the first installment of the franchise. For the first time, Katniss is able to see just how cruel and unjust the system is. Despite the sad and shocking moments, there were a few lighthearted moments as well. Many sarcastic comments came from Haymitch, and Effie provided some lighthearted jokes herself. I was reminded how Caesar Flickerman’s introduction song is one of the greatest features of both films.
The best part of the movie is how closely the movie followed the book. As any fan of a book knows, it can be very nerve wracking waiting to see how the book will be brought to life in movie form. This adaptation did not disappoint!