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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire hit theaters last weekend, and you better believe I was waiting in line at the 8 pm showing on Thursday night! I read the trilogy and LOVED IT, so when the first movie came out in 2012 I didn’t think it would do the series justice. However, I thought the casting in the first movie was impeccable and the same three leads: Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, Josh Hutcherson as Peeta and Liam Hemsworth as Gale, do not disappoint in the second installment, Catching Fire.
Even if you aren’t a fan of the books, Catching Fire is a must-see. I hadn’t re-read the books or seen The Hunger Games since last year, so I couldn’t quite remember the plot going into it. I won’t ruin anything for those planning to see it, but don’t worry if you can’t remember what happened in the first Hunger Games, you catch on quickly.
Let me just start by saying that there is a whole lot of Peeta in this movie, and his character is even snugglier than last time. In case you don’t remember, at the end of the first movie Katniss and Peeta try to eat poisonous berries and die together (tear), so they can defy the capitol and the games as a whole. However, President Snow won’t let this happen and decides to save them and declare the two co-champions of the games.
The two think they will return to their district and things will be normal, but in Catching Fire we learn quickly this is not the case. Katniss and Peeta must go on the victory tour and pretend to be madly in love, so that people don’t think they were rebelling against the capitol. The people in each district remain unconvinced and begin an uprising against President Snow and the capitol. Sensing that Katniss is a rising symbol of inspiration for rebellion, Snow announces a special “all-stars addition” of the games in which victors from Panam’s 12 districts must compete against each other, meaning Katniss and Peeta will have to fight once again.
The movie keeps you on the edge of your seat and has a cliffhanger ending that relieves none of the built up anxiety you get from watching what the characters go through at the games. One reccurring theme I loved in Catching Fire was Katniss’ outrageous and symbolic “girl on fire” fashion courtesy of her stylist Cinna (played by Lenny Kravitz). We see Katniss in stunning outfits and a variety of looks throughout the pre-games publicity stints that leave the on-screen and real-life audiences in awe. Jennifer Lawrence must have a stylist comparable to Cinna, because her Catching Fire premiere style was also on point and she took some risks to complement her bold new hair.