Plot
Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark become targets of the Capitol after their victory in the 74th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion in the Districts of Panem.
Release Year: 2013
Rating: 8.3/10 (31,496 voted)
Director:Francis Lawrence
Storyline
Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a "Victor's Tour" of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very much in control as President Snow prepares the 75th Annual Hunger Games (The Quarter Quell) - a competition that could change Panem forever.
Writers: ,
Taglines:
Remember, girl on fire, I'm still betting on you.
Trivia:
After Gary Ross declined to return to direct the movie, Alfonso Cuarón, David Cronenberg, Bennett Miller, Tomas Alfredson, Cary Fukunaga, Duncan Jones and Joe Cornish were considered to replace him. In the end, the job was offered to Francis Lawrence. See more »
Quotes:
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User Review
Author:
Rating: 9/10
I was lucky enough to be able to watch the movie one week early, since
it opened here in Brazil one week before the release in the US, and I
must tell you this fellow The Hunger Games fans, even though my English
is not even that good: Catching Fire is a GREAT experience, and one
that improves over the first film in nearly every possible level.
When I first read the books, I thought that they were not only
incredibly addicting and fun, but also with an important message for
the youngsters (and every other person, age is not important) who read
it, and that made it different from some of the other uninteresting YA
books around. I really liked the trilogy, and when I watched the first
adaptation, I was disappointed with some aspects and routes they went
with it. It was not an horrible movie, at all, but it was not very
faithful to the book and lacked the impact I found in the novel.
With that in mind, I kept my excitement in close watch with Catching
Fire and went expecting a good movie and nothing more. I was welcomed
with an excellent surprise: the movie followed the events of the novel
whenever possible and brilliantly so, while managing to keep me on the
edge of my seat, even though I knew what was going to happen the entire
time.
I won't go into details about the plot of the movie, some fellow
reviewers already did it probably better than I'll ever do and the
chances you're familiar with it are high. So I'll go right into the
review and my opinions on the picture.
Francis Lawrence was nothing short of an excellent choice for the
director's chair: gone are the shaky camera action (one of my major
problems with the first film) and welcome are thrilling and pumping
action scenes that expertly convey the tension and ferocity of the
moment. He managed to keep the violence and shock without ever crossing
the line, and whoever read the books know how important this is; it's
part of the plot, of the criticism and one of the main elements that
make the whole point of the film. He keeps you interested and invested
in the story even when nothing bombastic is happening, and that is a
great achievement, something that really sets this sequel apart.
But Francis is not alone on making this movie special. His young and
talented cast, lead by the always amazing Jennifer Lawrence, is
ferocious and eager to invest in their characters, making you an ally
(or an enemy) while watching everything unfold. Lawrence shows us again
why she was the perfect choice to play the now iconic Katniss Everdeen:
she makes you root for this young, brave lady every single minute of
the struggle; with her sad, hopeless stare that pierces your soul to
her ability to convey admirable strength when everything seems to be
out of reach are phenomenal and she deserves the praise she gets.
The rest of the cast is uniformly good, but I have to highlight Jena
Malone, who plays the explosive Johanna: her presence makes the screen
on fire whenever she's in, mixing the perfect amount of attitude and
humor. A particular scene involving an elevator and a fancy dress is at
the same time hilarious and shocking, just like her character. Donald
Sutherland also shines as the menacing president Snow, in a restrained
performance that doesn't need too many words spoken to make you think
twice on how dangerous he is.
The set pieces are also vastly improved upon: bigger, more ambitious
and work perfectly in sync with the action to make for some really
unforgettable moments. The arena looks beautiful and foreboding, hiding
it's dangers behind the shining green water. So does the bizarre
Capitol and the Districts, full of sadness and fear, two dichotomies in
every aspect.
But what I really liked about the movie was that they didn't shy away
from the political aspects from the novel and conveyed the despair and
oppression imposed by the Capitol over the rest of Panem. It makes you
think that all of this is happening around the world, in one way or
another, maybe masquerade, but it is. It's sad that many teenagers are
only in this ride for the hot action and beautiful people (some
screaming girls in the movie theater I went only confirm this. They
were not the majority, it was packed and most people were also
extremely annoyed by it too - every time Finnick appeared it was a
screaming hell). It has so much more to offer.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire not only improves vastly upon it's
predecessor: it's a great cinematic experience by itself, touching on
important topics about the modern day society without losing it's
thrilling core. It's not perfect, but what it does right it goes right
into the bullseye. Don't let the hype or the teen fury on this fool
you: it is entertainment at it's best.
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