Movie: Hunger Games: Catching Fire
By: Maniac E
Date: November 25, 2013
The Hunger Games the mega production that Lionsgate helped so much has returned with the second part of the story. After the great success of the first one people really were screaming to see the second one, and although we had to wait a few years it is here. Will it do a better job than its predecessor ? Read on.
In Catching Fire, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) are about to go on a nationwide tour celebrating their victory in the 74th annual Hunger Games. It's supposed to be the beginning of a wonderful life of leisure, but thanks to the defiant way they won those Games, things are beginning to change everywhere. They're forced to act as government puppets as the citizens of their country Panem get more and more openly angry at the government's control. Eventually, the Capitol makes an example of the pair, and the recent winners are forced to go back into the Games to face 22 other previous victors.
One of the biggest thing I was missing was the emotional attachment, the greater good of the things that should be happening. This is so essential to keep a viewer interested in the movie and the total story. The acting wasn't bad but it was just not believable and it all toke way too long to really evolve and once it does the end credits are rolling. PG13 is again a deal breaker for me in this one none of the deaths make you think twice, none of the deaths will make you care for anyone. The introduction of most of the characters are so brief there is no reason to care for them. Only one of the girls played by Jena Malone named Johanna did something for me. She had anger and upmost disrespect for the Capitol. It was a refreshing thing to see and one of the better parts of the movie.
I do not get the people that say this one feels darker and has more atmosphere because to me it really was just more of the same PG13 stuff that we already had seen. Although I must say it is faithful to the book it still doesn't make it a great movie. Well for the people that hated the shaky camera, its gone! You can see that they did do a better job with the director and editing of the movie it all looks more slick than before. For me there are things they did better than in the first one but still no emotion no sympathy is raised it is just still feeling like a blank thing for me. Some people talk about this movie as bloody..... well there is nothing really to see sometimes an arrow in someone but come on we have seen this before and done better. One scene involved an old man being executed on the spot, this man gets shot through the head. But of course as they drag his body away there is no blood, no bullet hole no nothing.
The second installment of the franchise is one to forget and will never let you leave the theater with the feeling you watched something great or epic. Maybe the people that read the books can add 1/ 2 star to the rating but I was even kind of bored especially in the first hour. To me the whole thing lacked a deeper sense of a bigger thing. I doubt many people will look forward to the third and fourth installment (yes they split up the third book). While this one was better than the first one it will not stay in my mind long after I finish this review.
Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Francis Lawrence
USA
2013
Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth
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