The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Reviews from the Dark Side presents
      The Hunger Games:  Catching Fire
Released 11/22/13, now in theaters

Revolution is the word of the day in this week's The Hunger Games:  Catching Fire, the first sequel to 2012's, The Hunger Games.  Catching Fire follows the further adventures of reluctant heroine, Katniss Everdeen, as she unknowingly inspires rebellion against the oppressive government of post-apocalyptic, Panem.  Most of The Hunger Games returns, including Oscar-winner, Jennifer Lawrence.

The story picks up shortly after the events of the first film and finds the two survivors of the 74th Annual Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), returned to their home in District 12 for a brief intermission before starting their victory tour through the 12 districts.  Before embarking on the tour, Katniss receives a visit from Panem President Snow (Donald Sutherland) who is not at all happy with her actions in the last Hunger Games.  There was supposed to be only one winner of this gladiatorial slaughter and Katniss manipulated events so her co-tribute, Peeta, would survive as well.  Her manipulation of the Games has been viewed as defiance among the districts and uprisings against Panem have begun.  Snow has a proposition for Katniss.  She plays the loving girlfriend/fiancée to Peeta during the tour to give the appearance of support for the current regime and make the masses forget about revolution, or all of her friends and family die. 

Despite her best, if reluctant, efforts to quell the spirit of defiance, unrest rises in the districts anyway.  Unrest which is always put down brutally, many times in front of Katniss who has now become a symbol to the revolutionaries.   This presents a problem to President Snow who can't just put Katniss down and make her a martyr.  He has to discredit her among the masses before disposing of her.  Enter Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the new director of the Games who comes up with an ingenious idea for the 75th Hunger Games known as the Quarter Quell.  This will be the Third Quarter Quell which  will pull its contestants from the pool of living tributes that have won past years' Hunger Games.  The thought is that if the general public witnesses their heroine ruthlessly destroying her opponents in the arena, she will be erased as a symbol of the rebellion.  So, the "couple" from District 12 once again is thrown into combat with better trained killers than they faced before.  But, fortunately for Katniss and Peeta, not all may be what it appears on the surface and they may have allies in unusual places. 

I was able to enjoy Catching Fire a little more than I did last year's The Hunger Games .  I'm not sure if it's because I cheated and read ahead and now know how this whole thing ends, or, if it's because this film wasn't achingly drawn out, but I found Catching Fire more compelling.  I will give credit where it's due to director, Francis Lawrence, for that. 

Catching Fire is an unusual, but intriguing amalgam of political intrigue, gladiatorial combat, and media sensationalism.  Panem is a bleak place where most of its citizens live a bleak existence (particularly in District 12).  Catching Fire also serves as a metaphor for government betrayal as well.  The winning tributes are promised a life privilege and luxury after surviving brutal violence only to be thrown back into that violence on a whim.  It's a scary and sad situation conjured by a conniving leadership.

The real attraction here, as with the first film, is Jennifer Lawrence.  Is there anyone in Hollywood that is on fire (no pun intended) more than she is right now?  With an Oscar ,and now, an immensely popular trilogy under her belt, there' little she can do wrong lately.  And hers is easily the most watchable character in the series.  She has charisma in spades. Most of the other characters feel like props with no discernible personalities.  Sure, there is the quirkiness of Stanley Tucci's and Elizabeth Banks' characters.  And Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) is the closest thing to a well-rounded character outside of Katniss.  But many of the characters are pretty much cannon fodder. 

The costume designs are beautifully rendered in Catching Fire.  The chariot scene featuring our heroes clothing set ablaze is stunning.  As impressive as that scene was, it was topped later when Katniss' white dress transforms into the dark likeness of a Mockingjay (a bird) , a symbol of the revolution.  Kudos to the costume designer and FX team for such vivid imagination. 

Catching Fire improves on the ideas that were started The Hunger Games.  While this film is long, little of it feels like wasted motion.  I'm on board for the two-part finale coming in 2014-15.  That's something I couldn't say after I saw the first movie.

The Dark Lord of the Sith says:

***1/2 stars


Ratings Legend
Zero *= Don't waste your time. Pure dreck! Dreck is too good for this! Blind me please!
1 *= Fuggedaboutit!
2 *= Average, Mediocre, Nothing Special
3 *= Good viewing. Much better than a poke in the eye.
4 *= Great. Could possibly foot the price of a non-Matinee.
5 *= Pure eye candy. Hall of Fame material here.