Movie Review: Catching Fire
Joelene Pynnonen reviews the movie she’s been waiting for all year!
So I finally managed to see the one film that I’ve been waiting for all year, Catching Fire. As usual I went in with reservations in case the second movie didn’t live up to the first. For once, these reservations were wholly unfounded. Catching Fire outdoes Hunger Games on almost every level.
The film picks up a few months after Hunger Games ended. Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) are about to start the Victory Tour of Panem. If journeying to each of the other districts and facing the families of all the tributes who died in the 74th Hunger Games wasn’t enough pressure, President Snow pays Katniss a visit before she leaves. Since Katniss defied the Capitol there has been unrest in the districts. If Katniss can’t convince the people that she is desperately in love with Peeta by the time the tour ends, her life and those of her family are forfeit.
Despite her best efforts, Katniss and Peeta’s act of defiance eclipses their supposed love in the eyes of the districts. With rebellions breaking out in the districts and the Capitol under threat, Snow makes the decision to destroy Katniss before she becomes even more of a symbol to the rebels. And what better way to do it than with the 75th Hunger Games? Once again Peeta and Katniss are thrown into the Hunger Games arena, this time going up against previous winning tributes.
While Hunger Games gave us a great introduction to Katniss, her supporters and her enemies; Catching Fire opens up the entire world. The other tributes are more fully fleshed out and are bigger players in the story. It also brings the politics of Panem to the forefront, giving audiences more of an understanding of why the Games are essential to the Capitol. All of this gives us some incredible new characters, Johanna Mason being my undisputed favourite.
More depth is added to the personal as well as the political though. Peeta’s character is explored more fully, and we begin to see what there could be to love in him. In the first instalment he’s lovely and loyal. Those traits are admirable, but they’re not enough. Katniss grows as well. While she previously didn’t care for anyone outside of her family and Gale, she is beginning to open up to others. For such a bleak premise, the interactions of such amazing characters are desperately needed to keep the film from becoming too desolate. Having characters that grow and change more slowly is refreshing for this kind of a series as well.
The film follows the book as faithfully as the first did. There are minor changes but the atmosphere and intent remains much the same. Because the film is so dynamic, however, it outshines the novel for me. The casting decisions made for Catching Fire are outstanding. As in the Hunger Games many of the emotions are imparted visually rather than being scripted. The same emotional impact could not have been delivered by a lesser cast.
There is far too much in this film to discuss in a review but, suffice it to say, it is a film that should be seen on the big screen (and more than once). Not the sort of story that should be bound to a certain age group or gender; it’s something I’d recommend to anyone.
