After I was somewhat underwhelmed by the first Hunger Games movie (see review here), I was actually really pleased when a member of my book club suggested it as our next read. I was curious if it was just the movie I was less than enamoured with, or if it was the story and characters in general.
After reading the book, and loving it so much that I immediately made Catching Fire my next book club choice, I re-watched The Hunger Games and found that I enjoyed it more. It gave me a greater understanding of certain elements of the story that are only really explained fully in the book, and a deeper insight into the characters. With my preparation over, it was time to see the sequel.
Catching Fire is set a short while after the events of the 74th Hunger Games, at the end of which Katniss (Lawrence) and Peeta (Hutchinson) were crowned joint victors after forcing the hand of the games makers. Katniss and Peeta are now living in the 'Victors Village' in District 12, a special part of their home town which only contains three previous Hunger Games winners (and their families). Yet despite the small number of people, and despite the show they put on during the games, Katniss and Peeta now barely speak to one another. But their victory tour of the districts is about to begin, so they need to mend their difficulties, if just for the cameras, until the tour is over. When Katniss receives an unwelcome visit from President Snow (Sutherland) prior to the tour, she is taken aback by how direct he is when he tells her that her 'performance' on the tour is going to mean the difference between life and death to those she loves, because if she convinces the world that her insubordinate behaviour was as a result of her love for Peeta, it could stop the uprising the President is fearing from the districts against the Capitol. Sadly Katniss' performance fails to stop the spark she started in the games, so President Snow is forced to amend the rules for the 75th games - the Quarter Quell that happens every 25 years - and this means that Katniss is going back into the arena.
I had started reading Catching Fire before the film was released but sadly, I did not manage to finish the book before I saw the movie. Having said that, as with the first book/film, I think the additional information gained from what I had read helped my overall impression of the second film.
I felt that although parts were missing, what was present stuck very closely to the book, and worked very well. I was unsure about the casting going in as I had heard that a lot of fans were less than pleased about Jena Malone being cast as Johanna Mason. I have always enjoyed Jena's performances so I was less worried about her, and more unsure if Sam Claflin would pull off playing Finnick, as I have previously found his characters a little insipid. I am happy to report that both Malone and Claflin did a great job of instilling their characters with the same qualities as their written counterparts.
The movie very much felt like a middle film, a point which has been echoed by a few of my friends, but it was also follow-able to another of my friends who had not seen the first movie, so that is in no way a bad thing. My only criticism would be that the ending is very abrupt, but then so is the ending in the book, so again, I can't really fault it.
An improvement on The Hunger Games in terms of character development and an exciting installment in the grand scheme of the story arc. 8 out of 10.
I had started reading Catching Fire before the film was released but sadly, I did not manage to finish the book before I saw the movie. Having said that, as with the first book/film, I think the additional information gained from what I had read helped my overall impression of the second film.
I felt that although parts were missing, what was present stuck very closely to the book, and worked very well. I was unsure about the casting going in as I had heard that a lot of fans were less than pleased about Jena Malone being cast as Johanna Mason. I have always enjoyed Jena's performances so I was less worried about her, and more unsure if Sam Claflin would pull off playing Finnick, as I have previously found his characters a little insipid. I am happy to report that both Malone and Claflin did a great job of instilling their characters with the same qualities as their written counterparts.
The movie very much felt like a middle film, a point which has been echoed by a few of my friends, but it was also follow-able to another of my friends who had not seen the first movie, so that is in no way a bad thing. My only criticism would be that the ending is very abrupt, but then so is the ending in the book, so again, I can't really fault it.
An improvement on The Hunger Games in terms of character development and an exciting installment in the grand scheme of the story arc. 8 out of 10.
Viewing Date - 21st November 2013
UK Release Date - 21st November 2013
Cast Overview:
Jennifer Lawrence ~ Katniss Everdeen
Josh Hutcherson ~ Peeta Mellark
Liam Hemsworth ~ Gale Hawthorne
Woody Harrelson ~ Haymitch Abernathy
Elizabeth Banks ~ Effie Trinket
Lenny Kravitz ~ Cinna
Philip Seymour Hoffman ~ Plutarch Heavensbee
Jeffrey Wright ~ Beetee Latier
Stanley Tucci ~ Caesar Flickerman
Toby Jones ~ Claudius Templesmith
Sam Claflin ~ Finnick Odair
Jena Malone ~ Johanna Mason
Lynn Cohen ~ Mags
Amanda Plummer ~ Wiress
Willow Shields ~ Primrose "Prim" Everdeen
Donald Sutherland ~ President Coriolanus Snow
Director ~ Francis Lawrence
Writer(s) ~ Simon Beaufoy (Screenplay), Michael Arndt (deBruyn) (Screenplay) and Suzanne Collins (novel Catching Fire)
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