The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
2.5/4
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Violence and Action, Some Frightening Images, Thematic Elements, A Suggestive Situation and Language
I was not a fan of "The Hunger Games," Lionsgate's sci-fi franchise. It was a rather lifeless retelling of a tired story that, in order to secure a mandatory PG-13, resorted to frenetically shaking the camera. Nevertheless, the film was a massive hit, and the sequels were rushed into production. The second entry, "Catching Fire," rectifies a few of its predecessor's flaws while having many more of its own.
Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson) are the new celebrities of Panem. Ordinarily, there is only one victor in The Games, but their sudden romance captured the hearts of the Capital's populace. But Katniss's refusal to play ball with the rules threatens to uproot Panem's society, which President Snow (Sutherland) wants to avoid at all costs. Recognizing that Katniss is a threat, Snow and his nefarious assistant, Plutarch Heavensbee (Hoffman) connive to have her eliminated. But her popularity with the populace makes this difficult. So, because it's the 75th anniversary of the Capital's victory over the revolution, Snow and Heavensbee decide to make a new Game, only with the contestants being previous victors. In order to survive, Katniss has to make allies, and figure out how to deal with the realization that the Capital will not let her and her "lover" Peeta to both make it out alive.
I haven't seen "The Hunger Games" since I saw it in theaters last year. My dislike of it did not make me want to revisit it or read the second book in order to prepare for the second installment in the film franchise. Maybe that's why I found the first hour so confusing. The political maneuvering and symbolism caused me to scratch my head, and a character that is referenced throughout escaped my memory.
Still, the actors keep things from becoming too boring. Jennifer Lawrence is good, although she's far too talented to play a character this thin. Josh Hutcherson has significantly improved over the last year. He's more interesting than Katniss. Woody Harrellson is his usual reliable self as former victor Haymatch Abernathy, and is always on hand for advice. Elizabeth Banks is awful as Effie Trinket; fortunately, she has limited screen time. Donald Sutherland does a good job of making us wish for his painful death, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman is suitably menacing as well. The true scene stealer is Sam Claflin, the British actor who plays Finnick, one of the other contestants. He's truly menacing or sympathetic, depending on the situation.
Director Francis Lawrence rectifies Gary Ross's mistake from the first film: he doesn't shake the camera. The film is brutal enough that it stretches the PG-13 to the point where an R rating would probably be more appropriate (a character is graphically tortured and some of the violence is pretty intense). But at least I could see what was going on, and that leaves less to the little kiddies imagination.
I liked the note that the film ended on. It's a cliffhanger, but it opens up for some really interesting developments. Here's to hoping that the film gets better in the two-part finale.
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Violence and Action, Some Frightening Images, Thematic Elements, A Suggestive Situation and Language
I was not a fan of "The Hunger Games," Lionsgate's sci-fi franchise. It was a rather lifeless retelling of a tired story that, in order to secure a mandatory PG-13, resorted to frenetically shaking the camera. Nevertheless, the film was a massive hit, and the sequels were rushed into production. The second entry, "Catching Fire," rectifies a few of its predecessor's flaws while having many more of its own.
Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson) are the new celebrities of Panem. Ordinarily, there is only one victor in The Games, but their sudden romance captured the hearts of the Capital's populace. But Katniss's refusal to play ball with the rules threatens to uproot Panem's society, which President Snow (Sutherland) wants to avoid at all costs. Recognizing that Katniss is a threat, Snow and his nefarious assistant, Plutarch Heavensbee (Hoffman) connive to have her eliminated. But her popularity with the populace makes this difficult. So, because it's the 75th anniversary of the Capital's victory over the revolution, Snow and Heavensbee decide to make a new Game, only with the contestants being previous victors. In order to survive, Katniss has to make allies, and figure out how to deal with the realization that the Capital will not let her and her "lover" Peeta to both make it out alive.
I haven't seen "The Hunger Games" since I saw it in theaters last year. My dislike of it did not make me want to revisit it or read the second book in order to prepare for the second installment in the film franchise. Maybe that's why I found the first hour so confusing. The political maneuvering and symbolism caused me to scratch my head, and a character that is referenced throughout escaped my memory.
Still, the actors keep things from becoming too boring. Jennifer Lawrence is good, although she's far too talented to play a character this thin. Josh Hutcherson has significantly improved over the last year. He's more interesting than Katniss. Woody Harrellson is his usual reliable self as former victor Haymatch Abernathy, and is always on hand for advice. Elizabeth Banks is awful as Effie Trinket; fortunately, she has limited screen time. Donald Sutherland does a good job of making us wish for his painful death, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman is suitably menacing as well. The true scene stealer is Sam Claflin, the British actor who plays Finnick, one of the other contestants. He's truly menacing or sympathetic, depending on the situation.
Director Francis Lawrence rectifies Gary Ross's mistake from the first film: he doesn't shake the camera. The film is brutal enough that it stretches the PG-13 to the point where an R rating would probably be more appropriate (a character is graphically tortured and some of the violence is pretty intense). But at least I could see what was going on, and that leaves less to the little kiddies imagination.
I liked the note that the film ended on. It's a cliffhanger, but it opens up for some really interesting developments. Here's to hoping that the film gets better in the two-part finale.
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