I know this review is a little late but I reviewed this movie for class recently and thought I would share it.
Having read the Hunger Games series I have been interested in watching the movies but did not get around to seeing Catching Fire until Spring Break. Watching a movie after reading a book is a weird experience because you know what is going to happen. It is usually less suspenseful and almost boring at times, however I did not have that problem with Catching Fire. Even though I knew what was going to happen I still found myself jumping in my seat in suspenseful moments. I also knew the movie was going to end with an intense cliff hanger yet I still found myself being surprised by it. I think the director did a phenomenal job of making Catching Fire into an exciting movie, even for someone who read the book. The movie was also about two hours and thirty minutes long yet it did not feel like it. They also did a great job keeping the pace of the movie and keeping the audience’s attention.
As a whole, the character of Katniss is fascinating. She is viewed as a face of a rebellion even though she does not want to be. She just wants to live out her life with her mom, sister, and Gale in peace and not bothered by the government. Yet, she has these unintentional brave moments. For example, she does not hesitate to jump in front of a government official whipping Gale. Also, it is easy to see the difference in Katniss from The Hunger Games to Catching Fire. She is hurt and traumatize from the Hunger Games that she had to compete in. I’m glad that was shown in the movie. The traumatic events do not get glossed over.
Each character also has emotionally changed from the first movie to the second. Effie, one of my favorite characters, goes from a cheerful and optimistic person to physically run down from the effects of sending Peeta and Katniss back into the games. This seems to be the consensus for most characters. Clearly being able to see that they are fed up with the government and what they are forcing the citizens to do.
One particular scene that stands out is the citizens of the capital forcing themselves to throw up when they are full just to be able to eat more. Which is something that can be seen as a parallel to today’s society. People over eating, or throwing out good food when there are people starving in our country and others. Movies like this can make you think about how you live, and pay more attention to the news and government. While the series is ‘young adult’ based I think it is an interesting topic that is deals with. A corrupt government making kid’s fight to the death, and it takes 75 years before a rebellion is finally sparked by a teenage girl. Even though I know what happens in the last book, I’m eagerly awaiting the next two movies.
