Okay, let’s begin. Catching Fire… In one word, unforgettable. Of course there are hundreds of words to describe how monumental this theatrical delight was. Catching Fire, the second installment of the Hunger Games trilogy released today and for those who haven’t seen it: GET OFF YOUR BUTTS AND GO!!! This movie was one of the best I have seen in a while and I personally cannot wait to see it again.
The all-star cast from the original Hunger Games has returned for this pivotal second film of the trilogy. With such a stunning set of actors there is no question that this show was already set for greatness. The new director for this film, Francis Lawrence, tied the raw talent of these actors and molded it into a remarkable film and the cult classic of our time. Jennifer Lawrence is impeccable in her portrayal as disturbed heroine Katniss Everdeen and backed by a miraculous cast, this film created that sense of awe and enthrallment not commonly experienced from movies.
As Katniss continues her perilous and tragic tale, the cinema version provides an engrossing and in depth emotional rollercoaster ride of twists and turns that I doubt fans would ever have expected.
As we return to Katniss Everdeen’s world in futuristic Panem, now as a victor of the Hunger Games, things do not seem to be going as well as one would hope. Districts are beginning to rise up against the Capitol’s power and as tensions rise, more and more lives are on the line. And while not only is Katniss in charge of easing the discontent in districts, she finds out that she is going back into the arena. Continuing the tumultuous love triangle, struggle for survival and against an oppressive government, this sequel is packed with consuming scenes and unavoidable death.
Sitting excitedly and impatiently at the edge of my seat, waiting for the lights to dim and the previews to begin, signifying the official start of the movie I raced through past memories of the books while wondering what scenes that would or would not show up in the film. It was more than I expected. While any book addict will be disappointed that some scenes did not make the cut, Catching Fire does an excellent job condensing a lengthy book into a riveting masterpiece. I hardly noticed that two and a half hours had passed when all of a sudden credits started rolling.
From heartbreak to boiling anger, I felt it all. This movie played with your emotions so intensely that there was never a lack in new and encompassing scenes for one to analyze and hang on to. While not all scenes were full of action and shouting characters, the entire movie easily kept one’s attention by its movement of tone for each scene and the vibrant colorations that naturally held the eye’s immersion to the screen.
Looking into the cinematography and special effects projected in this film there is no complaint. The CGI grips the audience to the scenes at hand and from deadly mist to killer monkeys that all seemed very realistic and all the more vivid. The soundtrack reinforced impacting scenes and heightened the sporadic emotional dips and dives this movie throws you through.
Compared to the Hunger Games I would easily say that in production and flow of storyline Catching Fire definitely provides a more impressive execution. But in regards to the Hunger Games, that movie was the first of the trilogy and needed to explain more concepts of the book for viewers to understand the overall storyline which made it easier to skip over some formalities in this delectable film.
This movie has just released and while I cannot wait to see it again I am already anxious to watch the final installment, Mockingjay, set to release Nov. 2014 this has been one of the best book to trilogy franchises that the entertainment world has seen in a while.
