Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Big Screen Breakdown: Catching Fire


The first Hunger Games movie was my favorite movie the year it came out (yes, I ranked it higher than The Avengers), so the bar was set pretty high for its sequel. Now, I have not read the book, so I don't know exactly how well The Hunger Games: The Sequel Hook compares to its source material. As a predecessor to another, very well-liked movie, though? I can judge the heck out of it.
  • Man, where do these movies find such talented actors? Frankly, I don't think they'd be half as good with a less-talented cast. Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, and now Philip Seymour Hoffman? Divine.
  • Speaking of talented actors, was Josh Hutcherson this good in the last Hunger Games movie? I don't think he was, or maybe he just wasn't given enough to do, but I really liked him in Catching Fire. Like, a lot.
  • Anyone else notice Jennifer Lawrence was wearing more makeup this time around? I guess that makes sense, what with her being a victor now or whatever.
  • The Hunger Games have always been a metaphor for the schadenfreude inherent in mass media consumption, but they really drove that point home in this movie, with Jena Malone's brilliant portrayal of every foul-mouthed reality TV star, ever. Applause to you.
  • You know, after the tributes all got doused with that flesh boiling poison gas, they cleaned up really well. Their skin looked so silky smooth, I think I might want to get some of that gas for my daily ablutions.
  • Another thing I really liked was the portrayal of people who won the games through means other than brute strength. Adds a bit more variety to the cast to have some nerds in the pack.
  • Is Lenny Kravitz dead? I hope not!
  • So apparently the series isn't over yet? There's, like, another movie? Maybe two? Well, that's just GREAT! But couldn't we have at least gotten an ending to this movie first?
  • Verdict: High recommended, unless the sequel sucks.

1 comment:

Larissa said...

You seriously need to read the books. I read all of them in 3 days total, so they are a quick read. It'll fill in some of the gaps, but I think you'll be pleased with how closely the films follow, with a few location changes for time, of course. Sometimes integral things happen in a scene, but they can't take 20 minutes to set it all up, so they place it elsewhere. ANYWAY...you'll find the third book is rushed and you may get a little frustrated with that one, but the way it ends is very satisfying.