THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE

(2013) 146 Minutes, Rated PG-13

A.C.’s Review:  This movie is possibly the best argument for giving second chances that I have ever encountered.

Based on a Young Adult book series about a teen age girl who sparks a rebellion in a futuristic dystopian society the original film that came out in 2012 for me was a disappointment. Never having read the books it was a whole new story but it didn’t click for me and I vowed not to see the sequel CATCHING FIRE.

On the internet I heard the production values were better and everything was better about the film. I decided to see it but still couldn’t work up any enthusiasm for it. Finally a month and a half after its release I finally went to see it and was amazed.

The original director didn’t return because he feared he couldn’t meet the deadline to get the movie in theaters by Thanksgiving 2013. What a blessing he left. The new director did away with the shaky cam that has ruined many a movie and apparently hired top notch script writers.

Following the story of Katniss Everdeen as she is once more forced to fight in the Hunger Games while dealing with the ramifications of having to kill other competitors in the first movie was very compelling as was the story of how the seeds of rebellion were continuing to grow in the totalitarian world that had latched onto her defiance as symbol of hope. Also you can’t go wrong with lovely Jennifer Lawrence as the star of the movie.

Best Scene: It’s hard to pin down just one as there are so many but I will go with the scene during the Victory Tour Katniss if forced to go on as the winner of the previous Hunger Games where her speech sets off rebellion in the crowd and leads to tragic consequences.


A.C.’s Rating:  Worth full price admission.