The Hunger Games: Catching Fire stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, and Donald Sutherland. Directed by Francis Lawrence.
Catching Fire takes places a year following the events of the first movie. Coping with her traumatic experiences surviving the previous year’s Hunger Game – in which she, and others like her, is chosen to represent her district in an annual free-for-all deathmatch – protagonist Katniss Everdine (Lawrence) is finding herself between a rock and a hard place. Her bold and unorthodox victory has inspired the flames of revolution in amid the districts, furious against the futuristic and ruthless dystopian government responsible for these brutal games. These revolts have ruffled the feathers of one President Snow (Sutherland), who would like nothing more than to expunge Katniss and the defiant nature she represents to the rising rebellion.
While the first film felt tame and lacking teeth, considering the subject matter, it at least left an impression that Katniss’ brazened victory teased something bigger on the horizon; that a single act of defiance in a tournament that annually massacres children was going to lead to bigger stakes and even bigger sacrifices now that revolution is night. Catching Fire does feel “bigger”; the budget sure feels bigger. Frankly, this second verse of the mockingjay’s song plays too closely to the first; this case of déjà vu keeps this sequel from getting too interesting until the final five minutes with a bait teaser for the two-part finale, vis-à-vis The Matrix Reloaded.
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