Catching Fire Review.

So. After an agonisingly long wait, The 2nd adaptation of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games series came out last thursday; and me (being the nerd that I am) made sure that I was sat in the cinema that first night. Let me tell you- I was not disappointed.

The story kicks off six months after the climax of the first film, back in Katniss' (Jennifer Lawrence) native county of District 12, a place burdened by poverty and corruption. Straight away, Francis Lawrence (the director), has shown us the story in a new life, with larger, colder locations framing our narrative. We are shown shots that emphasise her trauma after the events of the games, and it adds an emotional intensity that the Oscar winner* has played out perfectly.

We are then taken back to her home in Victor's Village, where the corrupt and menacing President Snow, played by the legendary Donald Sutherland, is waiting for her. He informs her that her previous actions have provoked rebellious behaviour in the other districts, and that she must defer the people's revolution. This acts as a premise for the rest of the story: Katniss trying to convince the nation that she acted out of her love towards Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), as well as President Snow doing everything in his power, and he has a lot of power, to ensure the fall of Katniss and previous victors. 

This drive to defeat those who defy him, leads Snow to increase punishment in the districts (by the rule of the new more brutal and terrifying peacekeepers), and also the 75th Hunger Games: in which previous victors must compete. 

All of the lead up to this is played out brilliantly in the narrative; there is a perfect balance of attention to the politics, romance and character development. The Victory Tour especially, which has many beautiful and moving moments, was a highly emotional retelling of what Suzanne Collins put on the pages. In particular, I found the moment when a little girl says to Katniss, "When I'm older, I want to volunteer just like you," extremely chilling, as it
highlights the animosity of a society where children are forced to die for entertainment purposes. Francis Lawrence highlighted this corrupt society in a much darker way than previous director Gary Ross did; and I absolutely loved the choices he made. 

We are then taken to the Capitol, and we have the lead up to the Games. We are given one or two light-hearted moments (such as previous victors flirting with Katniss), which are refreshing before the actual games. We are also introduced to some new characters such as Finnick, Johanna and Betee- all of whom play important parts in this chapter of the story as well as its finale. 

The new additions to the cast were absolutely perfect, and in my opinion, brought very vividly to life these characters I so dearly loved. In particular, I was extremely impressed by Sam Claflin's performance as the charming Finnick Odair. Finnick is a very multi-dimensional character; one minute he's flirty, then he's lethal. One minute he's cryptic, the next he is wearing his heart on his sleeve. Yet somehow, Claflin managed to play every single one of these elements with a truth and a warmth that so accurately represented his heart, and had me desperate for him to have more screen time.  

Once we finally get to the games (after 80 minutes, none of which were slow or boring), there is only one word to say. Wow! Francis Lawrence made the decision to shoot all of the arena scenes in Imax, and the decision proved to be a great one; as it pulled audiences right into the action. It was completely different to the shaky cam effect of Gary Ross' first adaptation, yet  was something much more substantial and moving. You feel as if you can not turn your eyes away for even a second, in case you miss something.

 Although the majority of the time in the arena is made up of high- speed action scenes; we are still kept reeling on an emotional level and there are many moments that are so intense that I was left on the brink of tears. Another element in which this sequel has stepped up its game- the use of special effects. To create many of the deadly aspects of this arena, cgi had to be used to create creatures such as the jabberjays and baboons. These all looked absolutely stunning whilst still conveying the realness with which the story needs to be told.

The ending of the film was just as fantastic as the rest of it. It showed us where we were heading next, whilst reflecting the journey of this story, all in one look. It just goes to show how brilliant an actress Jennifer Lawrence is. 

Other aspects of the film which impressed me was the beautiful and haunting score composed by James Newton Howard. Also, the choices made in terms of setting, cinematography and editing.
Even the closing credits were great; with the new Coldplay track summarising the story. 

Although, like its predecessor, it cut out scenes from the book which are pretty important- it stayed true to the core themes and the characterisation. It also added some extra hints, that for fans of the books, were a brilliant yet terrifying foreshadowing of what is left to come. All in all though, a pretty faithful adaptation, and a damn good film. I'm already itching to rewatch it, and I'm hoping the year long wait for Mockingjay Part 1, doesn't go too slowly!

(*2013, Academy Award for Best Actress, Silver Linings Playbook)