Orwell light, Twilight dark or something much more?

Rating: 7/10 (2 December 2013)

Catching Fire is a massive step up for the Hunger Games. I had a lot of problems with the first film and although I still have issues with its successor they are nowhere near as substantial and actually Catching Fire does a lot to remedy its predecessor's pit-falls. At two and a half hours Catching Fire is a long film by any standard, however, the story is compact and the dead weight is little to none. The story shoots off; sprinting to that Cornucopia like the long running time doesn't matter. Ironically, it's a long time till we get to that watery Cornucopia but that's another point.
One of my main problems with The Hunger Games was the lack of character, or more importantly the lack of development and even more importantly a space for the audience and characters to breathe. Catching Fire still runs at the same break neck speed but for the most part it considers its characters more; respecting the audience by giving Peta real emotion instead of a card board cut out grin and a sappy sore leg that the reluctant Katniss has to make better. I liked Peta in this picture, and I understood both his and Gale's plight more. The triangle is there and in my opinion it works. Catching Fire gives a lot more of its time to the romance, a romance which could if not handled with care become tired and old. However, unlike the Twilight series, for example, the romance between Katniss and Peta and Katniss and Gale is much more woven into the story. The teen love triangle is not the centre of the film, it is an important part which adds to the stakes, emotion and story but it is not the heart.
For the full review check out kierankingfilm.blogspot.co.uk