An Incendiary Sequel of Epic Proportions

Rating: 10/10 (7 December 2013)

An incendiary sequel of epic proportions, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" surpasses its pugnacious predecessor in a bonfire of startling plot shenanigans, compelling new characters, and spectacularly outlandish heroics. Enthusiasts of Suzanne Collins' bestselling trilogy about archer exemplar Katniss Everdeen in a dystopian science fiction future where fascism has usurped freedom will be the only ones who won't be surprised by the blaze of melodramatic revelations. Nevertheless, judging by their approval, Collins' fan base is largely content with the filmmakers' loyalty to the source material. Presumably, the author's work as an executive producer ensured this heightened sense of fidelity. "Constantine" director Francis Lawrence, "Slumdog Millionaire" scenarist Simon Beaufoy and "Little Miss Sunshine" scribe Michael Arndt have altered as little as possible in their big-screen adaptation. Meantime, "Catching Fire" qualifies as a lavish cinematic treat for the eyes with an enormous $130 million budget that eclipses the first film's meager $78 million budget. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutchinson, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Liam Hemsworth, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland reprise their roles with renewed relish, while Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Wright, Amanda Plummer, and Sam Claflin provide fresh faces for the franchise.
"Catching Fire" opens shortly after the original ended. Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence of "X-Men: First Class") and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson of "Red Dawn") survived the 74th annual Hunger Games despite a last minute rule change and emerged as the triumphant tributes. Safely back in their Appalachia birthplace of District 12, our heroine finds herself face-to-face in the same room with despotic President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland of "The Eagle Has Landed") who is far from pleased with Katniss' poisoned berry bluff. Indeed, Snow is quite glacial about the outcome. Mind you, he compelled head games maker Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley) to dine on the same berries near the end of the first film. Meantime, Katniss and Peeta embark on a mandatory victory tour of the other eleven Districts with their chaperones, Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson of "Zombieland") and the bewigged Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks of "Man on a Ledge"), at their sides. In District 11, which dispatched 12-year old Rue, Katniss expresses her sorrow at her friend's demise. Katniss' sympathy ignites a riot, and the Peacekeepers, in their white body armor, snatch the spectator who sparked the unrest and kill him execution style with a bullet to the back of his head.
Remember, this post-apocalyptic science fiction saga occurs in the remnants of America. Following the catastrophic "Dark Days" civil war, America has arisen from the ashes as the tyrannical kingdom of Panem. All power radiates from the Capitol, an ornate metropolis secluded somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. The architecture of this stronghold is reminiscent of the headquarters of Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and Ancient Rome. Panem serves as the name for this dictatorial regime, and the despots draw on the Latin catchphrase panem et circenses which means 'bread and circuses.' Essentially, Panem has created blood-sport games similar to the Roman gladiatorial bouts that unfold in a surreal arena where opponents battle to the death on an annual basis. A male and female tribute between ages 12 through 18 are selected from each of the twelve Districts to participate in this kill-or-be-killed death match. Unlike a conventional game where the action might lose its urgency, the games maker can conjure up obstacles that don't exist in the real worth to perk up the proceedings. They can either tamper with the weather or summon predatory creatures to keep the action interesting to audiences. Every time a tribute dies, a cannon blast erupts and an image of the deceased tribute illuminates the heavens.
In "Catching Fire," things have gotten worse. No matter where Katniss and Peeta travel, they witness widespread discontent, and Snow is seething with rage. He wants to execute Katniss, but new games maker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman of "Doubt") assures him that Katniss can still serve the state in her capacity as a tribute. Rather than organize another Hunger Games with amateurs, Snow announces a Quarter Quell. Basically, this special version of the Games occurs every 25 years. Quarter Quell tributes are chosen from the victors of previous games. Meaning, these combatants aren't amateurs. They are survivors who killed and know how to kill. In District 12, Katniss is selected again, but former victor Haymitch is chosen over Peeta. Similarly as Katniss did in "The Hunger Games" when she substituted herself for her younger sister Primrose, Peeta substitutes himself for Haymitch, and our hero and heroine find themselves confronting considerably stiffer competition.
Like its predecessor, "Catching Fire" clocks in just short of two-and-a-half-hours, but this sprawling saga never wears out its welcome. The villains ride roughshod over the heroes during a grim first hour that will challenge your patience. Then again, when the new games commence and the considerably ramped up combatants appear, "Catching Fire" rages like a four-alarm inferno. The scenes boasting savage Baboons are as memorable as Katniss' ability to shoot arrows. The obstacles that our heroes face are daunting. Unlike most movies of this kind, you need not linger for any extra scenes after the end credits unless you want to know that it was lensed on location in Atlanta, Georgia; Oakland, New Jersey; O'ahu, Hawaii, and Los Angeles, California.