Catching Fire Review

Rating: 5/10 (23 November 2013)

At one point in Catching Fire, Woody Harrelson's character says "I think the games are going to be different this time." The games certainly are different, and for the better as Catching Fire improves on it's mediocre predecessor in every way, making it one of the best blockbusters of the year.
It's remarkable that Catching Fire feels so unique, because it follows the same three act structure the first one had; beginning in the district (or in this case, multiple districts), then moving to the Capitol for preparation of the Games and then finally, the Games themselves. This structure feels much better the second time round, as the people behind the movie seem to have decided how they want the movie to play out whereas with the first movie they were unsure. I haven't read the book in about half a year so I can't remember all of the tiny details, but for as much of the book as I can remember, the movie seemed to follow it very well, more so than the first movie did with the first book.
One of The Hunger Game's strongest points was it's great ensemble cast, and that carries on into Catching Fire with some new additions who are very welcome. Jennifer Lawrence absolutely kills it again, as she consistently does in every movie she's in. I had never liked the casting choice of Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, and the first movie didn't sell me on him. After Catching Fire I still don't think he's the perfect choice, but he impressed me a lot more than I expected him to and he does a decent job in the role. Stanley Tucci steals every scene he's in as always, Woody Harrelson is outstanding as he was last time, and Donald Sutherland does a great job again as well. I was looking forward to seeing Sam Claflin's portrayal of Finnick, and he didn't disappoint. He perfectly embodies the character and does an excellent job, I'm looking forward to seeing him again in Mockingjay. Another new addition I was looking forward to seeing was Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and like all the other new cast members he's great as well.
The biggest thing that sets Catching Fire apart from it's predecessor is that it actually has a good director. The Hunger Games was riddled with shaky cam, excessive cuts and a lack of overall direction. Thankfully there's none of that in Catching Fire, as Francis Lawrence brings a clear direction to the movie and is capable of filming action without tossing the camera around. Catching Fire also focuses a lot more on world building and the politics and culture of Panem, a vital aspect from the books that was missing from the first movie. Everything is much more focused, which in turn makes it all so much better. To compare the book and movie I'd have to read the book to have it more recent in memory, but as far as book to movie adaptations go Catching Fire is one of the better ones out there. Things in the movie actually resembled how I imagined them looking whilst reading, unlike the first movie.
Catching Fire is one of the best blockbusters of the year. It's intelligently written, well acted and excellently directed, and definitely worth your time.
I give Catching Fire a 9.0/10.