Too Much Filler, Bloated

Rating: 4/10 (9 January 2014)

I thought the original Hunger Games was stronger than this bloated-filler of a 2nd movie. Not that the original was a great movie, but it's story was better intact. No longer are trilogies good enough as stand-alone movies, and Director Francis Lawerence's "Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is a case in point. Like The Hobbit movies, these movies seem more and more like TV episodes. In Catching Fire, there is an awful 1st half, followed by a weak retread of the same mindless reality TV survivor themes. Finish that off with a gaping ending.(spoilers) What are audiences treated to? Try a pack of baboons, electrocution, and acid-fog. Is this the best story-tellers can come up with? This movie is a shameless money-grab, plain and simple. It offers little freshness compared to the original which was itself a 6/10. Not Recommended - 4/10.