Better than the first but can't escape some of the same flaws

Rating: 5/10 (8 December 2013)

I went to see this simply on principle. Having not read the books, and having never really been a movie-goer who jumps on every incoming popcorn munching book-turned-film adaptation train, Hunger Games didn't hold much more weight in my book than Twilight, Mortal Instruments, Harry Potter, or The Lord of the Rings. That said, the first film was terrible in terms of emotional resonance, believable characters, well-written dialogue and action, or anything other than spectacle (which was laughable at times) making it sellable outside the book-buying populace.
Fortunately, Catching Fire took most of what the first film did poorly and made it edible. The relationships seem a bit more fleshed out, the action isn't as hokey, and the stakes behind the Hunger Games themselves felt real and in the forefront. It seems like a flipside to some character coin where in the last film no one seemed to bother with the main characters and all development time was spent on the contenders. This time around it's the main characters that hold your attention, and aside from those who aid the main group of good guys the contenders could be interchangeable. And the Games' new gizmos and magic tricks? Laugh out loud ridiculous at times. This is an element they unfortunately did not make better from film to film. What's the point of rooting for an established character if at any moment a button can be pushed and the filmmakers can say "Bet ya didn't know this was coming. It's cool right? Super cool?" No. None of your magic little buttons and pocket watch tomfooleries were even remotely cool.
The thing that kills Catching Fire is that it's only half of a movie. The film ends mid-conversation, and nothing beforehand preps you for the sudden rolling of credits. This is a terrible way to end any movie, no matter how large the story is. Sure, a lot of the movie was silly, but the time I spent in the theater started investing me in the world the filmmakers had built. Cutting off mid-stream just felt...juvenile.