I haven't been so glad I was wrong in predicting a movie in a long time...

Rating: 9/10 (28 May 2014)

The biggest question when making a sequel to a 'high-concept' film is "where can this go next?". The whole film is made with an idea or event in the forefront, not necessarily the characters. Therefore the sequel can go one of two ways: focus more on the characters this time, or have a related but bigger event ("Jaws 2" - more sharks!). Where "Catching Fire" succeeds most is finding a good balance between these two. The character relationships are expanded on well, and we get the title event without it being a rehash of the first film. I have to confess now that I never expected to like the first one, since young adult novel adaptations seem to be so difficult to make work without cliché or melodrama. I haven't been so glad I was wrong in a long time.
The world of "The Hunger Games" has changed drastically since the first film, and Katniss Everdeen is both a symbol of hope for the oppressed people, and a part of their downfall, as it only makes the state fight back stronger. She and Peeta have to continue the charade of a relationship in order to maintain this hope, and it is here that the two lead actors, Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, show their greatest strengths. There is great chemistry between them, and you can easily feel this anger and pain. Helping them along the way is Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, who continues to make an interesting and often amusing alcoholic.
The intricate style of the first film is retained and built upon here, and the film excellently portrays visual contrasts between District 12 and the Capital - it's very much a matter of 'how the other half live'. And the film wouldn't really be the same without the title event, the actual 'Hunger Games', which manage to be even more impressive than those in the first film. At the charge of this, having replaced Seneca from the first film, is Plutarch Heavensbee, played masterfully by the late Philip Seymour Hoffmann. The concept behind the games this time is so smart, and it's constantly thrilling.
The film's greatest successes come in two things: you never feel the two hour runtime, because it's really a movie of two parts and links the two seamlessly; and it's arguably a better movie than the first one, something which is so difficult to pull off. 'The Hunger Games' laid all the groundwork, characters and drama. 'Catching Fire' expands on this, making it relatable but still a movie with a different feeling. The cliffhanger is infuriating, but it just means that I can't wait for the final two parts. The biggest question now is where the films go next. I haven't read the last book, so I'm not sure whether we get another Hunger Games, or with the impending revolution, the tone will be very different. I suppose time will answer that.