Not perfect, but worth the ticket price

Rating: 7/10 (27 November 2013)

When we last left the Districts of Panem (?), Katniss Everdeen (??) and Peeta Mellark (???) defied all odds by winning the 74th Hunger Games, which also started the rumblings of a revolution. Now, President Snow (ok that's not terrible) decides the best way to put the people back in their places is to force previous winners (including Katniss) to participate once again in the "Quarter Quell" (sure...), a special Hunger Games celebrating the 75th anniversary. With mentor and former victor Haymitch Abernathy (WHO???) behind them, can they survive the new game put together by new gamerunner Plutarch Heavensbee? (OH COME ON...)
...Seriously, what kind of random-generating name machine did Suzanne Collins use when she wrote these characters??
Crazy names aside, this movie packs a serious punch. Jennifer Lawrence once again owns the role, and the rest of the cast does a solid job. (A side note: I would pay TRIPLE the price to see a version of Hunger Games where Woody Harrelson MURDERS EVERYONE in some exotic location. Can we get a movie about the Hunger Games that his character won? BOX OFFICE GOLD right there...screw Peeta, that panzy.) Visuals are beautiful (especially those costumes), but 3D is unnecessary. The story moves along at a steady pace, and you get some really great character development along with some beautifully done, emotional scenes. (Katniss' speech in the 11th district was intense.)
One thing that bugs me: this movie clocks in at 2 1/2 hours. Of that time, we get roughly 15 minutes of action. There was SOOO MUCH BUILD-UP towards the actual Games, and all the development and plot lines were great, but man...couldn't we have seen at least a little more of the action? What about the non-team-Katniss participants? I want to see EVERYTHING. I PAID TO SEE 23 PEOPLE GET OFF'ED, DON'T SHORT-CHANGE ME.
All in all, Catching Fire is a solid flick that is just as good as the first, if not better. 3.5 out of 5 on the BDBOS.
"Don't forget who the enemy is."
"...people with normal names?"
"...yes."
(Hey guys, thanks for checking out my review. If you enjoyed it, check out my humble little page over at facebook.com/TheBDBOS. Stop by and say wussup!)