I may catch fire for this, but I did not love this one!

Rating: 7/10 (29 November 2013)

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" did not deliver the fiery passion of the original. However, I think devoted fans of the novels probably will catch a lot more from this one than those who did not hit "The Hunger Games" books. Nevertheless, I feel that Director Francis Lawrence was no Sir Francis in keeping the movie-going audience vastly entertained with this edition. Maybe my appetite for "The Hunger Games" relinquished after seeing more of a forces of nature aspect to this sequel, while the original had more a thirst for survival appetite. Oscar-winning screenwriters Simon Beaufoy and Michael Arndt did not scribe up a magnetic screenplay, even though maybe what Simon says was not too Ardntly; OK, I am catching fire with these cheesy puns. Jennifer Lawrence does shine here again as Katniss Everdeen; The J-Law is still in effect and is here to stay. Woody Harrelson also delivered charismatically once again as Haymitch; so cheers to that. Donald Sutherland also demonstrated that his senior years have not affected his thespian brilliance portraying here proficiently the ruthless President Snow; so yea, let it Snow, let it Snow, let it Snow for this trilogy. And there is the masterful Stanley Tucci as Hunger Games host Caesar Flickerman. The rest of the acting of the movie was just subpar which includes that "I rather be eating Pita bread" than watching Josh Hutcherson's humdrum performance as Hunger Gamer Peeta Mellark; or maybe I am just writing a whole bunch of Mellarky. Anyways, it's worth catching "Catching Fire" but you will probably be left tasting for more. *** Average