An Improvement Over It's Predecessor

Rating: 8/10 (25 November 2013)

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the sequel to the popular book adaptation and films in the middle have the tendency to become known as the weaker one of a trilogy or saga but this film piles on to the catalog of films that proves that sequels can still hold up or at least become better than their predecessor. I thought that the first of the Hunger Games film series was good with slight issues bringing down, but it's sequel definitely improved upon that by expanding the problem affecting the world of Panem in a much bigger scale.
Catching Fire has different writers for its screenplay which Simon Beaufoy & Michael Arndt. The first film had Gary Ross, Billy Ray and Suzanne Collins involved with the screenplay. I can definitely say that Beaufoy and Arndt does a much better job here as they seem to have really understood what made the novels unique from the others that it's being compared to. The writers have taken into heart the weight and fear of the rebellion as a result from the actions of the first film. I have read the novel so I am aware of the events that take fold in this film but the film never seemed to bore me as the subject of the rebellion fascinated me and also i enjoy the aspect of the first hour of the film the after effects of Katniss in an emotional, psychological, and physical level. My main gripe with the film's script is The Quarter Quell. It just didn't feel as exciting or thrilling as the first film. This is probably due to the execution of how it was done, making it feel like something from the Harry Potter series. The inclusion of Arndt and Beaufoy was a great one as their previous films had us really invested in the story and characters and proves that sometimes the most intimate and calm moments can get an emotional response from us just as much as the visceral and chaotic moments. The film does progress similar to the first film but I cannot regard it as a negative due to the novel also going towards this direction.
Gary Ross stepped down as director for this film and Francis Lawrence took over. When I first heard about this news, I was sad to hear Ross not directing this feature and being replaced by Lawrence. Lawrence's previous films have not really appealed that much to me, though I have not seen Water For Elephants, but he has shown to be a very capable director here. Lawrence's direction here is much more patient, establishing the anarchist tone and terror in the first half of the film. This is where he shines because he indulges in this concept and starts to show what makes this film different and unique in comparison to the previous film. Along with the script, Lawrence starts to show his weakness with the story of the Quarter Quell. The Quarter Quell fails to outdo the previous film's intensity, lacking in execution.
The director of photography for this film is Jo Willems, and this was the first time I was exposed to his style. Willems and Lawrence have decided to take a more careful and precise approach to its photography. This is an improvement as it allows us to be less distracted and allows to feel closer to the characters, and also it does appeal greatly with the story driving the first half of the film. This style also shows more of the actors' ability in particular scenes. By removing the shaky effect, the film becomes more of a smooth painting and allowing us to take in the beauty. Willems photography here is much more colorful and it pops more in particular scenes. District 12 doesn't look as depressing as it does before, but the image is still able to remain faithful to Tom Stern's depressing take on the world of The Hunger Games.
James Newton Howard is the composer of the film and it's predecessor. Howard is a hard worker, just looking at the list of films he has done in recent years proves that he is a versatile composer. The score for Catching Fire continuous the style of the first film but in this film it takes a little more melodramatic style which is a bit of a let down. I still haven't fully embraced the main theme of the series but it has grown on me since I have first seen The Hunger Games.
The main cast from the previous film have come back for this film. I am not sure whether the stable style of photography have shown much more of the actor's abilities or that the actors themselves have improved. Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson was fantastic and at no point, except for maybe for one scene near the end, did it feel overly-dramatic. Liam Hemsworth was used a little more here but it still isn't enough for me to really care for the character, I barely sympathised for his pain and suffering but rather just saw it as a plot driver. The three actors that I thought were great to watch in the previous film includes Banks, Tucci and Harrelson. These actors were able to bring their dramatic moments and also being used as comedic relief to lighten the tone. Malone was fantastic here and I hope to see her in more films. Hoffman and Sutherland play well together but both will truly shine in the next two films.
Catching Fire is definitely an improvement over the previous film but it still has it's flaws that prevent it from being an excellent film. The Hunger Games film series have definitely proved to be among the great mainstream book series adaptations in recent years. I am looking forward to what Francis Lawrence will do for the next film of the series and hoping to improve upon the flaws in this film.