"The Games are just Games Miss Everdeen - did you want War"? President Snow

Rating: 9/10 (26 April 2020)

Katniss and Peeta have survived the 74th Hunger Games but their method of doing so has angered the powers in the Capitol - especially President Snow. Both Katniss and Peeta had 'pretended' to fall in love in the arena but Snow - and others - are not so easily deceived. While they are preparing to go on the 'Victors Tour' of the Districts, Katniss is shocked to find Snow waiting for her at her home - they both agree not to lie to one another - and Snow points out that her 'defiant' acts in the arena have had consequences. Katniss protests that she 'never wanted any of this" but Snow brutally lays out the real situation - "The Games are just Games, Miss Everdeen, did you want War?" Katniss agrees to try and convince the Districts that both she and Peeta are very much 'in love' and play the 'Victor' Tour as Snow wants it. However, while on the Tour Katniss witnesses her own 'Mockingjay' symbol - now being used by the rebels in the Districts. When there is a disturbance in District 11 she and Peeta are shocked to see people executed for showing the 'three upraised fingers' of the rebels. By the time the Tour reaches the Capitol, Snow has decided that she is now a liability and should be eliminated. His new Game Maker - Plutarch Heavensbee - convinces Snow that there is a way to do this without suspicion. The 75th Hunger Games - a 'Quarter Quell' will select the Tributes from the previous Victors - thus ensuring that most will be eliminated. Katniss 'volunteers' but Peeta does also to save Haymitch after it is HIS name that is pulled out. Once at the Capitol it is clear that the other 'Victors' are as bitter and angry as Katniss & Peeta, especially Johanna Mason, and it is also clear that something else is afoot. As Katniss and Peeta go into the arena for a second time, nothing is what it seems.
Unbeknown to Katniss and Peeta, most of the Victors are playing a different 'game'. She and Peeta have allied themselves to Beetee and wiress, people who won through brains and not physical strength. Beetee hatches a plan to electrocute the remaining hostiles by harnessing the lightning strikes from a tall tree. Katniss and Johanna make for the beach but before they get far Johanna knocks Katniss out and removes her 'tracker'. As Finnick runs calling her name, Katniss thinks only of Peeta and returns to the tree but finds Beetee unconscious and Finnick approaching - she levels her bow - the watching President Snow urges her to let it fly. However, Finnick says to Katniss 'Remember who the real enemy is' and, in slight confusion she lowers the bow from Finnick but attaches the cable and - when the Lightning strikes again - launches her arrow high up to the dome covering the arena. The enormous power shorts out all the cameras and screens as the dome begins to fall apart above their heads. A hovercraft picks up a barely conscious Katniss as parts of the dome still collapse past her. She later wakes to find Haymitch, Finnick and Plutarch all announcing that she has been rescued as she is the symbol of the Rebellion. She is aghast to find that Peeta and Johanna have been captured back in the arena. Later, there is more heartbreak as Gale tells her that District 12 has been utterly destroyed and that they are on their way to District 13 to continue the fight....
'Catching Fire' is one of the very best Sequels and it does this because it changes very little from the first film. Gary Ross hands the reins to new director Francis Lawrence, who knows better than to tamper with the design, and look (and Cast!) of the Film. Again, we as the audience, get to look at the Games as we did the first BUT this time we are NOT enjoying any of it. The 'Victor's are angry and mostly rebellious, the interviews that Caesar Flickerman tries to glitz up fail completely until we are again facing the Arena. Katniss has been truly an 'innocent' through all of the events but she is now suspecting that her influence beyond the Games may be higher than she thought. This second film as darker than the original, the sequence where Katniss hears the voice of her Sister, Prim, screaming in flocks of birds, leaves her shocked and traumatised. We feel through the second half of the film that things are heading out of control - and so they are.
Again, Jennifer Lawrence plays Katniss superbly - confused, dazed, angry betrayed - it takes a lot to do this but Lawrence always makes her character feel real. This is no superhero, just a girl trying to survive and understand. The other cast members do well - the late, great Philip Seymour Hoffmann in his last role plays Plutarch, Sutherland oozes menace as Snow and both Sam Claflin and Jena Malone imbue their 'victors' with believable angst and pathos.
What 'Catching Fire' does is pull the rug from under the audience - this will be the LAST time we will see a 'Hunger Games' arena - as I said in my review of the first film - the Games are not the point - it is Rebellion and War that are now apparent. Both the books - and the Films - show what sometimes must be done to keep basic values - freedom from oppression, the freedom to speak and even think. All through the Film there are sacrifices made by people, just to ensure that there is hope - Cinna in the Capitol and many of the victors, to get Katniss out.
'Catching Fire' leaves behind the 'Games', arena's, the glitz and the glamour, the fashion - it's all gone - because now the Rebellion has started and war has come to Panem again.
The series will continue with 'Mockingjay - Part 1' - a dark and gloomy Film that I think was justified in being apart from the finale. Yes, there will be no more innocent Katniss as she will realise what has been done - and what now needs to happen. She will have to become the 'Mockingjay' for real - and more sacrifices will have to be made.
I appreciate 'Catching Fire' more with each viewing. I watched this with my Teenage Daughter recently and she was truly stunned with what happened. "Oh God, what happens now?" she asked. "War" I said.