Much more mature than the first.

Rating: 8/10 (23 November 2013)

Since I have not read the books of The Hunger Games, I cannot comment on how well the movies follow them or not, but I really enjoy the movies. I thought the first one was great, though there was a certain lack of violence that made it feel tweeny. Catching Fire was a lot more serious and mature.
It continues from where the first film finished, Katniss and Peeta are on their victory tour, and of course the Capitol is not happy with how the last Hunger Games panned out. Their is civil unrest in all the districts, which results in the Capitol clamping down in a couple of rather fittingly upsetting scenes.
I was glad to find that the new director had gotten rid of the shaky cam the previous film had so much of during action scenes. The action is much more steady in Catching Fire.
Jennifer Lawrence is again outstanding as Katniss, who is suffering PTSD, and is a beacon of hope to the people of the 12 districts, even as she tries to back away from it so that her family and friends do not suffer for it. She comes off as naturally conflicted and scared.
Although Woody Harrelson and Lenny Kravitz are excellent as Haymitch and Cinna, I felt that Effie (Elizabeth Banks) stood out the most from Katniss' team. While in the first film she was just a lackey for the Capitol, in Catching Fire, she expresses a more human side as Katniss and Peeta are forced to go through their ordeal a second time.
Overall Catching Fire is much more mature than it's predecessor, with some emotional moments and stellar acting, and much more steady action sequences with the shaky cam technique done away with. I look forward to the final installment in the series.