Better than the first, but there's still room for improvement.

Rating: 7/10 (26 November 2013)

Catching Fire makes a number of improvements over its lackluster predecessor and is a much better film for it. After a very strong first half though, it takes a bit of a dive and by the end I was left a little underwhelmed.
Before I get to that though- the positives. One of my biggest problems with the first film was that it took a weighty, horrific, and tragic concept and turned it into a film that felt too light and easily digestible. It could be the fault of the source material (I haven't read any of the novels), but it felt like so much thematic potential was wasted on flimsy, poorly choreographed action sequences and a hackneyed love plot. After a promising half-hour, the film quickly devolved into a standard action/thriller affair that barely scratched the surface of the intriguing concept. Catching Fire definitely rectifies this for the most part. It feels appropriately weighty and more solemn that the first film with public executions and other atrocities of the Capitol put on clear display. It also delves more into the psychology of fear and how it can be used to oppress which is a welcomed bit of depth.
The excellent cast helps to sell all of these heavier moments. The acting in the film is uniformly excellent, and once again Stanley Tucci steals every scene that he's in. The award for most improved character unequivocally goes to Katniss though. In the first film I felt that she came off as overly stoic and enigmatic. I realize that these traits are supposed to be elements of her character, but on screen it didn't translate well and she seemed emotionally flat and distant. Katniss in Catching Fire is a much more dynamic character with clear moments of desperation, helplessness, strength, and resolve. Thanks to the excellent performance of Jennifer Lawrence and the improved script, she feels like a much more fully realized character with the power and charisma to properly carry the film.
Like its predecessor though, Catching Fire is still a very front-loaded film. Essentially every great scene in the movie is over by the time it reaches the halfway point. One scene in particular I found to be particularly well done was the scene where Katniss and Peta are broadcast to the Capitol for the first time outside of their houses in Victors' Village. The scene jumps back and forth between the bright, glittery stage of the Capitol where the broadcast is being played and the barren, dark, and dreary village. It creates a poignant visual metaphor that very successfully conveys the superficiality of the games that comes across it a subtle and tasteful way. I sensed a bit of social commentary in this scene as well concerning our own entertainment in the real world and how superficial and plastic it so often is.
The weighty, intriguing scenes like this though slowly but surely gave way to a final act that once again left me wanting more. The hunger games themselves were definitely better in this film than they were in the last. The participants felt a little more fleshed-out and had their own distinct personalities rather than the one-dimension villainous participants we were treated to in the first film. The action sequences were also choreographed and filmed much more coherently. Still though, I felt the portion of the movie that takes place in the hunger games once again disrupted the flow of the film and deadened the narrative tension that had been building up until that point. Once the games start, there is almost no attention paid to any of the characters other than those inside the dome. All of the thematically interesting, morally thought-provoking scenes are left behind for uninspired action sequences which just drag on and on. We basically just watch Katniss and friends run away from poison fog, rabid apes, tidal waves and other dangerous things over and over. It's a jarring transition from all of the political intrigue and dramatic, weighty character interactions that came before and just sticks out like a sore thumb.
Ultimately, Catching Fire takes a lot of steps in the right direction but there's still undoubtedly room for improvement. It once again fails to fully impress with the actual hunger games portion of the film but there's also a lot of powerfully acted and poignant moments as well before it enters that final slog. These are the moments that give me hope that the series will be able to truly deliver on its interesting premise in future films.