The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Rating: 9/10 (3 December 2013)

The first film based on the popular three part book series was as I expected a big deal, thankfully it was not cheesy and lame like the Twilight saga, and from the trailer and highly positive reviews I was looking forward a lot to the follow up, from director Francis Lawrence (Constantine, I Am Legend, Water for Elephants). Basically in the dystopian future world of Panem, a year after surviving the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Silver Lining Playbook's Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) are required to take the victory tour in the country, starting home in District 12, President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland) says that their romance inspired the district rebellions. The President wants Katniss to convince everyone of their actions, the threatened suicide together, was because of love, and that they still love each other very much, but she cannot help but still be haunted by the memories of young Rue (Amandla Stenberg) from District 11 who she tried to protect, and anyone who whistles the signal she called and holds their hands up in the three-finger salute will be punished by death. Mentor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) says that this "act" of love they have is going to have to continue for the rest of their lives, and Katniss is the one who has to announce an engagement at a party, but returning home she also warns close friend Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth, Chris's brother) that President Snow has threatened to kill their families, he winds up punished by whipping after attacking a Peacekeeper, part of a group in District 12 cracking down. Snow next announces Panem's third Quarter Quell, a special 75th Hunger Games event, it happens every twenty five years and sees previous victors compete again as tributes, Katniss, being the district's only female games survivor is first chosen, and Haymitch is the second, but as predicted Peeta offers himself to take his place, and they are both sent immediately to training without being able to see their loved ones to say goodbye. Katniss is ready on the platform to enter The Hunger Games, she is forced to watch friend Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) beaten before leaving, and entering she allies with District 4 players Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin) and elderly Mags (Lynn Cohen), and after Peeta is shocked and made unconscious for a moment they realise they are trapped by an invisible forcefield. The next thing they know a strange fog comes in, and they find it is poisonous when hideous puss boils develop on their skin, they run from it but cannot escape it, until Mags sacrifices herself, allowing Finnick to carry and save a revived but weak Peeta, and when the fog disappears they find that the painful sores can be removed with the water of the lake. Following some rest, when sunlight rises they are surrounded by apes, they turn out to be savage and murderous and the group run for their lives again, Peeta is saved again when a drug addict and camouflage expert sacrifices herself, it is when they reach the shore and beach that they meet intelligent District 3 tributes Wiress (Pulp Fiction's Amanda Plummer) and Beetee (Casino Royale's Jeffrey Wright), and female tribute Johanna Mason (Jena Malone) from District 7. They find that the centre of the area is shaped like a giant clock, each hour represents the next attack, like the fog and apes, they will face, President Snow watching them realises what they know and spins the clock to stop them working out the correct hours, and in doing this Wiress is killed, the tributes do however remember the tree that continually has lightning strike it, they plan to use the electrical surge on the next strike. Using a wire and electrocution they kill Brutus (Bruno Gunn) and Enobaria (Meta Golding) from District 2 and outside the alliance, the wire snaps and Johanna attacks Katniss, removing from her hand the tracking device they all carry, and unable to find Peeta at the tree Katniss uses the remaining wire, attaches it to her arrow and fires into the above forcefield, the next lightning strike destroys the arena. In the end Katniss wakes up with the unconscious Beetee, and she finds Haymitch, Finnick, and the head gamekeeper Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who is rebelling against Snow, Johanna and Peeta have been taken by the Capitol, she is angry that Haymitch did not protect him as promised, Katniss is sedated by Plutarch and wakes up days later with Gale next to her, he tells her that her family is safe, but District 12 has been destroyed. Also starring Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman, Willow Shields as Primrose 'Prim' Everdeen and Paula Malcomson as Katniss' Mother. Lawrence again proves herself a capable and fantastic actress being feisty and fascinating, Hutcherson gets his moments trying to convince everyone of their possibly actually real relationship, Sutherland gets a little more time on screen and proves a mean bastard, and many of the supporting cast members such as Banks, Hoffman and Tucci do well also. I was surprised to see the critics giving this five out of five stars, but it absolutely deserves it, it has better special effects, the potential love story develops a bit more, the chase and death sequences are more exciting, the song "Atlas" by Coldplay in the end credits is good, and fans of the books and high octane kind of films will not be disappointed, a fantastic futuristic action thriller. Very good!