Another Disappointment (If you like your movies smart)

Rating: 6/10 (24 December 2013)

ONE MINOR SPOILER
Catching Fire was simply okay. Not bad, not great. While I usually couldn't care less about similar movies, the Hunger Game series as a whole genuinely upsets me. Mainly due to the potential it could have had.
BACKGROUND
The first book was excellent and so smart for a book geared towards teenagers. It had social commentary and teenagers killing each other. I have no idea how it got so popular with these two factors working against it. But it it did.
The first film, if left in the hands of a skilled director, could have broken the trend of mediocre teen films and made something actually memorable. Unfortunately, it failed. It tried to mash too much material into one film. It also failed in developing believable and likable characters... especially the protagonists. Most people told me they ended up feeling bad for Gale, when in the book it clearly the opposite. When the girl died, I genuinely did not care... compared to the book when I actually shed a tear or two.
THE BAD
Now, with all that said, Catching Fire was a chance to redeem the series. I saw the running time and was hopeful that maybe this time around the characters would be well defined. Catching Fire was my least favorite book in the series (many people hate me for that) so I was hoping maybe this film could make me like it... it didn't.
Just like the book, I liked the first half and couldn't care less about the second half. I never liked the idea of returning to the Hunger Games, and I hoped this film would change my opinion, but it failed. Just like the book, I fail to understand why they would return. Just like the book I wished they never made a sequel.
As for the long running time, the film just dragged on. It felt longer than it actually was due to a lack of attachment to the characters. I did not feel for any of them.
I also didn't like how they never even explained that the mother and child operating on Gale are Katniss' mom and sister. I forgot what they looked like and I read the book when it came out, so it took me a while to figure it out. That's bad writing.
While directors/writers like Tarantino and Fincher are able to use two or three lines to let an audience know who a character is and what they are like, fifty lines cannot be used in this film to say anything.
THE GOOD
It's a shame that the acting was really good. The whole cast put up a great performance, despite their really half-assed dialogue.
Especially for Jennifer Lawrence. She does such a great job, despite the terrible dialogue she is presented with. I felt like she was just screaming Peeta's name the entire film. She also comes across as a bit unlikable due to her dialogue, but that's everyone but her's fault.
Woody Harrelson also makes an amazing Haymitch. Just like the original film, I wouldn't have minded seeing more of him.
VERDICT
Catching Fire gets a 6 out of 10. It's entertaining and everything a dumb teenage drama should be. It only hurts that the film, as well as it's prequel, should have been a lot more. A better script with better dialogue and character development would have made all the difference.