“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” was released in 2013. (same year Pacific Rim came out) It received positive reviews from critics and movie goers alike. Besides praise, the second film in “The Hunger Games Trilogy” made a lot of money at the box office. A two-part final installment known as “Mockingjay” came out in 2014-2015. A prequel titled, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” will be released on November 17, 2023.
I have no intention to see it. Why? Because Rachel Zegler’s in it. She doesn’t keep her trap shut about Disney’s upcoming live-action remake of “Snow White.” Rachel’s a real life Dementor from “Harry Potter.” Sucking all the fun and joy. Doesn’t care about the lore, all she talks about is forcing diversity down people’s throats. I’m open to inclusion in original stories, but remaking Disney classics swapping the main character’s race won’t automatically make it better. It’ll cause controversy and a few bad apples. No pun intended. I plan on watching the prequel at home.
This review contains no crucial SPOILERS.
Hit & Miss Aspects
Hit: Jennifer “J-Law” Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Liam Hemsworth, Stanley Tucci, Willow Shields & Donald Sutherland reprise their roles from the first film. They all did an excellent job for their respective performances.
Newcomers to the trilogy such as Jeffrey Wright, Jena Malone, Alan Ritchson (Hank Hall/Hawk from Titans) and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman (may he Rest in Peace) all did a decent job for their respective performances.
Francis Lawrence (no relation to J-Law) did a solid job directing.
Action Sequences further escalate Katniss & Peeta using their skills and abilities to survive a fight to the death type of game.
I know the Mockingjay pendant is obviously shaped like a bird. If you look at it differently, it looks like “Johnny Bravo” posing while holding an arrow.
Pacing didn’t feel like a drab. First Half builds up our heroes dealing with the aftermath of the 74th Hunger Games as well as Character Development involving Katniss & Peeta’s bond. Second Half gets better with the pair enduring yet another deadly game.
James Newton Howard (Unbreakable, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, The Dark Knight) orchestrated the soundtrack.
Visual Effects also escalate Set Pieces and beautiful imagery.
The Tone’s slightly darker.
Cinematography has less Shaky Cam. A huge improvement. Most of the film was shot in IMAX.
Katniss & Peeta’s chemistry continues to flesh out. They’re a much better couple than Clark Kent & Lois Lane in “Man of Steel.” Heck, I prefer Katniss & Peeta over Thor & Jane Foster. “Thor: The Dark World” was a dud.
Catching Fire’s unpredictable. There’s no “I’ll be right back” cliche. Whenever a character leaves the scene, someone will die. Randy Meeks from “Scream” taught me how to survive a Horror movie.
One scene features a swarm of birds attacking Katniss and her team. Somebody’s been watching Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.”
An elevator scene made me laugh hysterically. Ten times funnier than these unfunny comedies from 2013.
- R.I.P.D.
- Turbo
- The Hangover Part III
- A Madea Family Christmas
- Identity Thief
- Movie 43
- Scary Movie 5
- The Big Wedding
- A Haunted House
- The Starving Games
- The Internship
The 75th Hunger Games is much harder than last time. Katniss & Peeta square off against deadly contestants. Some of them have distinctive tactics. They’ll need help from teammates.
A Plot Twist is revealed.
Last Scene sets up the two-part final installment, Mockingjay.
Coldplay’s “Atlas” is played during the End Credits. As a fan of the band, I strongly approve. I prefer them over Taylor Swift. I’m not a Swiftie.
Miss: As I’ve mentioned before on my review of the first film, I couldn’t take Peeta’s name seriously. Every time I hear his name, I picture Lois Griffin calling out Peter’s name.
The Final Verdict: A, FOR APEX!
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a huge improvement and better than the first film. I was gonna give it an A-, but after rewatching for the second time, it deserves my highest grade. Catching Fire’s on the same level of flawless sequel next to “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.” If you’re prepping up for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, rewatch the trilogy. That’ll keep you busy for a while.
Nickthemoviecritic.com 