Verdict – “An outstanding movie which is better than its predecessor in every way'”
The second instalment in The Hunger Games franchise ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ is directed by Francis Lawrence which is based on the novel by Suzanne Collins starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elizabeth Banks and Stanley Tucci.
It’s been a year since Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellarkhave won the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss is going through a post traumatic stress disorder and she is still messed up because of the events that took place in the hunger games. Katniss and Peeta now live in the Victor’s Village where they get an unexpected visit from President Snow and they both are threatened and forced to go on a Victor Tour, which will act as distraction from the real problems in the world. A revolution is stirring in Panem, Katniss is the only hope for her people and to stop this outbreak, President Snow wants her out of the way. He wants her dead in any way possible, and due to some newly written law Katniss and Peeta are now forced to join the 75th Hunger Games along with the existing pool of winners of the previous hunger games (So this time it’s like a All-Star Hunger Games).
This movie is not just about the hunger games anymore, it is about so much more than that. It’s about rebellion, revolution and the corrupt government who is willing to do the worst things possible to make the lives of the people miserable. This movie shows us how these games work and all the politics behind it.The games actually doesn’t start until half way through the movie and the build-up which leads to the games is brilliant and doesn’t drag for even a second. The pace of this movie is so good that you might slightly feel breathless when the hunger games are about to begin.
The performances are absolutely terrific especially Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. Her character is much deeper and vulnerable this time and Jennifer portrayed this character brilliantly. No doubt that she is one of the finest actors today. Josh Hutcherson as Peeta was way better in this movie than the previous one. Donald Sutherland as the President was terrific, you will hate the President even more in this movie because Donald Suntherland presented the President’s evilness so well. A few more great performances to mention are Stanley Tuccias Caesar, Elizabeth Banks as Effie and Philip Seymour Hoffman who plays the new Head Gamemaker. The cast of the movie is fantastic. Literally everyone did a great job.
Another great thing about this movie – No more shaky cam. Yeah! It’s pretty much non-existent in this movie except for a few scenes. Francis did an outstanding job in directing this movie and setting a serious, intense and deeper tone. There was genuine sadness and emotion in this movie which is very well handled by the director. The visual effects and cinematography were stunning. The movie looked spectacular. The movie ends kind off abruptly, which is a plus point because it just gets you more exited for the third instalment. The music composed by James Newton Howard is amazing and it really puts you in a deeper mood.
To sum it all up, Catching Fire is a brilliant movie and one the best movies of the year. It is way better than its predecessor in all the aspects. If you are a fan of the first hunger games or fan of adventure and sci-fi movies, this movie is a must watch.I am giving it a solid four out of five stars and I highly recommend you to watch this movie.
My Rating – 4/5
Grade – A (Don’t dare to miss it!)
-By Chinmay Chawade
The second instalment in The Hunger Games franchise ‘The Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ is directed by Francis Lawrence which is based on the novel by Suzanne Collins starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Woody Harrelson, Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elizabeth Banks and Stanley Tucci.
It’s been a year since Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellarkhave won the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss is going through a post traumatic stress disorder and she is still messed up because of the events that took place in the hunger games. Katniss and Peeta now live in the Victor’s Village where they get an unexpected visit from President Snow and they both are threatened and forced to go on a Victor Tour, which will act as distraction from the real problems in the world. A revolution is stirring in Panem, Katniss is the only hope for her people and to stop this outbreak, President Snow wants her out of the way. He wants her dead in any way possible, and due to some newly written law Katniss and Peeta are now forced to join the 75th Hunger Games along with the existing pool of winners of the previous hunger games (So this time it’s like a All-Star Hunger Games).
This movie is not just about the hunger games anymore, it is about so much more than that. It’s about rebellion, revolution and the corrupt government who is willing to do the worst things possible to make the lives of the people miserable. This movie shows us how these games work and all the politics behind it.The games actually doesn’t start until half way through the movie and the build-up which leads to the games is brilliant and doesn’t drag for even a second. The pace of this movie is so good that you might slightly feel breathless when the hunger games are about to begin.
The performances are absolutely terrific especially Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss. Her character is much deeper and vulnerable this time and Jennifer portrayed this character brilliantly. No doubt that she is one of the finest actors today. Josh Hutcherson as Peeta was way better in this movie than the previous one. Donald Sutherland as the President was terrific, you will hate the President even more in this movie because Donald Suntherland presented the President’s evilness so well. A few more great performances to mention are Stanley Tuccias Caesar, Elizabeth Banks as Effie and Philip Seymour Hoffman who plays the new Head Gamemaker. The cast of the movie is fantastic. Literally everyone did a great job.
Another great thing about this movie – No more shaky cam. Yeah! It’s pretty much non-existent in this movie except for a few scenes. Francis did an outstanding job in directing this movie and setting a serious, intense and deeper tone. There was genuine sadness and emotion in this movie which is very well handled by the director. The visual effects and cinematography were stunning. The movie looked spectacular. The movie ends kind off abruptly, which is a plus point because it just gets you more exited for the third instalment. The music composed by James Newton Howard is amazing and it really puts you in a deeper mood.
To sum it all up, Catching Fire is a brilliant movie and one the best movies of the year. It is way better than its predecessor in all the aspects. If you are a fan of the first hunger games or fan of adventure and sci-fi movies, this movie is a must watch.I am giving it a solid four out of five stars and I highly recommend you to watch this movie.
My Rating – 4/5
Grade – A (Don’t dare to miss it!)
-By Chinmay Chawade