The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Movie Review
Major Spoilers are included in this movie review. Please read with caution.
On July 25, 2020, I rewatched The Hunger Games: Catching Fire after finishing the novel for the second time on July 24, 2020. I was a huge fan of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy back in high school (2009 through 2013) and lived for the thought-provoking conversations I had about the series with a good friend of mine during English Class.
So, rewatching the movie was a lot of fun and educational during the trying times of the coronavirus pandemic and Black Lives Matter Movement 2020. I had a better experience watching this movie than I did the first movie on July 19, 2020.
Following the conclusion of the first Hunger Games movie, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) return home as victors for District 12. However, Katniss’ trick with the poisonous berries in order to secure victory for them both was seen as an act of defiance against the Capitol, provoking President Snow (Donald Sutherland) to visit Katniss.
This scene came fairly early in the movie, setting up the stakes and the tension that had risen in the wake of Katniss’ act of defiance against the Capitol. The shift in focus from making kids fight to the death to the oppression and violence of an authoritative government was established in this one scene.
During the victory tour around the twelve Districts, Katniss gave a heartfelt speech to Thresh and Rue’s families from District 11 about how she was forever indebted to their sacrifices. This led to an old man humming the song that Katniss sung to Rue when she died—stirring acts of defiance—among the crowd. The man was executed behind closed doors—bullet to the head—as a result. Witnessing this chilling violence happen right in front of her—while she was being dragged away by Peacekeepers to avoid interfering—made Katniss fully see the world in a totally different light. President Snow was not pleased with Katniss’ performance at all throughout this movie.
President Snow’s main antagonistic role was also expanded upon in this movie, as we were shown scenes with him plotting Katniss’ demise. In addition, we also saw him spend quality time with his granddaughter Celestia Snow (Nicole Oliver). Since these weren’t present in the novel due to Katniss’s first-person POV, having these scenes included in the movie humanized President Snow to a certain degree as the interactions showed he was capable of loving someone. However, he showed clear disdain for his granddaughter being a fan of Katniss Everdeen.
The action scenes during the Quarter Quell—the Seventy-Fifth Hunger Games Anniversary—were also faster and more dangerous compared to the first movie. Instead of sending innocent kids into the Games, President Snow chose to reap the past victors to show the Districts that not even the victors are safe or exempt from the government’s control. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance during the action sequences was amazing, and how she conveys her emotions was heart-wrenching whenever it came to protecting Peeta.
Overall, I loved watching The Hunger Games: Catching Fire more than ever. The characters were more developed, the plot was built better with higher stakes, and the world-building was impeccable. I would recommend watching this movie if y’all have two hours to spare. Thanks for reading my movie review! May the odds be ever in your favor!