REVIEW | The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

In Catching Fire, the second installment of the Hunger Games movie trilogy based on Suzanne Collins's bestselling novel series, has a new director, Francis Lawrence. The film is sixty percent political and socio-economic drama and 40 percent action in the arena, but it's a hundred percent engaging before halting into an unexpected stop.

Katniss Everdeen (Academy Award-winner Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) of District 12 are now popstars after their controversial, rule-breaking victory in last year's 74th Annual Hunger Games. Katniss has not only become the Katy Perry of Capitol that little girls worship and idolize, but also a reluctant symbol of hope among the oppressed districts— involuntarily stirring a revolution, with uprisings beginning to spring up here and there.

So Katniss is now under the threat and close scrutiny of President Snow (Donald Sutherland), who tightens his tyrannical grip on the 12 districts; the slightest act of rebellion punished ruthlessly. Worse, and to everyone's shock, in this year's Quarter Quell (a surprise twist on the Games), former Hunger Games winners will fight against each other, so Katniss and Peeta, still traumatized from last year, return to the fighting arena, more broken than ever. And with the evil eyes of Snow on Katniss, and with the addition of Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the threat to her life has become even more dangerous.

Catching Fire, screenplay by Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine) and Simon Beaufoy (127 Hours; Slumdog Millionaire) is riveting and fluid, with every camera shot (no more shakey cam sytle) and split second moment pulsating with the bleak dystopian drama of The Hunger Games saga. 

Jennifer Lawrence is once again exceptional; the tortured soul of Katniss clearly evident whether repressed or breaking free. Lawrence exudes star quality, beautiful, strong and vulnerable, a child and an adult trying to cope and fight in a post-apocalyptic hell. She comes off not as a crusader, but an inherently tragic heroine.

Director Lawrence also captured the flamboyance of Capitol, treating us with breathtaking Capitol haute couture, while keeping a consistent undertone of its sickening lavishness. Katniss's regal and tasteful gowns care of stylist Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) is just whoa!

The smooth direction, the effective execution of the story's dark, disturbing, and violent themes, the music, the film's color palette, the superior special effects, and the beautiful cast make Catching Fire a first-rate sequel— better than its predecessor (view my Hunger Games [2012] movie review here] and definitely a thrilling prelude to Mocking Jay.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Opens November 21, 2013 in Philippine cinemas