Catching Fire
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Director: Francis Lawrence
Release Date: November 22, 2013
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson
Rating: PG-13
Run Time: 146 minutes
Trailer / IMDb
Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark become targets of the Capitol after their victory in the 74th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion in the Districts of Panem.
Review contains spoilers throughout. Spoilers not marked. Spoilers from Catching Fire movie and book, and Mockingjay.
So let's just say this movie is the
best book to movie adaptation I've ever seen in my entire life. This
movie is so good and followed the book so freaking closely. Every
single detail was exactly how I imagined it in the book, with the
exception of a few things. There were a few things added in and but
there was nothing really taken out. There were some things that were
changed a bit to save time but were still just like the book.
The first shot in this movie was
absolutely beautiful and I loved seeing how much more there was in
the movie than was shown in the trailers. I do feel that the first
10 minutes were kind of not as good as the rest of the movie but that
was ok.
Like I said, it was so interesting to
see how much more went on in each scene that we saw in the trailers,
like with the Katniss/Snow scene in the beginning.
A lot of things were condensed into the
beginning of this movie, like the Gale kiss, hunting with him, and
meeting Snow. But the part where Katniss is outside the fence and it
comes on after Commander Thread is in District 12 didn't happen.
Everything in this movie was like
straight out of my mind. For example, Victor's Village. It was
exactly how I imagined it, even the scene where Katniss throws water
on Haymitch to wake him up is straight from the book. Everything,
from District 11 to the arena to the monkeys to the ending...all out
of my mind!
One thing that was different, however,
was Presiden Snow's granddaughter. I kind of had mixed feelings but
I realized that it was completely necessary for her to be in the
movie because it showed the viewer how the rest of Panem was reacting
to Katniss. Also, Plutarch's role was completely different because
Francis Lawrence combined the increased security in District 12 with
introducing Plutarch Heavensbee but I completely agree with
Lawrence's choice because it made it that much more of a shock in the
end. One more thing was Peeta killing someone. Now, in the book the
fact that Peeta was such a pure victor was a big thing, so I don't
really understand why they had him kill someone in the movie. I
guess if they hadn't made him kill someone he would have been rescued
by Finnick and looked weak, so that was the only choice. I don't
know. Also there was absolutely no foreshadowing of District 13 in
the movie. They didn't show the footage of District 13 with the
mockingjay flying in the corner at all. Also when Peeta goes in for
his private session with the gamekeepers in the movie his drawing of
Rue is left on the floor whereas in the book it is cleaned up with a
mat dragged over it. But it made sense to shorten the process for
the audience.
But there were so many things that they
did perfectly, from Finnick to the arena to the ending with Beedee
and the force field.
You guys are probably wondering, how
many times did I cry? Umm...well...about 5 times. Yeah. I cried
during Gale's whipping, when Cinna died, when Mags died, and when
Effie said goodbye. And a few more times I can't remember. I
honestly wasn't expecting Gale's whipping scene to affect me as much
as it did. I mean I knew it wasn't going to be fun to watch but I
also didn't expect to be bawling over it. Then of course Cinna dying
was horrible. Mags' death REALLY got to me though because she
sacrificed herself for Annie and loves Finnick and she doesn't even
say anything just kisses Finnick, strokes his face, and walks into
the fog. It's so quick but it hits so deep.
Let's talk acting. Jennifer Lawrence
is seriously such an amazing actress. Everything she does she does
so well, it looks so natural and just perfect. I honestly can't
figure out how she can be so serious in a movie when in real life she
is crazy. That scene when she touches the fog and realizes that the
salt water heals it and she sticks her hand in the water and just
screams in pain shows how amazing she is. It's not real, but it
looks so real. She is such a talented, amazing actress.
I have mixed feelings about Josh
Hutcherson. I don't like Peeta's character from the book because I
feel like he's just completely useless, and I still feel like that
after this movie. There were like 3 times when Katniss is facing
down Finnick and Johanna and trying to keep herself and Peeta alive
and Peeta just stands next to her like a child letting her fight to
protect him. So I don't like his character. What are my mixed
feelings? Well...Josh is kind of super attractive. Like REALLY
super attractive. In the first movie honestly I wasn't really
impressed with his acting skills, but in this movie...much better.
Even though I don't like Peeta's character, Josh plays him perfectly
and I have to respect that. Also, there is just SO MUCH chemistry
between Josh and Jen. If you're like me and watch a ton of their
interviews (I know I'm weird) you would see how funny they are
together.
Which leads me to my next point. I'm
Team Gale 100%...I just don't like movie Gale as much as I like book
Gale. And I don't really like Liam Hemsworth. He just doesn't seem
to fit in with Josh and Jen and that lack of chemistry is obvious on
screen. So what team am I? Team Josh but still Team Gale.
Finnick Odair. Hello sexy. I honestly
cannot believe that some people said Sam Claflin was horrible as
Finnick. Like aca-scuse me? You're kidding right? Sam is SO
PERFECT and ugh. Words just cannot describe how good he was as
Finnick. To be Finnick you have to be hot, sassy, muscular, and
shameless...AND SAM WAS! He played Finnick so well from the sugar
cube scene to carrying Mags to the very last shot. Just amazing!
I'm so glad he's in the cast. And it doesn't help that he's freaking
British. Being British automatically makes you 150% more attractive.
I love him so much more onscreen than in the book. But I am really
dreading Mockingjay Part II because that's where he dies and I really
just can't handle that.
Johanna is an awesome addition to the
cast. Jenna Malone played Johanna so perfectly and brought out her
spunk, kick-ass-ness, and strength perfectly. She was just
absolutely perfect and crazy.
I am very ashamed to say that before
this movie I wasn't completely sold of the casting for Beedee and
Wiress. I was actually completely agianst it. I have no freaking
idea why I ever doubted Francis Lawrence because they both did such a
good job in this movie playing their parts.
Now come the big three: Effie,
Haymitch, and Caesar. Effie played a much bigger part in this movie
than in the first one and she was so freaking funny. My favorite
part with her was when she walks Peeta and Katniss into the Capitol
and is just spouting out a long stream of nonsense and then you hear
“Oh mahogany” and yes just yes! Haymitch is awesome as usual,
and this movie just really wears down your emotions because both
Haymitch and Effie were so torn up over Katniss and Peeta going to
into the arena. Then you have Caesar Flickerman who can I just say I
love! He is such an awesome character and even though he's from the
Capitol he still privately roots for Katniss and Peeta, I think.
One of my favorite parts in the movie
was the interviews and the ensuing chaos. First off, I completely
just melted when I watched Sam give his interview. If you hadn't
read the book you wouldn't know who he was talking to you would just
die from the sexiness...but I knew who he was talking to and still
died from the sexiness. Then Johanna going nuts and dropping f-bombs
and Peeta dropping the baby bomb and it was just so perfect. And the
victors holding hands was really intense, I don't even know why. It
was just so powerful and beautiful. Then Chaff kissing Katniss on
the lips and the famous elevator scene which was SO FREAKING FUNNY!
Katniss' face was just so priceless and you just know that was 100%
Jennifer Lawrence omg. And Peeta and Haymitch's faces were just so
priceless and gosh I loved that scene.
I also want to talk about another scene
in this movie which I loved and hated at the same time. It was in
the jabberjay part of the clock and it was such a beautiful, amazing
scene but at the same time so horrible. Sam and Jennifer just make
it so sad, and what really got me was Finnick just screaming for
Annie and it was just so heartbreaking. And then when Katniss runs
into the force field separating the two sections and she's stuck and
Peeta is there trying to comfort her...it was just horrible.
The special effects for this movie were
simply amazing. Everything was just as I imagined it, from the city
to the arena to the monkeys to just everything. The arena, actually,
is what I was most impressed with the arena because that seems like
something that would be really hard to move from book to movie, but
they succeeded. Also the monkeys and fog were both as terrifying as
I imagined.
What I think I am most impressed with,
however, is the ending. In the book it's really hard to understand
how everything happened, and that is very hard to translate on
screen. There were so many things going on at the time and it's hard
to make sure the audience understands it, but somehow Francis
Lawrence pulled it out and it was perfect. Everything was just like
the book, from Johanna knocking Katniss out to Finnick running by
trying to find Johanna to Katniss hiding from him and then going back
to the lighting tree to see Beedee thrown back. It was just amazing.
So my personal experience. It was
actually really cool because I had a soccer tournament out of city so
I went to see this movie there. I was originally going to go alone
but then I discovered that most of my team wanted to see the movie
too so I invited them all. So basically there were like 15 teenaged
girls drooling over Finnick in the movie theater, and it was so
awesome. I loved going with my team.
Basically I give this movie a freaking
A+ if there was a higher rating that's what I would give it.
5 million stars!
