Review of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) by Jonathan B — 29 Nov 2014

A year on from her victory in the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen becomes aware that she may be the inadvertent figurehead of a fledgling underground rebel movement. Her popularity hasn't gone unnoticed with the political movers and shakers in the Capitol and so it is decreed that the 75th Games will be a special occasion in which all the combatants consist of previous winners.

Thus, Katniss finds herself pitched into a new and improved arena being overseen by a new fight director (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman). The original cast pick up their roles well and there is a palpable sense of tension from Jennifer Lawrence as she struggles with her fame.

I did feel that the similarity of the setting in the Games arena might make the situation feel slightly old hat, but the nature of the combatants and the setting are just different enough to make this feel fresh and exciting.

The more I see of this series, the more I like both the settings and the realisation of an unfamiliar America with fashions that hark back to the 1800s and some interesting technology. I almost want to know more about what is going on in the wider world and what precisely lead to the formation of this bizarre and unequal society.

I did have some reservations that this would be a film appealing solely to angsty teenagers, and there is indeed a slight sense of "Nobody understands how hard it is being me" from Katniss, but the dystopian society in which she exists has enough depth and colour to make these genuinely interesting movies.

..at least so far. I'm very much looking forward to catching the final instalments in the future.