The second of Suzanne Collins' best-selling novels has rightly been compared
to The
Empire Strikes Back, which should tell all you need to know about the
tone. It's dark stuff, so dark that the "kids killing kids" scenario
is largely thrown out the window in favor of something even bleaker. But it's
also the most ambitious of Collins' book for a reason, as it juggles a rather
complicated, downbeat first half with a final act that is the stuff of pure
adrenaline. Appropriately, the film begins with Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer
Lawrence), who has outsmarted the evil and awesomely-bearded President Snow
(Donald Sutherland) to survive the previous Hunger Games with her faux lover,
Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). Their victory and supposed devotion to one
another has made them heroes throughout Panem, a fact that has P.O.'ed Snow
something awful. Rebellion is brewing throughout Panem's poorest districts, and
Snow basically wants Katniss' head on a platter. After a few not-too-subtle
threats against Katniss and her family, Snow sends the two champions on a
Victor Tour throughout the nation; the better to remind the people of the
Capitol's ruthless power.
Killing her would only make her a martyr, and so Snow hires new Gamesmaker
Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman, classing up the joint) with the
task of ruining her idyllic image before delivering the killing blow.
Plutarch's solution? Alter the 75th Hunger Games, known as the Quarter Quell,
by forcing Katniss and Peeta to battle former victors plucked from the previous
competitions. The look of horror and resignation on Katniss' face when the
announcement is made is heartbreaking, not because it dooms her tenuous love
triangle with Peeta and best friend Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), but we
know it's out of concern for her family. They've already beaten the odds once,
and doing so a second time is all but impossible.
While the mood of the film is icy cold, with armed jack-booted Imperial
soldiers marching up and down at all times, what few moments of genuine fun
come during pre-games rituals. Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) recognizes Katniss' status
as a flaming symbol of hope and gives her the extravagant outfits to match.
Training sequences show off the director's special effects flair, especially
during a scene when Katniss is shooting down burning foes with her trusty
arrow. Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) continues to deliver sage but drunken words
of wisdom, while Effie Trinkett preens with her pink/blue/orange/whatever hair.
In order to survive, Katniss and Peeta will need to make friends again, and
this time they've got a motley crew to choose from. Oddball geniuses Beetee
(Jeffrey Wright, another touch of class) and Wiress (Amanda Plummer, nice to
see again) seem weak but are deadly smart; smirking pretty boy Finnick (Sam
Claflin) and the aggressively confrontational Johanna Mason (Jena Malone) could
be worthy companions if they can be trusted.
Perhaps what makes The Hunger Games so special is that it can be anything
the viewer wants it to be. On a purely entertaining level the film is never
boring or slow despite the nearly 2 1/2 hour runtime, a feat that the last
movie couldn't equal. There's a greater emphasis on the culture of celebrity
obsession this time around, as the people become fixated on Katniss and Peeta's
daily lives, and there's a brilliantly poignant moment where Haymitch warns his
friends "You never get off this train!” The cameras are always rolling and
the spotlight is always on, much like the 24 hour E!/TMZ/YouTube society we
live in now. As far as metaphors go, Catching Fire makes its point without
being too heavy-handed, and those who choose to simply enjoy the film as a
piece of science-fiction can do so. The central love triangle isn't just some
weak dramatic crutch where audiences argue over which hunky dude Katniss should
end up with. Each character has their battles to fight and tough choices to
make, so when the idea of romance does emerge there's always something
substantial behind it.
There came a point watching Kristen Stewart slog through playing Twilight's
Bella Swan that the actress just looked totally disinterested. What's more, she
seemed to have outgrown the role fairly early on but had to see it through to
the end. A lot has changed for Lawrence since the last film, and you can see
that wealth of experience reflected in her performance. She remains a true
shining star with a warrior spirit, growing deeper into the role of Katniss, a
character whose stoicism is only matched by her selflessness. The book was able
to take us into Katniss' tortured thought process as she was forced to make
impossible decisions on the fly, but the ease which Lawrence is able to get all
of that across is impressive. Hutcherson is a touch too passive as Peeta, which
may be the fault of the script which often has him in the position of needing
rescuing. He's a steady, reliable presence throughout, but not terribly
exciting.
The games themselves are bigger and more dangerous this time, with
everything from lightning strikes to poison gas to killer baboons making their
presence felt. Lawrence falls back on Ross' handheld camera technique
sparingly, saving it for the most intense sequences and delivering the greatest
impact. Overall the action is more polished and professional. No knock against
Ross, but action set pieces aren't his strong suit, whereas Lawrence knows them
inside and out. Rated PG-13, the film does shy away from excessive violence
during combat but remains terribly effective depicting the cruelty of the
Capital's Nazi-esque acts against the populace.While it may be blasphemy to compare The Hunger Games: Catching Fire to The Empire Strikes Back so frequently, there's no denying that both are immensely entertaining, thought provoking films that are so good they make their predecessors better. If this is what the final two movies are going to be like, then the odds will ever be in our favor.
