The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

[The Stingray]

You know, I gotta say, I think you have a really beautiful name.

[K1stpierre]

Saw it for the third time today. Will probably go one more time. Still amazing, Francis did such a good job.

[luna]

absolutely dripping in hormones as expected. too much time chasing around the clock and not enough politics, though the ending hints at some interesting points about the role of the revolutionary leader that pops up in the final book. the worst aspect is obviously the love triangle.

 

45

[K1stpierre]

absolutely dripping in hormones as expected. too much time chasing around the clock and not enough politics, though the ending hints at some interesting points about the role of the revolutionary leader that pops up in the final book. the worst aspect is obviously the love triangle.

 

45

 

 

[Joel M]

The first book was very good and they managed to make a just ok movie out of it. But that movie did 2 things very right for the next instalments of the franchise:

 

1.casting Lawrence who gives the character layers that Katniss never had in the books. It's not the performance that will ever get awards attention but she is fantastic. I would argue that she is as integral to THG success as RDJ was in IronMan.

 

2.The decision to drop Katniss inner monologues. It sure made very difficult to portray her behaviour to Peeta and how much of it was acting for the cameras but it really pays off in the second movie. CF book was where Katniss inner monologues became more and more lame and self-absorbed and made the character less interesting and dynamic. Also the biggest part of the (very lame from the start) love triangle takes place in Katniss monologues so by eliminating them they reduced it to an afterthought in the movie.

 

Catching Fire movie is so much better than the book. If the series continue to improve like this it will end up the first movie series that's way better than the books.

[rockNrollaDIM]

^^

 

I like your thinkin!

Edited January 21, 2014 by aDIM

[Claire of Themyscira]

absolutely dripping in hormones as expected. too much time chasing around the clock and not enough politics, though the ending hints at some interesting points about the role of the revolutionary leader that pops up in the final book. the worst aspect is obviously the love triangle.

 

45

[K1stpierre]

We need one more vote in the A's to hit 60!!!

[Empire]

absolutely dripping in hormones as expected. too much time chasing around the clock and not enough politics, though the ending hints at some interesting points about the role of the revolutionary leader that pops up in the final book. the worst aspect is obviously the love triangle.

 

45

[K1stpierre]

That's fucking perfect.

[iceroll]

absolutely dripping in hormones as expected. too much time chasing around the clock and not enough politics, though the ending hints at some interesting points about the role of the revolutionary leader that pops up in the final book. the worst aspect is obviously the love triangle.

 

45

Yea this movie is certainly no Salò, or The 120 Days Of Sodom (1975), which you gave a 90 to right?  Maybe if there was more graphic violent rape and torture in the love triangle you would have liked it better...

[Jessie]

absolutely dripping in hormones as expected. too much time chasing around the clock and not enough politics, though the ending hints at some interesting points about the role of the revolutionary leader that pops up in the final book. the worst aspect is obviously the love triangle.

 

45

 

Its a 150 minute movie with about 3 minutes actually involving the love triangle. The first hour an a half was also all politics and it stayed that way when the games were on too. You either watched a different film or you were too dumb to follow the story, pick one.

[4815162342]

You guys shouldn't be surprised with grades like that.lisa is like baumer, a very specific and unique set of opinions about film, you gotta learn to just roll with whatever comes your way. Only baumer is infinitely more of a populist than lisa.

Edited January 22, 2014 by 4815162342

[K1stpierre]

The first book was very good and they managed to make a just ok movie out of it. But that movie did 2 things very right for the next instalments of the franchise:

 

1.casting Lawrence who gives the character layers that Katniss never had in the books. It's not the performance that will ever get awards attention but she is fantastic. I would argue that she is as integral to THG success as RDJ was in IronMan.

 

2.The decision to drop Katniss inner monologues. It sure made very difficult to portray her behaviour to Peeta and how much of it was acting for the cameras but it really pays off in the second movie. CF book was where Katniss inner monologues became more and more lame and self-absorbed and made the character less interesting and dynamic. Also the biggest part of the (very lame from the start) love triangle takes place in Katniss monologues so by eliminating them they reduced it to an afterthought in the movie.

 

Catching Fire movie is so much better than the book. If the series continue to improve like this it will end up the first movie series that's way better than the books.

I still very much like the first movie by Gary Ross. It's different, it's dark, raw, and serious. I liked that he kept it true to the book and didn't turn it into something it's not (Percy Jackson anyone?). There are things that he did I didn't like, like the overuse of the shaky cam and the upclose shots of everyone, and the ending. Shaky cam I'm good with, but it was done way to much in this movie, I think he needed to pick and choose when to do it (like two or three scenes). Instead, the entire movie was shaky. I mean, the worst was right at the beginning of the movie when Katniss walks through district 12. Why did he use shaky cam there? There was no reason for it, and I was so made because I wanted to see what 12 looked like and couldn't see anything. The upclose shots of everyone's faces were annoying. It just made the world  Panem feel so small. Like, when watching the movie, I never felt that the world they lived in was big. The ending I felt was very rushed. They totally needed to have the dialouge exchange between Katniss and Peeta where Peeta finds out that Katniss was acting for the cameras and not for love. My family and friends who didn't read the books, were very confused about that part, they either thought the romance was bad/awkward (which is kind of is, but not for the reasons they think) or that they both really like each other. They never picked up on the fact that is was an act. I think the dialouge that the book had at the end would have made it much more clear. 

 

Okay, I know it sounds like I'm hating on the first movie, but there were big flaws with it. I still think Gary Ross had the harder movie to do vs. Lawrence, as filming kids vs. kids killing each other but at the same time making it pg-13 but also violent enough, is super hard. I'm sure Gary tried everything to make it work out. Not to mention, it was Gary who gave us this incredible cast of stars who are mostly all good. The tone of the movie was perfect.  The good Gary brought to THG definitely outweighs the bad, it's just natural to nit pick when it's a book adaptation you love. I still give the first movie an 8/10.

 

I think Gary turned the first book, which is an amazing amazing amazing book, into a good movie. Not perfect, but not bad either, it was good.

 

 

Here's a general question to everyone: WHY DO PEOPLE THINK MADGE IS SO FREAKING IMPORTANT??? Uuuuughhh. People are still complaining after watching CF about Madge not being there. Like, seriously??? She's a midget of a character. In no way a "major character" at all.

[Jessie]

You guys shouldn't be surprised with grades like that.lisa is like baumer, a very specific and unique set of opinions about film, you gotta learn to just roll with whatever comes your way. Only baumer is infinitely more of a populist than lisa.

 

Opinions are fine, but her review of the film was just wrong. Its like saying 'I don't like Transformers because there wasn't enough action'.

[Empire]

You guys shouldn't be surprised with grades like that.lisa is like baumer, a very specific and unique set of opinions about film, you gotta learn to just roll with whatever comes your way. Only baumer is infinitely more of a populist than lisa.

I am not surprised. I just really wanted to use that gif.! 

[Omario]

well...it was definitely better than the first. kind of enjoyed it. Haven't read the books and don't care to...but i'm glad the ending was different. Didn't want a victor standing like the first movie.

 

B grade

[DAR]

I was somewhat lukewarm on the first movie. This one I loved a superior film in every way. A

[ACCA]

Still haven't read the books yet, but did watch the first film. I can't comment at all on how this compares to the books, so I can only judge the film as-is.

 

Having enjoyed the first film, I had fairly high expectations for this film and it did not disappoint.

 

Absolutely wonderful film, I REALLY liked it.

 

Great acting all around from the main cast as well as supporting cast. Some really interesting plot twists I was not necessarily expecting.

 

The visuals for the most part were really solid, and a step improvement over the first film.

 

I really liked how the tone of this film differed from the first, and that the film's tone matched the plot. Lawrence was great in realistically conveying with her acting the struggles her character was facing given the plot and the reality at hand for her in the film.

 

I was impressed with just how dark and brutal the film got at times. There was little sugar-coating in the film, and they took it very far with the PG-13 rating.

 

The score was solid, and cinematography was solid as well. Overall excited to see the last two films, and hopefully I'll get to reading the books before I see the final two films.

 

I give this an A-.

Edited May 11, 2014 by ACCA

[ShouldIBeHere]

I think they made the best of the material and Lawrence rules the screen... however, this also depends very much on her.

 

Good YA entertainment... I wonder it will prove much timeless qualities, though. Could have used more politics for sure.

 

 

Really enjoyed the first part - the Arena did not really work for me. The actual games worked much better in THG for me personally.

 

 

B-

Edited November 19, 2015 by ShouldIBeHere