As the second instalment in a film series based on a rabidly popular book trilogy, there was little doubt that Catching Fire would do well. The Hunger Games sequel opened and grossed $64 million internationally, and to generally positive reviews.
Various reasons for the film’s financial and critical success have been put forward, from the power of the popularity of the books, the well-timed release of the film (this week will be the Thanksgiving holiday in the US, an excellent time for moviegoers to catch up), to the overall good quality of the film.
In Catching Fire, Katniss Everdeen deals with the repercussions of winning the first film’s titular ‘Games’. The dystopian, totalitarian setting, a harshly imagined future America where the nation called Panem is divided into woefully unequal Districts, is further explored as Katniss finds that having won the Games has not improved her life much. Her public romance with fellow champion Peeta, the vehicle through which she beat the system of the previous Games, becomes a burden of appearances and politics—as well as a way in which the regime tightens its grip on her. She is further torn apart by the trauma of having lived through the first Games, as well as her affection for childhood companion Gale. Though keen to keep her head down and keep her family safe, Katniss soon finds that events are in motion that will affect them all whether she complies or not.
Jennifer Lawrence carries the role so well you never question her as the film’s center, and you might believe the success of the rest of the cast is from her cues. She has an understanding of Katniss that shows in every expression and gesture fluidly. Lawrence makes Katniss real, embodying everything the character needs: the instinct to survive, the confused affections, the post-traumatic stress, the drive to be practical, the fierce love. Her Katniss injects a sense that is very much needed in the film for it to be a storytelling success, where it otherwise would have been monotonous ploughing forward.
Fans can expect to be sated by this instalment, and totally keen for the final part. While some elements could have felt recycled or repetitive, Catching Fire finds other parts of the world to explore, as well as other aspects of the characters, to keep you interested. The film grasps what worked best about the first film and the source material and translates it into the sequel without getting lost in its approach. That the stakes are so much higher this time around is driven home, and there is the pleasant bonus that the cast approaches their roles with such obvious pleasure that it is hard to find fault in them.
Overall, Catching Fire plays its part as a sequel and second portion of a trilogy well. Whether you are a fan of the books or a follower of the cinematic version, you will come out of it wanting the final piece of the series. And for a series like the Hunger Games, this is a real success.