'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' - Movie Review

"Moves and countermoves." 

It's a line that never stops giving. And in the case of Hunger Games: Catching Fire, it's also an idea that never stops paying out. There are moves - an adventure series aimed at the head and heart before the eyes - and then there are counter moves - a concept which we believe to be abhorrent, yet deliciously captivating. 

At the outset of Catching Fire, we find Katniss and Peeta suffering from post-traumatic stress after their victory in The Hunger Games. District 12 still looks like a disillusioned town from the Russian Civil War. And the people, or the "serfs" if you will, are still struggling to find colour in the grey, tyrannical soot of life. Actually, come to think of it, Catching Fire has in many ways an identical plot to its predecessor. It draws empathy and outrage by chucking us head first into the squalor, and then builds on the theme of injustice by showing us what the few have compared to what the many (don't) have (shout out to Bolshevik Russia, again), takes a detour through The Capitol and its special effects laden gyms, and then plops us in a Darwinian wet dream. And the best countermove of all is that it works. Correction, it still works.

What is crucial for the puppet masters behind the Hunger Games franchise to get right is the role of Katniss Everdeen. She is a heroine that must hit the audience for singles, fours and a six. She needs to display toughness and beauty that will attract both young men and young women. Stoicism must meet pure empathy. She'll slay the naysayer and show concern for the departed. Be the President's thorn and the people's hope. And in Jennifer Lawrence, the move has been a success. Last year's Hunger Games reached a global box office figure of three quarters of a billion dollars. Lawrence has the ability to pull this move off. She's got the steely-eyed look, and the moves of a heroine. She even has the two suitors playing the cat and mouse game. Game. Set. Match. 

The supporting cast is delectable. For if a revolution is brewing, you want to make sure that your best are rising to the surface for the showdown. Isn't that right, Vladimir? (Who will be the Hunger Games' Trotsky?) Enter Philip Seymour Hoffman - the only character to shun the costume gimmick. But appearances aren't always what they appear to be, just ask Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson). Hoffman's Plutarch - another Roman shout out! - may not reach the edge that Hoffman often goes to, but he is a character that gets us flailing our hands in the air while we make a wild dash to the book store... or Wikipedia. Next to Hoffman is Donald Sutherland's scheming victor-of-years-gone-by, President Snow. The President expands in the sequel and begins to take yet another page from the Russian revolution: execution and secret police. (Lenin was notorious for writing that revolutions must enforce change and peace through violence. However, Lenin also spoke against the secret police and executions of the Tsar and the Romanov rulers.) Particularly noteworthy is the scene where the President confronts Katniss in District 12. It really sets the tone for the opening act. 

Also noteworthy are the revised roles of Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) and Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci). For Effie, the sequel offered more of an opportunity for her to open up her big heart and embrace the loveable underdogs of District 12. There's a warm and fuzzy feeling surrounding her, we'll call her the “Big Mama” of the film.

While Catching Fire fails to bring a new flavour, or storyline, the formula works to make the battle royale scenes (shot in Hawaii) a crash course in suspense and thrill! While some might not appreciate the left turn towards alliances and strategy, many will enjoy this heightened element. And who doesn't like a few dozen ferocious baboons?

Francis Lawrence (Water for Elephants, I Am Legend) replaces Gary Ross - shaky camera dude - as director and immediately attempts to clean things up. The romance, sci-fi, kung-fu training and political scheming are all given a touch up. Yet it appears staying true to the novel was paramount for screenwriters Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours) and Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine, Toy Story 3, Brave, Oblivion), as the screenplay is as abrupt in its ending as Suzanne Collins' novel.

Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a quality sequel that leaves us wanting more. You'll never feel that it’s perfect, but you’ll walk away knowing that something bigger is on the horizon. The only question is whether we should have hope in the moves that are coming in the two-part finale? 

7/10