Review: Catching Fire film adaptation starring Jennifer Lawrence.
I started off my last review by saying “if you didn’t see…” but I don’t think this applies to The Hunger Games series. Quite frankly, if you have not heard of The Hunger Games, you need to come out from the rock you are living under and go to your nearest bookstore to equip yourself with a copy, then sit and read it until finished. Alright. Now you know what I’m talking about: good.
I suggest you make sure you’ve seen/read both The Hunger Games and Catching Fire in either film/book version before you read this review.
I generally think Jennifer Lawrence is the best human being to have ever graced this earth – from not starving herself for the role in THG because she knew what a role model she was becoming as Katniss to how she’s dealt with pressures from the media. Of course she’s a great actress and deserves every award so gets, but there’s also such a change in her acting – from goofy, derpish Jen to Katniss Everdeen. It’s not an easy transition to make, but she pulled it off in The Hunger Games and yes, she’s done it again in Catching Fire.
It’s not just Jennifer Lawrence who’s upped her game; all the actors are better. The filming is smoother and more polished; there’s not any camera shaking around. More and more hints of revolution start to filter through, yet the audience is still totally kept in the dark about The Big Plan behind it all. It’s not until the arena falls apart – quite literally – that suddenly the audience realizes that there is something else out there. And that something is District 13. Then the film ends, with not even one shot of District 13 or any explanation as to how they are in the district that no longer exists. Obviously for budget and general practicality; they wouldn’t build the set just for a ten minute explaination, which would leave less of a cliffhanger and likely confuse a lot of people. Instead, they end the film with no one know what is going on – intentionally.
Sure, there are tiny details I could pick on. They’ve written off the mockingjay pin as something Katniss found, not as the pin her father gave her. They’ve not mentioned Madge, or even the mayor. They’ve not said a word about District 13 until this film and even then it is only briefly and, most of all, they’ve not told Haymitch’s story.
But. Do I feel cheated of these things that they failed to include? No. Those are small details; they mean that even those who have seen the films don’t know everything, will still get surprises if they read the books. And it also means that those fans who’ve read it all (myself and stepmum included) have something to still talk about. We can discuss and compare the films to the books and it generates a conversation. So no. I don’t feel cheated of anything.
It really is a great film, and I truly hope everyone involved – not just the actors and actresses, but the special effects team, sound crew and filming crew and everyone else – get the recognition they deserve.
taleoftwobooks 