The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

The sequel to The Hunger Games has been adapted to the big screen! How does it fare?

Much has been said about Catching Fire. And, quite frankly, it deserves all the hype it's gotten. The movie is simply fantastic.

Many of the things that made the first film so successful as an adaptation come back here. The movie has some elements added and some elements removed, but these all work to increase the quality. The book was bogged down by a romantic triangle, which is trimmed down in the movie until it no longer interferes with the main event. That applies to all aspects here. All the fat is trimmed, leaving the picture's true nature on full display.

The movie works on several levels. It satirizes decadence and celebrity culture, provides an image of a structured society which is falling apart at the seams, and builds up to the storm that will be the next movie. More specifically, this is what the portion of the movie previous to the titular Hunger Games consists of. It's a powerful drama, supported by gorgeous design and cinematography.

When the games begin, the film switches to an intelligent thriller. While this second part doesn't have as much to it as the first, it remains smart and very well-crafted. Taken as a thriller, it succeeds as being thrilling. The adapted script continues to benefit from the removed inner monologue and excellent design.

From a technical perspective, Catching Fire also shows its ingenuity. The cinematography is gorgeous. It's amazing how much the movie manages to convey in a single wide shot. It's difficult to explain without spoiling a plot point, but suffice to say, it's a brilliantly shot movie. The colour palette is also very well chosen, with scenes displaying the decadent Capitol being much more flamboyantly coloured than those of the outside world.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is easily one of the best films of the year. I had expected this coming in, but not to this extent. It's a genuinely brilliant piece of cinema, and definitely much more substantial and even poignant than is usually expected of PG rated movies. It is definitely a must-see event, and I'm actually excited for the next one.