The second part of the Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire started out right after the 74^th Hunger Games. A tour around Panem with the victors, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), gives you a glimpse of what is to come. Before they leave for the tour Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), Katniss’s best friend, wants to believe her when she says her love for Peeta was an act, simply a way to stay alive. Snow pays Katniss a visit before leaving giving her a rose and a threat. They have to convince all of Panem especially President Snow (Donald Sutherland) who has been watching closely that their love story is real. After the tour Snow still isn’t convinced. The movie goes on to the actual 75^th Hunger Games called the Quarter Quell, once every twenty-five years there is a special Hunger Games and this one just happens to be a reaping of the existing victors. With the help of their allies, past victors like themselves; they conquer the new arena with a crashing ending.

Catching Fire was exactly what I expected it to be, and every time a book is made into a movie you have to expect that certain things will be cut out. The first movie cut out a rather important character, and seemed to me, a mistake. But director Francis Lawrence did a fantastic job of putting the book on screen. From the end of the first movie, I had wondered how they were going to put the certain parts in with that important character being cut out, but the movie turned out to top the first movie.  Lawrence over did himself making in the set pieces in the action scenes pop. The first movie’s director, Gary Ross; however, did have trouble with this.

The original cast returns including: Woody Harrelson as the boozy mentor Haymitch Abernathy, Elizabeth Banks as the ditzy chaperone Effie Trinket, Stanley Tucci as the unctuous TV host Caesar Flickerman and Donald Sutherland, as the terrifying president with an odd sent of roses and blood. The acting was phenomenal, and still, despite all this high-powered talent, it’s Jennifer Lawrence who holds our attention throughout the film. Katniss Everdeen makes for a fantastic lead, and her appeal is only accentuated by the intuitive and commanding work by Lawrence in the role.

The effects in the movie were extremely life-like and exactly how I pictured them while reading the book. This film was brilliant due to cutting in the right spots, beautiful cinematography, and the soundtrack to make the movie complete. I couldn’t imagine a better way to capture Suzanne Collins’s words.

The movie was worth going to in the theatre, and I would definitely go to it again. Catching Fire tops the Hunger Games without a doubt. With superb acting, directing writing and special effects it wouldn’t surprise me if it doesn’t win more than one award.