 |
| Game On once more! |
Anyway, it is unfair to even compare The Hunger Games with movies like Twilight because there is so much more depth in the movie. Forget Thor either because The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is one class above the rest.
 |
| This time, there is a wedding gown as well |
The movie start picking up not long after “The Hunger Games,” “Catching Fire” features a traumatized Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) preparing to embark on a “Victory Tour” following her “success” in the previous Hunger Games.
She soon discovers that her defiance of the Capitol in the previous film has sparked a rebellion among the nation’s districts, and President Snow (Donald Sutherland) wants her to simmer the tensions. What results is a powerful, thrilling sequel that bests its predecessor in almost every way.
Katniss finds herself cast back into the arena when the authorities announce a Quarter Quell; a deviously super-charged tournament peopled entirely with former champions who will be forced to exterminate one another while battling poisonous gas, raining blood, man-eating monkeys, electrifying force fields and worse.
Once again, the Games are on.
There were just so much depth in the movie and really,what sets “Catching Fire” apart is how potent, poignant and exhilarating it manages to be. It explores themes such as oppression, materialism, consequences and sacrifice with maturity and depth. You just seem to be glued to your seat throughout the entire movie.
While the movie is surging forward, it is Katniss that keeps our eyes locked onto the screen. Her three-dimensional portrayal results in a protagonist that is both complicated and likeable. The supporting cast are equally awesome in their performances....both Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) and Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) are both respectively wounded in their own ways...and their acting are showing it. Then, we have the witty, alcoholic mentor, Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) who simply showed us what a mentor would do for their mentee and how he keep Katniss and Peeta alive throughout the Games. Of course, his words echoed throughout the theme of the movie: "Remember who the real enemy is".
Newcomers Sam Claflin and Jena Malone bring charisma and danger in their roles as Finnick Odair and Johanna Mason, respectively. Both of them played their roles amazingly. Academy Award-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman steps into the role of Plutarch Heavensbee, the ethically questionable new Gamesmaker. His calm demeanor is simply outstanding.
A surprising standout performance comes from Elizabeth Banks, whose funny yet touching portrayal of Effie Trinket lets us see a Capitol-bred chaperone begin to see the injustice of the institutions that employ her.
What may astonish some viewers about “Catching Fire” is just what an emotional experience it is.
We see a nation of abused people desperately clinging to the hope that a single girl has brought them, and the Capitol’s vanquishing of all those who speak out is artfully executed.
Ultimately it is with Katniss, forced to be the face of the Capitol under the threat of death, with whom our hearts break, as she remains helpless to stop the cruelty that surrounds her. When you mix this healthy dose of compelling emotion with the wonderfully directed action that ensues, what you get is an utterly gripping film. The ending of the movie simply set the mood for the final explosive two-part conclusion. It just made you wanna watch the ending now....we can't help but feel the cliche: let the games begin.
No comments:
Post a Comment