Catching Fire A Catch?

This past weekend I saw the second installment of The Hunger Games movies. If you read the book, I'm sure this movie is a must-see for you. However, I am guilty of not reading the book. Criticize me all you want, but I loved the first movie. Obviously, I was pumped for the second one and after reading many positive reviews for it I couldn't wait to get to the theater.

Like I said, I loved the first movie. For a movie based on a book, I thought it told a very comprehensive story and I could easily follow it. Most people I spoke with liked the movie as well, but there were many people who said pieces of the book were missing. Most notably, the significance of the mocking jay pin was not explained.

For me, the highs in Catching Fire were very high. The relationships between characters were portrayed very well. Jennifer Lawrence really shines in her role of Katniss, and her anger toward the Hunger Games is very believable. To a lesser degree, Josh Hutcherson shines in his role of Peeta. I will admit, however, that I may be less impressed with his performance because I'm team Gale all the way. Liam Hemsworth portrays the character of Gale well, although he plays more of a supporting role throughout the film and doesn't have nearly as many lines as Lawrence or Hutcherson.

My biggest complaint about the film is its lack of explanation during certain scenes. The significance of the mocking jay, and rebellion within the districts, plays a major role in this film yet it is rarely addressed. Without going into too many details, there are a few people who die due to their displays of rebellion and I did not understand the reasoning behind these deaths until someone could clarify this after the film. Another theme throughout the movie is support for the Hunger Games. Many characters do not support the continuation of this event and it is unclear as to who is willing to rebel against the games. Of course, I think this will be elaborated upon further in the next film.

Scenes during the actual Hunger Games are done very well. They're intense, suspenseful, and often chilling... everything I wanted.  The movie delivers in most aspects and I am confident that it will please most viewers, especially those who read the book. In the future, I would like to see more clarification for viewers who have not read the book. Compared to other movies based off book, Catching Fire is pretty comprehensible, but I feel it is important for people to understand the film they've paid $12 to see.