Not a Bonfire, But Still Hot
I remember watching the first Hunger Games film reluctantly considering my inexperience with the novel series. When I walked out of that movie last year, I was not sure what to think. A majority of subpar acting jobs, a plotline with many holes, and underachieving CGI. But, the story was still captivating. I was not entirely sure of what to expect with Catching Fire, but now that everyone has become aware of the series, you can immediately tell that the film had a bigger budget. (In fact it was. $130 million compared to the first movie’s $78 million.) The larger investment paid off with a much more entertaining movie.
Jennifer Lawrence has really come into her own since her breakout performance in Silver Linings Playbook, and I’ll be the first to tell you that I was a fan of her work before most gave her due credit. Her role in the latest Hunger Games is another boost to her repertoire and only got me more excited to see American Hustle. It is certainly worth mentioning the quality work Donald Sutherland and Stanley Tucci, who helped embellish the drama and comedy of the film respectively. It just seems as if the cast was clicking better in this movie; there was a depth to their interactions that was not present in the first Hunger Games. Of course, adding the likes of Phillip Seymour Hoffman doesn’t hurt either. His brief lines in the movie were still professionally delivered, and only have me supremely excited for his role in the next Hunger Games.
Along with the acting crew’s interpersonal rapport, the development of higher-quality special effects was more than noticeable. The effects grew beyond cheesy and blossomed into believable computer generated images, symbolized by ravaging, man-eating baboons. Of course, there is criticism to be had for this movie. Most people find Josh Hutcherson an easy target of ridicule, and this movie is no exception. While most of the acting crew developed together, Hutcherson seemed left out of the growth. Every line he had simply lacked excessive feeling, making me feel like I could do just as much as he did, if not more. Then again, his character does call for feelings of disregard. After all, we as the viewing public aren’t pulling for Katniss Everdeen to fall for Peeta Mellark. It will be interesting to see if he can pull his act together more for the next slew of Hunger Games movies.
It’s not a bad movie at all and was definitely better than the first, but do yourself a favor and watch the first Hunger Games before attempting Catching Fire, unless you want a severe headache.
Written December 4, 2013
Jennifer Lawrence has really come into her own since her breakout performance in Silver Linings Playbook, and I’ll be the first to tell you that I was a fan of her work before most gave her due credit. Her role in the latest Hunger Games is another boost to her repertoire and only got me more excited to see American Hustle. It is certainly worth mentioning the quality work Donald Sutherland and Stanley Tucci, who helped embellish the drama and comedy of the film respectively. It just seems as if the cast was clicking better in this movie; there was a depth to their interactions that was not present in the first Hunger Games. Of course, adding the likes of Phillip Seymour Hoffman doesn’t hurt either. His brief lines in the movie were still professionally delivered, and only have me supremely excited for his role in the next Hunger Games.
Along with the acting crew’s interpersonal rapport, the development of higher-quality special effects was more than noticeable. The effects grew beyond cheesy and blossomed into believable computer generated images, symbolized by ravaging, man-eating baboons. Of course, there is criticism to be had for this movie. Most people find Josh Hutcherson an easy target of ridicule, and this movie is no exception. While most of the acting crew developed together, Hutcherson seemed left out of the growth. Every line he had simply lacked excessive feeling, making me feel like I could do just as much as he did, if not more. Then again, his character does call for feelings of disregard. After all, we as the viewing public aren’t pulling for Katniss Everdeen to fall for Peeta Mellark. It will be interesting to see if he can pull his act together more for the next slew of Hunger Games movies.
It’s not a bad movie at all and was definitely better than the first, but do yourself a favor and watch the first Hunger Games before attempting Catching Fire, unless you want a severe headache.
Written December 4, 2013