One thing its fans and detractors seemed to almost universally agree upon regarding The Hunger Games: Catching Fire was that it had improved on its predecessor. Some of us who marveled at the quality of the first movie were less impressed by this sequel, but nevertheless, it turned out to be either a pleasant surprise or a relief to anyone worried about a new director and a larger scope in this story’s continuation.
In my viewing, this second film took some of the greatest strengths of the first movie and gave them more screen time and greater depth. These included Woody Harrelson as Haymitch and Elizabeth Banks as Effie, the latter of which really standing out in scenes where her overly chipper façade could not help but slip ever so slightly in the midst of horrifying actions taken by the Capitol.
The area where Catching Fire may have exceeded The Hunger Games the most is in that closing shot of Katniss, at first confused and heartbroken at the surprising outcomes of the games, but quickly turning to anger and vengeful determination, making the final two films feel like far too long a wait. A fire has been lit, indeed.
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