The
latest
installment
of
the
franchise
created
from
Suzanne
Collins's
young
adult
dystopian
trilogy,
The
Hunger
Games,
Catching
Fire
is
even
more
gut-wrenching,
sleeker
with
raw
emotions
and
engrossing
than
its
predecessor,
which
released
in
2012.
Yet,
it
lacks
the
elements
to
sustain
itself
as
an
appealing
entertainer.
The
film
begins
on
a
note
of
suspense,
with
Katniss
Everdeen
(Jennifer
Lawrence)
killing
a
man,
obviously
by
mistake
and
she
redeems
herself
with,
"I
did
what
I
did,
to
survive." This
lays
the
foundation
of
the
film's
premise.
But
over
the
next
few
scenes,
the
narration
gets
muddled
with
time
and
space
not
well
established.
You
might
survive
this
hurdle
if
you
have
read
the
book;
the
film
does
not
help
you
sort
this
issue.
Over
a
few
minutes
of
patient
and
concentrated
viewing
to
figure
out
the
tale,
you
realise
that
"...The
Hunger
Games,
Catching
Fire
picks
up
soon
after
the
events
of
the
first
film.
Story
After
their
rule-bending
victory
in
the
74th
Hunger
Games,
Katniss
and
Peeta
Mellark
(Josh
Hutcherson)
of
District
12
are
forced
to
embark
on
a
publicity
tour.
But
instead
of
being
euphoric
and
jubilant,
there
is
a
fine
layer
of
tension
brewing
not
only
between
the
winners
but
also
within
the
public.
The
peace-keeping
forces
are
having
a
tough
time
curbing
the
chaos
caused
by
the
rebels.
A
three-finger
salute
and
graffiti
on
the
city
walls
denotes
the
insurgence.
President
Snow
(Donald
Sutherland)
feels
that
Katniss'
"act
of
defiance
and
not
act
of
love" caused
the
uprising.
And
the
best
way
to
control
the
situation
is
to
eliminate
her.
But
how?
So
he,
along
with
the
new
game-deviser,
Plutarch
Heavensbee
(Philip
Seymour
Hoffman)
decide
that
in
the
next
edition
which
is
the
75th
anniversary,
instead
of
having
a
normal
Hunger
Games
with
fresh
recruits,
this
time
the
surviving
victors
of
the
previous
games
would
compete
with
each
other.
The
narration
slides
into
the
75th
Hunger
Games
and
the
games
continue
the
same
as
in
the
74th
-
but
with
a
few
added
twists.
Surviving
in
an
uninhabited,
yet
orchestrated
island
is
the
task
of
the
game.
The
chore
has
psychological
impact
on
the
players.
"It
is
not
about
trust,
it's
about
staying
alive." So,
killing
is
the
best
option.
The
film
gets
engrossing
and
the
tasks
get
more
challenging
with
poisonous
fog,
rampaging
baboons
and
warm
blood
rain.
Performance
The
film
solely
belongs
to
Jennifer
Lawrence.
She
takes
Katniss
to
a
new
level.
Her
performance
in
the
first
edition
was
good
but
in
"...Catching
Fire",
her
involvement
is
definitely
gradual
and
organic.
Hutcherson,
like
in
the
previous
edition,
is
wasted.
Jena
Malone
is
great
as
Johanna
the
tough
girl
from
District
7
with
a
care-a-damn
razor
sharp
tongue.
Unfortunately,
Donald
Sutherland
as
the
antagonist
does
not
leave
an
impact
on
the
audience.
He
is
flaccid
as
any
other
incongruous
character
on
screen.
Woody
Harleson
as
Haymitch,
Stanley
Tucci
as
Caesar
Flickerman
and
Elizabeth
Banks
as
Effie
Trinket
provide
amusing
comic
relief
to
the
otherwise
intense
film.
With
layers
of
make-up
and
enhancements,
their
characters
lack
depth
and
enticing
power.
Cinematography
Visually,
director
Francis
Lawrence
along
with
cinematographer
Jo
Willems
has
made
Hunger
Games:
Catching
Fire
more
appealing
with
brutal
frames,
unique
camera
angles
and
futuristic
effects.
They
have
also
delivered
unique
frames
with
colours
ripped
off,
and
this
adds
a
new
element
of
darkness
of
this
dark
story.
Verdict
Overall,
though
the
director
has
stuck
to
the
novel
giving
this
reality
game
show
a
larger
than
life
projection
with
alluring
aesthetics,
his
conversion
of
the
tale
from
the
novel
to
screen
lacks
the
required
spark
to
make
it
an
evocative
film.
This
film
may
appeal
only
to
fans
of
The
Hunger
Games.
Cast:
Jennifer
Lawrence,
Josh
Hutcherson,
Donald
Sutherland,
Philip
Seymour
Hoffman
and
Amanda
Plummer
Director:
Francis
Lawrence
IANS