The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

Having survived the 74th Hunger Hames, "Katniss" (Jennifer Lawrence) and her on-screen beau "Peeta" (Josh Hutcherson) now expect to live a life of luxury in their victor's village - but nope, devious president "Snow" (Donald Sutherland) has other plans for them. Having dispensed with the services of poor old Wes Bentley, he brings in Philip Seymour Hoffman ("Plutarch") to create a sort of Champions League affair with previous - supposedly forever exempt - winners to come back for a "quell". It's a good excuse to bring in some old blood two help out the…

Catching Fire is the rare sequel that fixes almost everything about the first film. The shaky-cam is gone, the Capitol finally looks as grotesque and seductive as it does on the page, and Jennifer Lawrence plays Katniss as someone who is visibly running out of ways to perform being fine. My favourite stretch is the Victory Tour, not the arena. The spectacle is great, but the party scene where Capitol guests drink something just so they can keep eating says more about Panem than any explosion does. It's the kind of detail that stays with you long after…

Check out my full review @ Rating: A- THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE is a clear step above the first film. The steadier direction makes the action understandable and lets the violence hurt, while the politics move front & center as a single girl becomes a symbol of rebellion. Jennifer Lawrence is still stunning, Elizabeth Banks shines the most among the returning cast, and the Katniss-Peeta romance finally starts working for me. It still runs a tad too long, and it still