The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

“Since the last games, something is different. I can see it.”

 “What can you see?”

“Hope.”

            The Hunger Games: Catching Fire sees Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Melark (Josh Hutcherson) the victors of the 75^th Hunger Games. There was only supposed to be one victor but Katniss saved Peeta. President Snow (Donald Sutherland) sees Katniss as a threat. Because of her actions some of the Districts are beginning to rebel. He comes to her home and tells her she better sell that she and Peeta are madly in love. If Katniss cannot convince the president everyone one she loves will be killed.

            Katniss and Peeta are sent out on a winners’ tour. Their first stop is District Eleven where Rue was from. Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) has written their speeches. Peeta speaks first. He begins to read from the cards but then goes off on his own. Katniss follows Peeta’s example and talks about Rue. An old man in the crowd whistles and holds up three fingers. Soon everyone in the crowd is doing the same thing. The Peacekeepers crash into the crowd, grab the old man, and shoot him in the head. Katniss is mortified she cannot believe what has happened to the poor man. For the rest of the tour Katniss and Peeta stick to their written speeches. The crowds in the lower Districts want them to speak their minds but Katniss and Peeta know they must play by the rules.

            Plutarch Heavensbee (Phillip Seymour Hoffam) has been chosen as the new Game Maker. President Snow wants Katniss dead. Plutarch tells the president to have patience. He will come up with a way for the people to kill her. President Snow has a better idea. He plans to have her killed in the Quarter Quell. The Quarter Quell happens every twenty-five years and it has conveniently been twenty-five years since the last one.

            Katniss is of course picked for the Quarter Quell because she is the only female from District Twelve that has won. Haymitch (Woody Harrelson) was picked. He and Katniss made an agreement that Peeta was picked he would take Peeta’s place. But Haymitch says if Peeta volunteers there is nothing he can do. Peeta does volunteer. During the interviews in The Capital Katniss comes out in Cinna’s (Lenny Kravitz) newest dress. It is a white wedding dress but when she spins around it turns into a black dress in the style of a mockingjay, the symbol of the rebellion. When Peeta is interviewed he is asked about their wedding that had to be postponed because of the Quarter Quell. In the interview he says that he and were secretly married because they are going to have a baby (which is not true but their camp thought the Quell would be halted). At the end of the interview with all the former winners they all hold hands. The feed is cut out.

            During training the winners from the lower Districts want to be allies with Katniss and Peeta. Peeta wants to be allies with the stronger ones, the Careers from District One. Katniss was to be allies with the smarter ones like Beetee, Wiress, Mags, and Finnick because they have useful skills and they are the outcasts.

            They are brought to an arena styled like an island. When they leave their pods they have to swim to get to their weapons. Peeta is almost drowned and Katniss is almost killed by a Career. Katniss and Peeta team up with Finnick and Mags and travel through the jungle surrounding the beach. They come to a part of an island that is electrified. Katniss figures out they are in a dome that keeps them in a certain area. During the nights they are chased by poisonous smoke (that winds up killing Mags) and evil monkeys. Wiress keeps saying “tick tock” and one of them figures out that the arena is like a clock and something happens in certain sections at different times.

            Beetee comes up with the idea to electrify the beach to kill the Careers. The plan almost works until one of the Careers cuts the cable line. Johanna (Jena Malone) from District Seven has been one of the allies. When the Career comes Johanna does something to Katniss’s arm creating a big gash in it. Katniss manages to get back to the tree where the lightning strikes it at a certain time and where Beetee has wrapped wire all around it. She finds a handmade dagger and comes up with the idea to wrap the wire around it and shoot it up into the electric force field.

            Katniss’s quick thinking works. The entire force field comes crashing down. She is electrocuted. As she fades out of consciousness she is picked up by a plane that is usually sent to take away the dead bodies. When Katniss comes to she is lying on the floor next to an unconscious Beetee. She walks into a room and sees Haymitch, Plutarch, and Finnick standing around a table. All three men and Peeta and some of the other former winners had been part of a plan to keep her alive. She has become the face and the hope of the rebellion.

            All the characters were once again perfect and excellently cast. My favorite casting choice in this movie was Jena Malone as Johanna. Malone always seems to play those tough girls without a care. She definitely had the attitude for Johanna. My favorite part of the movie was when Johanna gets in the same elevator as Peeta, Katniss, and Haymitch and just strips down in front of them. Jennifer Lawrence’s face was so damn funny in this scene was dying laughing. Speaking of Jennifer Lawrence… every time I see this girl in a movie I adore and admire her even more. She is such a good actress. Phillip Seymour Hoffman was such a weird casting choice. He is such an odd looking man. I seriously cannot even look at him after watching The Master it was such an odd movie and his character was so whacked out. I wondered why he was not wearing an outrageous get up like everyone else and then I though he does not even need it he is so out there already. 

            I absolutely loved Catching Fire. This was definitely my favorite books out of the series because it is when everything just completely comes undone and Katniss is a part of something she never could have even imagined. I liked the idea of everyone having hope and that hope was all driving them to do what needed to be done and it gave them all courage. All I have to say is thank the good lord I read the books so I am not waiting for the next movie to see what happens. Even if you have not read the books you have to see Catching Fire it was a fantastic movie.