Movie Breakdown: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

People are doing traditional-style reviews all over the web, so we decided to try something different.  In each “breakdown” we’ll take a look at what a film’s marketing lead us to believe, how the movie actually played, and then what we learned from it all.  Read on!

The Impression:

Katniss, Peeta and the rest of the gang are back waving three fingers in the air like they just don’t care.

The Reality:

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is the follow-up that all of you want.  Everything from the drama to the action is bigger and better, and you will spend much of the movie so engaged with what’s happening that nothing else in the world will matter to you.  With that being said, I do think it’s important to note that Catching Fire is less of an all out, adrenaline-fueled adventure and more of a well-balanced, patiently-paced film that gives you a lot of story throughout its runtime of 146 minutes.  This was a legit surprise for me, and I really have to give it up to director Francis Lawrence.  He could have easily made something that was all show and no substance, but instead he put in the effort to deliver a great story.  I honestly can’t wait to see the film again.

The Lesson:

Good sequels make the world a better place.