The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
November 6, 2014 4:53 AM - Subscribe

The second installment in The Hunger Games film series, directed by Francis lawrence and based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins. It stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland. Adding to the existing cast, the supporting cast was filled out with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Sam Claflin, Lynn Cohen, Jena Malone, Amanda Plummer, Alan Ritchson, and Meta Golding.
posted by Pendragon (12 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
It took me awhile to recognize Jena Malone in this one. She was great and I loved the addition of Joanna as a ladyperson for Katniss to interact with.
posted by chaiminda at 7:16 AM on November 6, 2014


I watched this movie back-to-back with the first one, and loved it.
posted by Pendragon at 7:32 AM on November 6, 2014


Jena Malone is great fun in this - a great combo of arrogant and broken. I could picture a slightly different Katniss ending up like that if she'd killed Peeta to take a solo win and chilled out for a few years as a champion. And Amanda Plummer can always bring the crazy in any movie.
posted by rmd1023 at 10:14 AM on November 6, 2014 [4 favorites]


Carrying on the conversation about the first film, I really like Effie in both movies, cause she fills a role you don't really see in these kinds of movies - She's of the Capitol but not quite entranced, her position always seems really precarious, so she keeps trying to help while still maintaining her status. It's kind of fascinating seen side by side, the amount of paradoxical things she has to believe before breakfast. Like she has to both believe Katniss is right AND the Games are right, so she's in this interesting place of being between them - in sort, Effie is what passes for Panem's middle class, and her confused role in things is very effective and interesting.
posted by The Whelk at 6:37 PM on November 6, 2014 [5 favorites]


My favourite moment in the Hunger Games books is when Katniss hangs the Seneca Crane effigy from a noose in protest. I was looking forward to seeing it in the movie and I have to say I was a bit disappointed. I loved what they did with Joanna though. I'm pretty sure she doesn't tell the capitol to go fuck itself in the book and I applaud that bit of creative license. I'm not looking forward to Mockingjay, because that's kind of where the books fell apart for me. Katniss is such an unreliable wreck of a narrator by that point that the book felt disjointed and muddled, to say nothing of the thing that happens that I won't mention that is bad.
posted by wabbittwax at 7:36 PM on November 6, 2014


The thing with the birds mimicking the sounds of Katniss and Finnick's screaming and crying loved ones was so, so disturbing in the movie. The movie really got across how viscerally awful and traumatizing that would be in a way the book couldn't. And ouch, Peeta on the other side of the force field desperately trying to get Katniss through that part was tough to watch.
posted by yasaman at 7:49 PM on November 6, 2014 [1 favorite]


The movie really got across how viscerally awful and traumatizing that would be in a way the book couldn't.

In the book, the descriptions felt so far fetched and strange, it almost undermined the horror of it. I spent a lot of time, reading the books, just trying to wrap my mind around the crazy Sci fi torture devices being used. But in the movie, you don't have to expend energy understanding it--you can hear the screams, you can see the wave of blood. It really works.

This is one reason why I'm really looking forward to the next movie: there's so much in the final book that I think will work well on screen, even if it was confusing on page.
posted by meese at 4:39 AM on November 7, 2014 [3 favorites]


The books are (exclusively?) told from Katniss's perspective, so we really get into her head and explore her perspective. The movies broaden that out to show multiple perspectives, and that gives them a different feel. You start to see that a lot more in this one, and I'm glad they made that choice. It doesn't make it better or worse, just different, and it can be enjoyed separately from the books.

The idea of splitting the final book into two parts seemed like padding when it was announced, but by presenting multiple perspectives it actually should work out well. I think it'll improve the overall story.

I liked this movie much better than the first one. The realization from Katniss that the Games weren't something that happened and can just be put behind her, but instead was a permanent part of her life, just made it far more compelling for me.
posted by GhostintheMachine at 5:52 AM on November 7, 2014


but instead was a permanent part of her life, just made it far more compelling for me.

"You never get off this train."
posted by the man of twists and turns at 9:43 PM on November 7, 2014


My favourite moment in the Hunger Games books is when Katniss hangs the Seneca Crane effigy from a noose in protest.

Hell ass yes.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 8:47 AM on November 12, 2014


I'm going to be honest, I have no idea why she did that or why it was cool of her to do that. Except subverting expectations? Like she did to me when she didn't say "Thank you for your consideration" after her bow.
posted by Night_owl at 10:01 PM on January 2, 2017


Night_owl, I realize that you asked about this 3+ years ago, but I just watched this movie last night. It didn't click for me when I read the book, but I think she was saying that her special talent is killing gamemakers.
posted by amarynth at 10:33 AM on July 27, 2020 [1 favorite]


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