Hunger Games: Catching Fire (film)

[Neil]

Not seen the first one yet!

jyPnQw_Lqds

[shootemindehead]

Thought the first one was ok, but it was helped no end by Lawrence's presence.

It was a little tame though. I'd have like to have seen a harder edge, given the thrust of the story.

Battle Royale Lite.

I probably check out the new one, based on the first film, which is a decent enough endorsement I suppose.

[Neil]

From recollection the second 'games' is even more brutal than the first?

[EvilNed]

I was pleasantly surprised by The Hunger Games. I personally feel that Battle Royale is a pretty bad film lacking in editing, photography, drama and action. Last time I watched that film, I laughed at it rather than with it. I'll probably never see that one again.

But The Hunger Games was such a surprise. Loved the world they built up. The costumes, the extravaganza and the game show aspect of it. I liked the heroine as well. For once we got a female hero that wasn't just a paper-thin character. She had a motive and was thrust into a situation she couldn't control but made the best out of.

Good action as well. I thought the premise was crueler than Battle Royale, for various reasons. Battle Royale had several comic book characters that were just there to be "cool" in a way that doesn't work on this side of the 90's. The antagonist is one of the silliest antagonists I've ever seen and I squirm everytime he pops up on screen and just acts "bad ass" and "cool". Yuck. There's none of that in The Hunger Games. In fact, you almost get a little bit of sympathy for the main lunkhead jock who's after our pretty protagonists. The show is all about what the audience wants, and what the audience wants is for the love birds to succeed, so despite his best efforts, he's just not going to win this bout.

Shame.

Anyway, bring on Part 2.

[shootemindehead]

From recollection the second 'games' is even more brutal than the first?

Never read the books Neil, so I couldn't tell you. I think, though, that any umph may be tuned down to get more teen bums on seats. It's kind of aimed there anyway.

[wayzim]

Never read the books Neil, so I couldn't tell you. I think, though, that any umph may be tuned down to get more teen bums on seats. It's kind of aimed there anyway.

My sister actually gave me the book trilogy for Christmas ( probably because I've loved the dystopian genre forever ( from On The Beach to The Handmaids Tale and beyond ) and it's a good read. Some parts I had issue with, largely because my teen years are long behind me, but Suzanne Collins clearly knew what she wanted the kids to get out of the series.

The violence is harsh throughout, no safety scissors in sight, and the main characters was absolutely put through a grinder. It's not Kiddy Light Lit by any means. I haven't seen the first movie - but I'll admit to a little cyber stalking of Jennifer Lawrence, because of her interviews and the Jack Nicholson encounter after the oscars - the girl is a hoot and a half. Now I'll actually have to go see some of her movies.

Wayne Z

"What was going through my mind when I fell down at the oscars? A bad word that I can't say here - which starts with F. "
Jennifer Lawrence, at a post oscar press conference after receiving Best Actress for Silver Lining Playbook.

[bassman]

I had no serious issues with the first. I expected a Twilight kinda flick after all I heard about it, but it wasn't so bad.

I'm certainly willing to see the second film, but without a girlfriend I doubt i'll ever get around to it. My ex was the only reason I watched the first.

[Neil]

zoKj7TdJk98

[Neil]

AICN likes it - http://www.aintitcool.com/node/65164


CATCHING FIRE certainly has its moments of skillfully staged action sequences. But the actual Quarter Quell doesn't kick in until about 90 minutes into the 2.5-hour film. It's what happens in that first 90 minutes that makes the rest of the film feel so important and amount to more than just empty violence.

[wayzim]

AICN likes it - http://www.aintitcool.com/node/65164

Finally saw the first film, after a summer of kids putting it on perpetual hold from my library - le sigh. The bad thing The Hunger Games does was that often it horribly diluted the complexity of the characters down too much ( even the relationship between Katniss and her mother, which was sorta important to who she is before the games. You can still suss it out, though the lean script doesn't help. ). But what it did, which was very much a good, was to step away from the first person perspective of the books.
That saves a lot of screen time where we don't have to wait for Katniss to catch up with the plot. I sorta liked the movie.
As for Ms. Lawrence in the lead, I also recently saw Winter's Bone; which got our young lady her first oscar nom, where a dirt poor mountain girl tries to find her meth making daddy, so the family she's raising virtually on her own doesn't lose their home cuz he skips his bond hearing. For such a young actress ( who learned the craft as she went along, not with any formal training. ) she played some fairly intense scenes, which made Breaking Bad look like a prayer meeting. OK, not so much, but it was a pretty dark little film.
So yes, I'd like to see Catching Fire on the big screen, if only for Jennifer. And maybe the new crossover X-Men movie as well. Like Jennifer Lawrence said at comic con this year; "I'm naked, she's pregnant - ( the latter of Halie Berry, aka Storm ) -go see the movie. "

Wayne Z
Why yes, I'm a fan boy of Jennifer lawrence, young, curvy and intense, who gives very funny interviews - and that's a problem why? Hee.

[chealax]

I saw the first part and enjoyed it and hoping second one will be as entertaining as the first one.

[shootemindehead]

Why yes, I'm a fan boy of Jennifer lawrence, young, curvy and intense, who gives very funny interview - and that's a problem why? Hee.

Get to the back of the queue...

[rongravy]

We bought tickets to see it Friday night. We actually went to an out of the way theater, after learning the others were already completely sold out for the weekend. We had fantastic seats right smack dab in the middle of the room, and had all our snackies ready.
The trailers start, and everything seems alright so far...
Then the movie starts. It has volume, but only the speakers playing the background ambience work. I can hear turkeys and other forest animals, but Kat and her dood?
Absolutely nothing, so everyone in the theater starts to freak out. Eventually someone comes in and says they are going to reset it all up, and that'll take another 10 minutes. We all wait patiently, and when they get it started up, it's right at a spot everyone was pissed to see out of order. Plus, the sound is still not fixed. They eventually come in again and tell us we can all have passes to see it in any other theater. The only catch is that you have to go stand back in the super long ass line and try to get in a room that is more than likely already packed. It was also cold as balls.
They were also unbelievably rude about the whole thing. In the end, my wife stood in line while we waited in the car. She let them have it pretty good, and we not only got our money back, they gave us a bunch of free passes. We are going to see it, but probably not this weekend now. I still have a football game to watch live, another recorded from last night, and some Walking Dead to gobble up tonight.
I'm disappointed at the theater I went to. I know this was a rare problem, but they could've not been douchebags about the whole thing. Phooey on them.

[Neil]

^^ Oh!

Reviews sound very +ve about it!

[wayzim]

^^ Oh!

Reviews sound very +ve about it!

How to explain Catching Fire; which I saw yesterday while the real Hunger Games were playing out at the nearby mall? It is a much more confident sequel under the direction of Francis Lawrence, who allows for our leads to take a breath before throwing them back into the arena. Jennifer Lawrence plays even better in the quieter moments, as in that scene in District 11, where, with a word or two, a spark seemingly ignites something larger.
But before that we have our long awaited meeting between President Snow(Donald Sutherland ) and the Girl on Fire. And like with Lawrence's Tiffany Maxwell in Silver Linings Playbook, Jennifer shows she can almost effortlessly go toe to toe against the big boys of cinema. Of course in Catching Fire, Donald has only to quietly say "Convince Me." to win this round.
And then there's the one actress I was somewhat worried about, Jena Malone, who happily settled my fears toward her playing the unstable Johanna Mason. Again, it was a quiet moment in the jungle, with a line which I won't spoil here, that was delivered with more power than any of her louder scenes. Jenna brought some man-tears from this guy with that. I loved it.
The one glaring issue for me is that some character history still seems to be given short shrift, even early on in the film, but I can let that go as it is a movie not the book. The conclusion, however, seemed way too hurried, and I really thought the pause could've been held longer before the final punchline.
Over-all, this was worth my time, and with Francis Lawrence to wrap this franchise (the last split into two freakin movies ... arrrgh! Ok, I'm back. ) hopes are high that it'll have a great ending.

Wayne Z
"From coal, you get pearls. " An Effie-ism from the book, Catching Fire.