It was when I was scrolling through Tumblr the other day that I realised how much fan satisfaction Catching Fire has attracted. It’s usually very difficult to achieve great reception when doing a movie adaptation of a book that was such a hit as the novels by Suzanne Collins. However, being a fan of the books myself, I can’t help but have nothing but good things to say about the second movie in the franchise! I will admit that the first movie did not have a great impact on me, partly because I was watching the movie with a very critical eye.
That said, the second instalment was the complete opposite. It follows the book to a T , with every little detail from the book showing perfectly on the screen! Unlike most movies which follow the conventions of beginning steadily and then reaching a climax in the middle, Catching Fire begins with action and proceeds to keep the audience as victims of tension until the very end. Jennifer Lawrence, what a beauty! As it happens, she may as well snag her fair share of Oscars right now, based on that performance! As someone who, in interviews, appears very genuine and funny with a sky-rocketed sense of likeability, Jennifer’s performance as Katniss is nothing short of spectacular. It is also worth mentioning too that performances by Elizabeth Banks and Sam Claflin were, not to sound cliche, definitely flaw-free. The character development of both Effy and Primrose were captured emphatically, and it is possibly the only movie that I can say you do not have to have read the books first to fully appreciate it.
Catching Fire has successfully broadened its audience simply because of the huge set of dystopia-themes it has! From overthrowing capitalism, to media and politics to love triangles – it really does cater to any kind of viewer. For all of these reasons, my opinion stands that Catching Fire is the best movie adaptation and if you have not seen it yet, definitely put it at the top of your bucket list.
Kelly Scanlon