Catching Fire

We open with our hero Katniss brooding in the woods surrounded by snow and emptiness. She is soon joined by her one true love, sort of, Gale. They talk about the hard times in the kingdom and how they should run off into the wilds, the sooner the better. Katniss heads home to the Victor’s Village, where she now lives with her two fellow Victors. It’s a surprisingly run down place, though it is nicer than the rest of District 12. Katniss and Peeta head off to take a victory lap around the 12 Districts, where they end up stirring up more unrest.

President Snow isn’t happy, but then, President Snow is seldom happy. He once again decides that Katniss is a problem to be solved. Which leads to the 75th Hunger Games and the introduction of a number of very interesting characters.

Catching Fire the film doesn’t stray too far from Catching Fire the novel, though it does make a bit more sense in a few spots.  I liked Catching Fire and was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t quite as much of a downer as the book.

The acting was good, the sets looked great, and the action kept things moving at a brisk pace.  Just like the book, the film leaves us with a cliffhanger.

Which is something to worry about.  Mockingjay was not only the worst book in The Hunger Games trilogy, it ranks up there as one of the worst books I’ve ever read.   It left me wanting to track down Suzanne Collins and shake her until she agreed to write another book telling us Mockingjay was just a bad dream.  There is some hope-the movies have made a few subtle changes to the story, so maybe they will toss out 99% of what Suzanne Collins wrote and pen a new and improved Mockingjay.

Catching Fire was good.

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