Movie Review
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Dwi Anggita Pangestuti | XII IPA E/10 Cr : moviefilmreview.com ORIENTATION Every movie franchise, like every revolution, needs a spark to get it going. The Lord of The Rings, Twilight and the phenomenal Harry Potter have all had that world wide mass appeal, making them unstoppable. Everyone in Holly-wood knows that the basic secret of going from spark to inferno, is to make all the following sequels progressively better. And it is the rarest of rarities when a second film outshines it’s original. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is one of those rarities.
INTERPRETATIVE RECOUNT Taking off from where The Hunger Games left her, Katniss has returned home as a victor of the 74th annual Hunger Games along with Peeta. There was of course, supposed to be only one, not two victors, as in all 73 previous con-tests. But instead, Katniss and Peeta pulled a proverbial fast one with those poison berries, willing to commit mutual suicide rather than trying to kill each other for the prize of being the lone victor. President Snow, again played with sinister perfection by Donald Sutherland, has not taken too kindly to this, letting Katniss know exactly what the score is when he pays her an unexpected personal visit. It plays out like a negotiation with Katniss discussing just how to make up for the “error” she’s made. Unfortunately, the solution will not be easy. It comes down to Miss Everdeen’s compliance to what the president wants from her and douse this spark of re-bellion she’s created,or face a considerably more severe punishment that could involve her loved ones. As the old adage goes, “You can’t fight city hall.” Rebellion may permeate throughout Panem but it’s the “changing” of the rules of the 75th Hunger Games that really drives Katniss and her co-horts to a whole new level of danger. Jennifer Lawrence, again renders a grand perfor-mance as Miss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire with a character arc that takes her and Peeta into what is affectionately known to the Capitol as the Quarter Quell. There’s nothing more terrifying than finding out that you must go through this ordeal once more. “Last year was child’s play.” This year you’re dealing with all experienced killers”, Woody Harrelson’s Haymitch warns. He returns as the constantly inebriated mentor to Katniss and Peeta, who, despite his alcoholic state always manages to offer the most sage advice when confronted with the worst of crises. Elizabeth banks reprises her role as the annoying, overly jubilant, overly made up Effie Trinkett. However you actually get to see her exhibit somber emotions this go round, and not just the happy happy joy joy attitude she usually sports. Plays absolute havoc with her facial makeup. New comer opponents and allies are just as, if not more colorful, than last time. There’s the golden boy Finnick(Sam Claflin) who apparently has no compunctions about showing his bulging pectorals. Jeffrey Wright informs BeeTee with a quiet genius regarding electricity and inventions, partnered up with Amanda Plummer’s Wiress who seems to have a disturbing inclination for clocks. Former Hunger Games victors come in
all ages with Lyn Cohens’ 8Oish Mags, and Jena Malone portrays Johanna Mason as the wild card she was meant to be. Once the Quarter Quell games get started, there’s little time for our “lovers” to be intimate, although there are a few precious moments, and one particularly shocking announcement during the ever popular Caesar Flickerman show. They’re way too busy trying to avoid the many death traps orchestrated by new head gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman). The perilous games naturally culminate into a climax that will definitely have fans eagerly waiting for the two part finale in Mockingjay.
EVALUATION Story: Katniss is a young woman who lives in a future society that has been ravaged by war, famine, and natural disasters. To restore order, a central government has enacted strict control over its citizens. To remind the people of its dominance, the central government holds a yearly contest in which two children are chosen from each territory to fight to the death. When Katniss’ sister is chosen, she volunteers to replace her. She begins the rigorous task of training and preparing for the battle, along with the other children. Through the process she learns more about the game than what meets the eye. With this knowledge of how things really work, it becomes even more imperative that she make it out alive, for her own sake and everyone elses….Good (23/25) Acting: Jennifer Lawrence plays Katniss, and handles the focus and emotion very well. There are so many subtle levels to this character, so many intricate characteristics that are all strongly and professionally defined. Josh Hutcherson is strong as well, above and beyond anything he’s ever done before. In fact, the characters all seem bizarrely cast; Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, and even Lenny Kravitz are all playing characters that I’d never have considered them for. But, somehow they all work, and all of them add something unique and memorable to the movie. Good (24/25) Direction: The director is Gary Ross, same guy who directed Seabiscuit. Wait, what? Yes, like some of the casting choices, Gary Ross is not the first guy you would think of to be directing an action/thriller sci-fi movie. Unlike the cast though, Gary Ross’ work is not as commendable. His insistence on moving, wobbly camera angles becomes downright annoying right from the beginning of the film, and not till the action starts, when the character are moving rapidly themselves, does it make sense. There are also some questionable close-up shots and the poorly integrated flashbacks. The good news is that the best part of the film, when the actual confrontation begins, turns out perfectly. Okay (18/25) Special Effects/X-Factor: The special effects of this film range from good to great. The colorful cityscapes and citizens are the highlight of the movie as far as visual impact, some of the motion overlays such as the air ships and trains didn’t fare as well. The real kicker of this film is the fact that it is an adaptation of a popular novel. Since Twilight and Harry Potter are basically done, the studios are on the hunt for the next book-to-film translation geared towards tweens and teenagers. I can’t comment on the comparison to the novel, but based on the qualities of the film alone, I think that the series will more than meet expectations for fans and the studios alike.Good (24/25) EVALUATIVE SUMMATION OR CONCLUSION This film has the right stuff to entertain your eyes and your heart. So emotional and thrilling is the main character’s struggle that it leaves little time or patience to worry about anything else. Rating: (89/100) = B+ (Highly Recommended) What’s Good: For once we get an Orwellian story that doesn’t feel cold, this one has enough emotions and action to keep you plugged in. The cast is surprisingly good, and the film delivers when it counts, echoing the feel of 70’s science fiction films while bringing modern polish and production values.
What’s Bad: The director wanders astray at times, and the lack of a proper background will dissatisfy those who have not read the book.
