I will give Algren credit for being more reasonable than Bradley Witherberry.

Liked it slightly more than the first, but still weak on the whole for me. Just dreary filmmaking and overall not a lot of life in this universe or execution. The reasons I liked it more are the score and the juiced up arena playing well.

I'm sorry Rambo III is the best film ever made. Didn't call it perfect, and I hate every twilight film. Look for a fight somewhere else, you'll only get chivalry from me. I'm sorry you disliked it.

But a D+ film would not be enough for me to change my sexuality

Don't care about fights. Want to know if you honestly believe it is perfect, because, you know, that's what A+ means.

JLaw is the shit

This

I did not despise the first Hunger Games film. I instead found it unspectacular through and through, a neither-here-nor-there cinematic experience to be placed in the second or third tier of action and science-fiction films focused on the potential end of the world and/or futuristic totalitarian governments. With a new director, a larger budget, and an expanded ensemble cast, however, the second film, Catching Fire, represents a vast improvement, and I am now invested in the storyline of the franchise and its bow wielding heroine, played again with convincing angst and agility by Jennifer Lawrence.

The past credits of Austrian born American director Francis Lawrence include a long, long list of music videos (for artists such as Green Day, Jay Z, Lady Gaga, and Third Eye Blind) and entertaining, if unmemorable films with a great deal more visual power than depth, including Constantine and I Am Legend. So he is without a doubt more of a pro gun-for-hire than a genius-in-waiting, but he shines in this particular context, delivering the overcast atmosphere and dawn-of-a-revolution scope required to give this YA adaptation a genuine grit and spirit of involving unease. With design choices and details both small (blood stains on the snow-white suit of a Capitol soldier) and large (the foreboding, overheated, Joseph Conrad ready jungle environment where the titular murder spectacle unfolds), as well as crisp and graceful camera movements, he and his behind-the-scenes team have assembled a well-designed and grimly beautiful film.

The introduction of a few mega-talented character actors, including a charming, nerdy Jeffrey Wright and an icily competent Philip Seymour Hoffman, is another welcome pleasure of the film, though, unfortunately, neither the wooden Josh Hutcherson nor the studly, but largely absent Liam Hemsworth are able to match the magnificent Jennifer Lawrence and truly ignite the film's Twilight style, teen friendly love triangle. As a bid to tell a story of youthful love and coming-of-age amidst the turbulence of revolution, the Hunger Games saga still comes up a tad short, but at least the revolution itself is now ablaze.

B+

So much better and more epic compared to its predecessor. There was significant improvement over the production, story, and the games themselves. PSH is a very welcome addition to the cast as well, I wish he had more screen time.

A-

I hope I can see this in theaters again ASAP.

This is just as mediocre as the first one. Katniss might be the most annoying hero ever IMHO.

Saw it in IMAX again today and loved it even more. Jennifer Lawrence is just perfection in this movie. Can't say enough about how strong her performance is.

Wait till you get 2 hours of her whining in Mockingjay 1.

Add another entry to the list of great sequels: Catching Fire delivers the goods. I shouldn't be surprised, given the strength of the source material, but the filmmakers get nearly everything right. It successfully plays up the consequences that stem from the events of the first film, it expands the scope of its world, it delves into its examination of governmental oppression at least as potently as its predecessor, and it's remarkably accomplished in the craft departments. If there's anything I find myself disappointed with, it's the same quibble I had with the book: even at a very long length, it moves a touch too breathlessly and seems afraid to slow down and give some of the more crucial events more time to sink in. That being said, however, it is immensely effective at developing pathos, and much of that effectiveness comes from the stellar acting. Once again, Jennifer Lawrence is a perfect fit as Katniss Everdeen. She nails every beat of the performance with precision, and that final shot in which we see confusion, sadness, and finally fury develop in her eyes is as clear an indicator as any that she takes this character very seriously, rather than seeing it as a handsome paycheck. Her performance won't get any traction in a loaded year for the Best Actress Oscar, but her name would not be unworthy of mention among the year's best. The rest of the cast is in fine form as well, but the one who really gets to shine in limited screentime is Donald Sutherland. Not that he seemed like a pushover in the previous film, but he is absolutely menacing here; I look forward to seeing what he does with even more presence in the next two films. Given that the franchise is popular enough that the filmmakers could have thrown anything together and made money off of it, it's especially impressive how committed all players involved are in getting the most out of the source material as they can. Catching Fire is as exhilarating on the screen as it is on the page, and it's a slight improvement over an already strong predecessor. It's effective enough in what it does that it has me looking forward to the next two movies even though the final book was a letdown; hopefully, with all this talent and two movies, they'll hit the bullseye.

A-

Totally. That bitch thinks and shit. WTF.

Pity she didn't think about her acting. It stunk. But regarding Katniss, she doesn't think, like, at all. She's being played the whole time, and she's basically just a moody teenager with very few likeable traits.

She does way less thinking than being whiny, crying, etc. It's obvious to everyone that she has a chance to make things different and she just refuses over and over again without any real reason but forced dramatic purposes. Also WTF was with her trying to protect Peeta at all cost? I really didn't get that.

Also the thing I didn't get was what was the connection between Johanna, Mags and Anna. There was this weird sentence "Love is strange." or "Love is weird." and it seemed to imply Johanna and Anna were a couple? But they were from two different districts? How did they meet? It seemed to unecesarily complicate things IMHO.

I didn't read the book but I could see why it could be a good read. Unfortunately, to me, this was pretty long movie and it could've been cut by at least 20-25 minutes. Also I think Mockinjay could face a backlash. After the projection I've heard couple of people saying they looked forward to the final movie and some that they won't ever bother. But the point is they think there's only ONE movie left. Splitting the book in two could slightly backfire. I mean it's still going to earn a shitload of money so I guess that's the only thing that matters to the studio anyway.

Agreed. No film should have the pre-requirement of having to read two books in order to fully understand each plot point. It's sloppy film-making.

So true.

I found nothing in the film hard to understand, and I have not read the novels.

Finnick and Annie are the couple, that's what Johanna was referring to.

I find the best-of-the-year claims to b equally ridiculous as the shitty film claims It is just a very solid blockbutser, with a good leading actress and some slightly "deeper" themes than we are used to in blockbusters, but it also not revelatory in any way.

Ah, that's the connection. Makes sense, but that piece of the dialogue (Johanna and Katniss talk on the beach) was still very poorly written.

I too found Jennifer Lawrence mostly annoying.

I know the appropriate thing to say is "to each their own" or "I disagree" or whatever, but I'll opt for "fuck you!".