Catching Fire Movie

Recently the second book in the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins; Catching Fire has been created into a movie to sequel the first movie; The Hunger Games. It has been a major hit all over the world and is a brilliantly directed and created movie that stays towards the same story line as the book. This movie was a joy to the Hunger Games fandom and was a great movie for those who have not read the books.

This movie starts off with Katniss Everdeen in the woods. She is with her friend Gale and they are trying to get some food for their families so that they won't starve throughout the cold months of the year. Katniss is just about to shoot a turkey when she sees Marvel; a young boy from the previous Hunger Games who she shot trying to save her ally and her friend Rue. She begins to scream and has to be calmed down by Gale. I think that this part of the movie not only reminded people of what she has been through but it showed them that she will never be the same again and that her past will haunt her forever.

Shortly after this there is a kissing scene between Katniss and Gale. This scene to me feels very rushed. It seems that the director of the movie didn't think this was such an important part of the movie as it truly was. In the book this kiss showed the confusion and the emotions that she was feeling towards her friend Gale. In the movie it is waved over as a less important part. I believe that it was not one of the most important parts in the book but I do think that it should have been more memorable.

Another thing that I found to be interesting was the fact that Katniss wasn't mocking the Capitol by being able to 'hear the force field'. In the book she says that she can hear the force field using the ear that the capitol repaired after her first Hunger Games experience. In Catching Fire she just throws nuts at the force field (which is done in the book as well as her being able to hear the force field). I thought that this should have been in the movie as it is a small way of her showing her anger towards them as she knows that if she could hear the force field then someone will be punished for giving her an advantage in the games.

The Spile was another controversial topic point in the movie Catching Fire. In the book it takes them a longer period of time to work out what it actually is. I understand why Katniss was made to seem like she knew what it was immediately (time management of the movie) but I think that they all should've sat around for a while trying to work out what it was.

A major thing that I believe was not portrayed well enough in the movie was the fact that Katniss is supposed to be pretending that she was pregnant. When the games start you completely forget that she is supposed to be pregnant. She rubs her stomach and complains about the babies health in the book but in the movie there is no reference what-so-ever to the fact that she was supposed to be pregnant. It was supposed to be a major way of showing everyone that the Capitol was cruel, unjust and murderous but because they didn't follow through it was a forgotten fact.

All in all I believe that for those who have not read the books it was a thrilling and engaging movie that really differed from other movies. For those people who have read the books I believe that it was a captivating movie that was true to the book with some minor and some major differences. I don't want to ramble on about much more as I did love the movie and I did believe that it was a fantastic interpretation of the book but those were just a few of my thoughts on what could have been included without majorly changing the dynamics of the movie.


~ Mockingjay On Fire