Distributor: Lionsgate
Opening Weekend Box Office: #1 with $158,074,286
Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $337,794,484
Gross Revenue: $674,494,484
Production Budget: $130 million
Regardless of the tactics I mentioned earlier, in
contrast to the first Hunger Games
film, Lionsgate didn’t seem to be pursuing all that aggressive of a marketing
campaign for the much-anticipated sequel, Catching
Fire; but, then again, perhaps these perceived watered-down efforts were in
fact a wise reaction to the nature of the franchise fan base. It is well-established that Catching Fire is the strongest of the
Suzanne Collins novels, so after Jennifer Lawrence silenced skeptics with her
initial performance as Katniss in 2012, fans would be actively looking for the
release date of this highly-anticipated project, and therefore the burden on
Lionsgate’s marketing team lessens considerably. And it certainly didn’t hurt that Lawrence
herself has skyrocketed in popularity across numerous demographics, with her
offbeat and down-to-earth personality being well-documented and helping to transform
her into the perpetual crush of online communities and the parent-approved role
model for young girls nationwide. In
fact, upon closer inspection it becomes clear that a majority of the promotions
for the theatrical release revolved around Lawrence’s star power, revealing
very little in terms of story for this second chapter and keeping the new faces
that would be joining our heroine in her battle against the Capitol well-hidden
(to be fair, there had been some hype concerning the casting of fan-favorite
character Finnick Odair, but the momentum of that story paled in comparison to
something like the “Batfleck” scandal).
Still, anyone who has read the book knew that audiences were in store
for some great action sequences and narrative twists, so barring any major
cinematic missteps, there was no reason to think that casual moviegoers wouldn’t
respond to Catching Fire in the same
manner as the hardcore fans.
Set shortly after the events of The Hunger Games, Catching
Fire opens with District 12 victors Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence)
and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) embarking on a victory tour across Panem, a
PR stunt that is sanctioned by President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland)
and is intended to showcase the faux relationship between the victors as a
distraction to the other districts.
Because Katniss’ actions in the last Hunger Games showed direct defiance
of the Capitol and ruling government, the young warrior has become a figurehead
for the growing rebellion, and Snow intends to eliminate her threat as soon as
possible. Once Katniss, Peeta, and their
mentor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) openly challenge a government
“Peacekeeper” in defense of Katniss’ childhood friend and competing love
interest, Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), Snow realizes that all former
victors pose a problem to his regime and hatches a plan with the help on new
Head Gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbee (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). It is soon announced that this year’s Hunger
Games, a specially-designated Quarter Quell, will draw its tributes from the
existing pool of victors, meaning that Katniss will once again have to enter
the battle arena and fight for her life, but this time against former champions
like District 4’s Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin) and District 7’s Johanna Mason
(Jena Malone). With Peeta at her side as
the male tribute from District 12, Katniss strategizes with her support team of
Haymitch, Effie Tricket (Elizabeth Banks), and Cinna (Lenny Kravitz), hoping to
find a way to once again survive the televised slaughter; but soon enough, a
deeper plan reveals itself, indicating that President Snow’s scheme may have
done nothing more than cemented the rebellion that he so strongly feared.
New arena, new tributes, and new examples of the
oppressive Capitol, The Hunger Games:
Catching Fire expands brilliantly on the world introduced during the first
installment, and that increased scope spells big entertainment for casual
moviegoers and loyal fans alike. The
brutal action sequences and scenarios described in the book translate almost
flawlessly to the screen; not only is the training montage in the Capitol worth
the price of admission alone, but the battle within the arena itself is so
tense and imaginative that I was kept on the edge of my seat despite prior
knowledge of what was going to occur.
And as I indicated in the “Short and Sweet” review, the new additions to
the cast hold-up very well against the veterans, with Sam Claflin becoming
instantaneously likable as Finnick and Jena Malone absolutely nailing the
character of Johanna…my god, I cannot wait to see more of her in the sequel and
future projects. Beyond expansion, when
it comes to improving upon its predecessor, I believe that Catching Fire also does a remarkably capable job of repainting and
reemphasizing the merciless and oppressive tactics of the Capitol…I know that
sounds like a tall order in a world where televised death matches between
children are commonplace, but watch the “peacekeepers” run rampant across the
districts and tell me that you don’t feel an even stronger jolt to join the
rebellion. Unfortunately, for all that Catching Fire got right, there are a few
noticeable drawbacks that prevent immediate classification of this sequel as a
superior installment.
As I was watching Catching Fire, I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was
missing this time around, and after further reflection it finally hit me that,
during the changing of the directorial guard between original and sequel, some
of the pacing and emotional depth we have come to expect from the series was
noticeably lost. For as much
heart-pounding action as is present in the narrative, one would think that
director Francis Lawrence could have done a little bit better with pacing to
ensure that the same energy permeates throughout, but surprisingly, there are
actually a few scenes directly bordering action sequences that feel boring: I
never thought I would actually check my watch during the first few minutes of
the arena battle…what a shame. And yet
another area where former director Gary Ross surpassed his successor is in
conveying a certain depth of emotion; for instance, the death of Rue in the
first film was heart-wrenching, but no element within Catching Fire comes close to matching those pathos levels, despite
many opportunities that many fans will agree exist within the book. Finally, and I cannot believe I am admitting
this, but I had a problem with a few of Jennifer Lawrence’s depictions of
emotion…don’t get me wrong, the girl is a fantastic actress (she has an Oscar
proving it), but some of her crying and sadness conveyances are just awkward,
and it is just strange to be thrown by such a menial shortcoming in someone who
has proven to be far more talented.
Taking these factors into consideration certainly doesn’t irrevocably
weaken the quality of Catching Fire,
but they can absolutely throw some of the fans who were expecting an unmatched
improvement over the original film.
Well, God bless whoever had the foresight to acquire
the film rights to the Suzanne Collins novels and the casting director who gave
Jennifer Lawrence a screen test, because The
Hunger Games film series has proven to be nothing short of a box office
phenomenon. Catching Fire opened to a jaw-dropping $158.1 million; not only is
that the best opening ever for a November release, but it also represents the
sixth-biggest opening on record and the third all-time debut of a 2D-only
movie…sparkly vampires sure as hell can’t compete with “The Girl on Fire.” Factor-in the repeat box office victory over
the Thanksgiving weekend, and Catching
Fire now boasts a worldwide gross of over $670 million…that makes Jennifer
Lawrence the top-grossing action heroine in cinematic history (Angelina Jolie
has to be pissed). With Mockingjay, Parts 1 & 2 set to
release in 2014 and 2015 respectively, Lionsgate is no-doubt salivating over
the combined receipts of what will easily classify as their most critically and
financially successful film series. Even
if you have never picked up the books, if you are at all curious about the
world surrounding Panem and the 12 Districts, or just want to see what all the
hype surrounding Jennifer Lawrence is about, you cannot go wrong with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.
