Movie Review: "Catching Fire"

"The Hunger Games" trilogy happens to be one of my favorite series ever. I could not wait for the movies to be made. I was impressed with the way the first movie, "The Hunger Games," came out. The movie was great. The movie on the screen was an exact replica of the one in my head. The imagery was spot on from the book to the screen. I really enjoyed the actors in the movie. I could not wait to see what they would do with the second film, "Catching Fire." It took me a little while to get around to seeing it because life happened to get in the way. But, I finally caught it this weekend. I was not disappointed. It was great. I hate that I waited so long to see it. But, I already know I will be purchasing it when it's released on dvd. I need it in my collection. 

 

I loved how vivid the imagery is throughout the entire movie. It is as colorful and in depth as it was on the page as well as in my head. One of my favorite scenes is the one depicted in the two pictures above. I loved that Cinna's dress for Katniss was so dope. I love how it went from the most over the top white wedding dress to this black mockingjay with wings dress. Some things never change. I hated President Snow in the books, hate him even more in the films. Katniss, Haymitch, Peeta and Gale are all wonderful characters who portray that on screen.  They make the words come alive. I was enthralled from the opening scene to the credits. Hands down, it is simply a great film. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am excited to see what the directors, producers and actors do with "Mockingjay" parts one and two. If you haven't seen "Catching Fir," you should do so. I guarantee you will enjoy it. 

This Reader's Review: Part VI "The Hunger Games"

I confess I was not sold on the hype of "The Hunger Games." From the first time I heard of the movie, I was struck by the similarities between it and "The Lottery." "The Lottery" was a satirical short story by Shirley Jackson. I read it in high school English IV. I haven't seen the movie yet. But I did finally break down and read "The Hunger Games" trilogy over the last few weeks. I was very impressed with the plot of all three books. I was pulled into this mythical world that are the Districts and the Capitol.

From the opening pages of THG, I am a fan of Katniss. She was this very fierce young lady. There are aspects of her character that I identified with. She is strong, she takes care of her family, and she is resilient. She's easily my favorite character throughout the trilogy. The world that the author, Suzanne Collins, creates seems so real. The scenes jump from the pages as you read. I was enthralled all throughout the first book. Couldn't wait to get to the end to see what happened. I was pleasantly surprised by almost all of it. 

The story that unfolds in "Catching Fire" is intense. I wasn't sure what else could happen. I don't want to give any thing away. But, book #2 "Catching Fire" is a complete surprise story wise. This trilogy is bloody and brutal and gory. Not my typical cup of tea. But the way it is written pulled me in. I was a part of this story. I finished the trilogy in a little under 3 weeks. "Mockingjay" is the final book of the trilogy. The story comes full circle. I can say that Collins answered all of my lingering questions in this book. The ending is a bit unexpected. But, in hindsight, all is well in the literary world. 

Reading the trilogy motivates me to see the film. I'm curious to see if it matches the book. I'm an avid reader. It's not very often that Hollywood gets it right. When it goes from book to film, things sometimes get lost on translation. I'm holding out hope that nothing is lost. I want Katniss to be just as amazing as she was in the book. For Rue to be as sweet as she was in THG. I'm not in a rush to see it. I'm still relishing the afterglow of finishing a really wonderfully great book. Reading great books always make me feel better. This trilogy def falls into that category. I'm a fan from this point on.