Hunger Game
Watch The Hunger Game Catching Fire Online Free, The Hunger Games movie franchise has returned to Netflix, ushering in a month-long collective rewatch and reexamination. The movies, based on Suzanne Collins’ dystopian YA novels, are an important cultural touchstone.[1]
Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss Everdeen in this story set in a future world with 12 poor districts ruled by the Capitol. Every year, the districts send a boy and girl to fight each other in a televised fight to the death.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
After winning the 74th annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark, Katniss Everdeen returns home to her district of Panem. Though she is relieved to be away from the arena, she soon realizes that her victory has only fueled a rebellion against the Capitol.[2] Now, as President Snow prepares for the 75th anniversary of the games (The Quarter Quell), she finds herself in an increasingly dangerous position.
While Catching Fire improves on its predecessor with solid world building that doesn’t interfere with the main story, it also boasts more impressive action scenes and a well-written script. And, even the lesser characters come alive thanks to good acting. This is one of the best young adult dystopian films in recent history.
The story centers around a future post-apocalyptic America in which the country is divided into twelve districts that are overseen by a capital city. The wealthy and powerful elite live in the Capitol, while the down trodden workers are called the “Undergrounders.” The Capitol’s rulers use the Hunger Games as a way to control and punish the Districts. But, after the heroic actions of Katniss Everdeen, her victory catches the attention of the public.[3]
Katniss’ defiance of the Capitol’s rules during the 74th Games was televised, inspiring Districts to rise up against their oppressors. Now, the Capitol is desperate to eliminate her once and for all. To do so, they announce the anniversary Games, requiring all past winners to return to the arena.
But, Katniss has her own plans for the future of her world. She has been able to spark the fire of rebellion, and she knows that if she can show the country that she is still the best, she will inspire them to continue their fight against the Capitol. Fortunately, she has help from her mentor Haymitch Abernathy and the adorable District 12 tribute Peeta. But, will they be enough? The answer will come as the movie unfolds. The film features an all-star cast, including Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, and Josh Hutcherson.[4] It is based on Suzanne Collins’ bestselling novel.
Cast
After winning the 74th annual Hunger Games, District 12 tributes Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark become targets of the Capitol. While the government tries to keep their alliance a secret, the pair inspires uprisings across Panem. To quell the rebellion, President Snow plans to force them to face off in the Quarter Quell — a new game that will be more deadly than the previous ones.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a thrilling sequel that improves vastly on its predecessor and tackles many important issues about the modern day society without losing it’s riveting core. [5]It is an enthralling adventure that delivers on its promise of a dystopian future. It is a must-watch for every movie lover out there.
Jennifer Lawrence reprises her role as the lead character Katniss Everdeen in the second installment of the Hunger Games series. She is joined by her co-stars Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson. The film also stars Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Stanley Tucci, Lenny Kravitz, and Jeffrey Wright.
Lawrence is absolutely incredible as Katniss, bringing to life the character’s bravery and strength. She is one of the most gifted actresses working today. She is truly a gift to the acting world.[6]
Hutcherson is equally impressive as the heroic Peeta Mellark. He has a bright future ahead of him, and he continues to impress with each new project he takes on. He has a good relationship with his costars and seems like a great guy off camera.
In addition to her roles in the Hunger Games films, Jennifer Lawrence is a talented singer and writer. She has released several albums and is the co-writer of the Foster the People song “Static Space Lover.”
Banks, who played a younger Coriolanus Snow in the other Hunger Games movies, continues to do some amazing work on screen. Her performance in Catching Fire is a notch above her work in the other films. She has some deep reserves in her character that she taps into to bring the role to life[7].
One of the funniest performances comes from Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee. He is a great actor, but his comedic timing and stoicism as the head gamemaker in the films made him a fan favorite.
Release Date
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the second installment in Suzanne Collins’ popular trilogy of the same name, follows Katniss Everdeen after her and fellow District 12 victor Peeta Mellark win a televised battle to the death. [8]The film continues the exploration of classism and fascism in a future world amidst the ruins of what once was America.
This sequel is a bit darker than the first film, and more mature in its themes. It doesn’t quite reach the heights of Jaws II or The Empire Strikes Back, but it is still a fun and interesting story. The movie’s main characters are well-rounded and the action is exciting. It also does a good job of capturing the political turmoil that is happening in the real world right now.
It isn’t a great work of art but it does what so many other more artistically notable movies fail to do: it speaks to its time. The existence of Katniss, who fights her own battles and kisses boys but sometimes saves them, suggests that the mythic America that is represented in so many of our films may finally be changing.
Like the first film, the acting in this one is excellent. Jennifer Lawrence is once again perfect as Katniss, and Josh Hutcherson and Woody Harrelson are equally convincing as the two male leads. [9]Newcomers like Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair and Jena Malone as Johanna Mason are also impressive.
The movie also does a good job of establishing the stakes in this war between the Capitol and the Districts. The opening scenes reestablish that Katniss’ core motivation is protecting those she cares about, and the end of the film shows her putting her own life on the line to help the rebels defeat the Capitol.
Finally, the movie makes some crucial moves to set up Katniss and Gale’s romance for the two Mockingjay films that are to follow. The film reestablishes that Gale is the love of Katniss’s life and demonstrates how she can inspire others to stand up against the Capitol.[10] She does this by cutting the Quarter Quell short, allowing multiple victors to live and by revealing Plutarch as a secret supporter of the rebellion.
Reviews
In a world where sequels often struggle to match or exceed the quality of their predecessor (see The Empire Strikes Back after A New Hope, for example), The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is an extraordinary exception. The second film in Suzanne Collins’ dystopian trilogy improves vastly on its predecessor, adding depth and complexity while maintaining its thrills.[11]
Following her victory with fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark in the 74th annual Hunger Games, 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen tries to put the terrifying experience behind her. But her mentor Haymitch warns that she can’t forget what happened in the arena, where each district is forced to send two “tributes” to fight to the death as punishment for a previous rebellion. The fact that Katniss’s defiance inspired others to rebel against the Capitol is not lost on President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and head Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman).
They rig the Quarter Quell, a special event with a different set of rules, so that Katniss will have no choice but to compete again.[12] The only problem is that Peeta volunteers as her partner, bringing our star-crossed lovers right back to the brink of disaster.
This time, though, Katniss is no longer a reluctant hero. She’s a leader, and she knows that the other districts are beginning to wake up to her message. Moreover, she recognizes that the qualities that made her a winning candidate in the past – loyalty and courage – are also the ones that will help her lead them to freedom.
Catching Fire benefits from a more refined script, and the performances of its stars are top-notch. The film is rife with moments that resonate, from the chilling conversation between Katniss and Snow to the decadent victory celebrations at the end of the Reaping, to the clock arena in all its poison fog glory.[13]
It takes a bit of patience to get through the expositional sequences in Catching Fire, but once the action kicks into gear, it’s hard to take your eyes off the screen. Whether you’re yawning in disbelief at random forcefields or being mesmerized by the psychopathic babbling of Effie Trinket, this popcorn agitprop never stops entertaining.
Katniss Everdeen
Katniss Everdeen is a 16-year-old girl from District 12 whose father died in a mine explosion. To keep her family alive, she hunted illegally in the woods surrounding her district and gathered plants for food. She was able to do so by using the bow and arrow skills her father taught her. She also learned to be resourceful and is a skilled fighter. She is portrayed by Jennifer Lawrence in the film adaptations of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.[14]
Katniss is a powerful leader and is the embodiment of strength and courage. She is a great role model for young girls and boys everywhere. She is a fiercely protective person and will do anything to save the people she loves. She is a natural leader and can easily inspire others to join her cause.
Despite the fact that she never wanted to be a hero, Katniss has embraced her new role with grace and ease. Her magnetic personality has pushed her into the spotlight, and she is the biggest threat to the Capitol.
The story takes place in a dystopian society called Panem where the citizens are divided into 12 different districts and are ruled by a central government known as the Capitol. Each year, the Capitol selects one boy and girl from each district to compete in a game of survival called The Hunger Games. The game is a fight to the death where the winner becomes the victors and receives money, food, and medicine for their families.[15]
During the games, Katniss meets Peeta Mellark, another competitor from District 12. She finds that they are both kind and caring towards each other, and they develop a relationship. They begin working with Haymitch Abernathy, a former winner from their district, to train them for the games and get them sponsers.
