"Catching Fire" released as second movie installment of "Hunger Games" series

The Girl on Fire is back. Academy Award winning actress Jennifer Lawrence has returned as Katniss Everdeen in "Catching Fire," the action filled sequel to "The Hunger Games." With a great storyline, talented actors and amazingly vivid special effects, "Catching Fire" is one of the best movies that I've seen all year.Based on the best selling series by Suzanne Collins, the movie follows Katniss Everdeen, darling of the Capitol and hero of District 12. She and fellow Hunger Games victor Peeta Mellark, played by Josh Hutcherson, are forced to compete for the second time in Panem's annual Hunger Games. The 75th Hunger Games, known as the Quarter Quell, is the stage for most of the story. In the Quarter Quell, the male and female tributes from each district are chosen from the existing pool of Hunger Games victors. Because she is the only female victor from District 12, Katniss is forced to represent her district in the hellish games. Peeta volunteers to compete with her because he won't allow Katniss to go without him.In comparison to the first film, Lawrence and Hutcherson expand on the roles of Katniss and Peeta. Following the book perfectly in this aspect, Lawrence embodies Katniss's angry and combative personality while Hutcherson portrays Peeta's calm and collected state of mind. Lawrence also expertly shows Katniss's conflicting and shifting emotions between her love for Peeta and her love for Gale. In the beginning of he movie, Gale acts on his feelings for Katniss and she doesn't object, but throughout the film, the audience gets to see Katniss's transition from Gale to Peeta.  The games bring out Katniss's true feelings for Peeta. When watching, the love Peeta feels for Katniss is genuine, and as the movie progresses, she falls for him too. Lawrence and Hutcherson do an exceptional job convincing the audience that Katniss and Peeta really are in love, even if it's all fiction.Many other A-list actors  appear in the film, such as Woody Harrelson, who plays Katniss and Peeta's drunken mentor, Haymitch Abernathy; Elizabeth Banks as the bright and zealous Effie Trinket; and Liam Hemsworth, who plays Katniss's honest and loving best friend Gale Hawthorne.My favorite part of the movie is when Katniss and Peeta are in District 11 on their Victory Tour. They both give heartfelt speeches about the district's fallen tributes, Rue and Thresh. Katniss addresses Rue's family and apologizes for being unable to save the 12-year-old girl in the previous Hunger Games, where Katniss and Rue were allies. With tears streaming down her face and a crack in her voice, Lawrence gave a very emotional performance.The plot is fast moving, but still easy to follow. Much like the book, the storyline starts out slow, then finishes in flash. Readers will be happy to know that the original plot line and many details of the book stay mostly intact throughout the film, like Peeta's double knotted shoe laces and how Enboaria, one tribute, has sharpened teeth. Several details are different though, such as the addition of a brand new training arena that is exclusive to the movie. I loved following the different twists of the story that I anticipated to see after reading them in the book, like President Snow's threats in the beginning and the explosion of the Arena in the end.The visual artistry in the film is stunning, particularly when Katniss's wedding dress transforms into her the mockingjay dress in a burst of flames and ash. Flames are used often in Katniss's wardrobe, including her glowing Opening Ceremony costume, in which the fabric lights itself with bright fire and smoldering embers. Amazing special effects bring the games to life, generating rabid baboons with drooling fangs, vibrant lizards and dangerous warping forcefields that cause huge explosions when struck by any kind of metal. These effects make the movie captivating and bring detail to many important scenes in the film.Displaying amazing costumes, romance, violence and multiple plot twists, "Catching Fire" has a little bit of everything. If you read the books, and even if you didn't, "Catching Fire" is a must see movie. The movie's compelling twists and turns keeps its audience on the edge of its seat, and those of us who have also read the books are subtly reminded in the movie that Panem's revolution is rapidly approaching. "Catching Fire" is a movie that entertains audience members who haven't read the books while simultaneously pleasing avid fans.