Assistant Editor (and fan) Kate Stewart got a sneak peek of the new Hunger Games: Catching Fire movie, check out what she thought!
The premise: Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) are back in District 12 after winning the Hunger Games, but it's not a time of celebration. As they set off on their Victor’s Tour, the districts are buzzing with talks of a revolution and President Snow (a chilling Donald Sutherland) is breathing down Katniss' neck, making it her job to get the districts to calm down. She fails and the President calls for a Quarter Quell, putting Katniss and Peeta back in the ring against "career tributes" (amongst them Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair and Jena Malone as Johanna Mason). Now tasked with stopping a revolution and surviving against 22 Hunger Games victors, can she save herself, Peeta and her loved ones back home?
What we loved: Aside from everything? From beginning to end not a moment goes by without high-strung emotion of some kind (not kidding, I was sweating). The danger, stress, heartbreak and despair carry from one scene to the next without missing a beat. Though there were talks of disappointment when the cast was announced, after watching the actors in their roles I can’t imagine anyone else playing those parts. New faces like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Sam Claflin and Jena Malone mix perfectly with the cast regulars, and the performances by Stanley Tucci and Elizabeth Banks (in each of their eccentric roles) do not disappoint. As a lover of the book series I’m completely thrilled with the translation into film, and can’t wait for the third installment.
Parental advisory: If you’ve read the books you know what to expect, if you haven’t then this one is certainly for older kids.
There is plenty of violence, alcohol consumption, suggested nudity and bleeped out swearing (the latter two coming from the same character).
Canadian movie rating: PG — Parental Guidance Suggested
Final verdict:
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is a heart-pumping ride not to be missed by book fans and non-fans alike. Parental discretion strongly advised.
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