When I emerged from the theater after the showing of the original Hunger Games, I was gravely disappointed.  Although the effects were awesome, and I was excited to see an amazing book on the big screen, something felt off.  I was not sold on the casting choices and was displeased with how Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) seemed more interested in choosing which boy she was in love with rather than surviving in the arena.

    To my pleasant surprise, Catching Fire corrected my past complaints and more. I left the theater grinning from cheek to cheek.  The characters, plot pacing and environments were all significantly improved from the original.

      Lawrence’s Katniss was extremely relatable and true to her book equivalent. She was played as a reluctant, yet cooperative tribute at the start, but evolved into a full-scale rebel leader by the end.  Josh Hutcherson has found a greatly improved role in Peeta Mellark acting much less pitiful and helpless than he did in the franchise opener.  He earned sympathy, yet his strength was still poignant throughout the movie.  Additionally, Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) and Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) had many intense, memorable moments.

    The plot pacing was spot on, albeit a bit repetitive.  From the original, viewers had already seen the training, extravagant parties, and opening ceremonies.  However, the film presented at least three distinct parts:  the victory tour, the preparation for the games and the games itself.

    With a budget almost twice that of the original, the repetitive parts of  Catching Fire were given substantially improved aesthetics.  The victory tour and preparation addressed the underlying conflict of ensuing revolution, and the games provided an adrenaline rush that carried into the next morning with spectacular visuals including a tropical forest, poisonous fog, rabid baboon and blood rain.

     The love triangle between Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Peeta, and Katniss took a backseat to the uprising, but it was still prevalent.  In this aspect, the movie stayed much more loyal to the book, and dealt with the larger problem at hand:  the Capitol.

     With a cliffhanger-esque finish, and when the film seemed to edging toward a disappointing end, the film provides a distinctly memorable last shot. It surely left viewers waiting impatiently for the finale, Mockingjay, which will be split into two parts. The first part is set to be released on Nov. 21, 2014.

     Overall, I definitely recommend this film due to the outstanding characters, environments, effects and its loyalty to the book.