There is a lot of hype over the sequel to The Hunger Games, that is, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, which opened in Malaysia yesterday.
And let me tell you that the hype is truly well-deserved. Adapted from Suzanne Collins' second book in a trilogy of publications, the sequel is almost seamless in its continuation from where the first movie left us.
Of course, it helps that the FOX channel on Astro has been airing the first movie over the past week or so. I made it a point to refresh my memory of the first movie and it really helped in following the tale and also making the second movie stand out by comparison.
Where the first movie built the characters and the premise of the survival contest after which the movie (and the book) takes its title, especially focusing on the action between the contestants, the sequel nicely peels another layer off the post-apocalyptic nation of Panem and the key characters.
As someone who has not read any of the books, I will be speaking purely on the movie in itself, so forgive me if I don't really comment on what is missing or adapted with creative licence by the director.
One thing that is certain though, the message is still revolution and standing up to oppression no matter what the price. It is a message that will resonate across many nations around the world, as this first sequel opens in most countries from this weekend.
It is the classic tale in yet another new package. But the movie which comes closest to how I felt while watching Catching Fire was V For Vendetta.
Like the movie which launched a million Guy Fawkes masks in various protests in recent years, this movie also shows that all it takes is one person, one symbol and the willingness to stand up against tyranny.
There are also a few interesting quotes which I took from the movie which sadly, reflects what we seem to be reading too regularly in the political landscape of our nation.
Two such examples are when Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) tells Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) of her responsibility as a winner: "… your job is to be a distraction so people forget what the real problems are."; and Haymitch again reminding Katniss: "Just remember who the real enemy is."
But the one which truly hit the nail on the proverbial head was from Katniss very early in the movie during a private conversation with the tyrant President Snow.
"It must be very fragile, if a handful of berries can bring it down," Katniss Everdeen replies in reference to the state of the nation, as the president says he is wise to her act of defiance in pretending to eat the poison berries after winning the Hunger Games in part one.
I don't think I have to remind many of us in Malaysia of how many times we have felt or said something similar over some of the issues afflicting our country, mainly due to the politicising of religious and social issues.
Getting back to the movie and the heroine in particular, Jennifer Lawrence truly proves her mettle as an Oscar-winning actress yet again. It is an Oscar-worthy performance, but we all know the Academy does not really go the sci-fi blockbuster way when it comes to nominating actors.
Still, if you thought she excelled in the first movie, you will truly be astounded by the range of emotions and the quality of her acting and generally, that of the whole cast.
I do not think I need to really explain the way this trilogy thing works. You watched the first movie, so you really have to go watch this sequel too, and then, of course, wait patiently till part three comes along.
However, please be mindful that like another more famous book-adapted trilogy, Lord of the Rings, you simply cannot watch Catching Fire without having watched The Hunger Games. Do not attempt to do it.
The sequel is a great movie on its own, yet it would not be fair to the quality of the production and the story-telling if you tried to watch it without a clue on what transpired the first time around.
Other than Harrelson and Lawrence, the cast includes Donald Sutherland, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks and Terence Trent D'Arby.
The End. – November 22, 2013.
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