The Hunger Games - Catching Fire

An exciting and strongly-made chapter of the young adult saga. There are sequences that are masterfully suspenseful and make for a fun night at the movies. But there’s something missing from the big picture. If “The Hunger Games” is a reality TV show, then depicting the blood-thirsty audience might help add context to the politics of this. The movie’s focus on Katniss, although powerful, feels insulated from the rest of the universe that they’re fighting for. Filmmakers presume that the audience understands the politics of the outside world, but seeing it would add all kinds of welcome dramatic weight. Nevertheless, when the poisonous fog rolls in, you’ll be clutching your popcorn with white-knuckled fervor.