Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) are back for the 75th Annual Hunger Games: Quarter Quell in the franchise’s second film, Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Based off of Suzanne Collins’ bestselling series, an uprising begins to instigate and the love triangle between Katniss, Peeta and Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) deepens. It’s embellished with well-integrated actions scenes that make up for a slightly drawn out beginning, and it doesn’t lack in creative input of costume design or special effects.

I Am Legend director Francis Lawrence showed his capacity for capturing the impoverished districts of Panem and the gluttonous lifestyles of the wealthy. His take on the series relies on desolate visuals of oppressed laborers who are destined to remain under the dominance of the Capitol. Set in a post-apocalyptic North America, Panem is home to the infamous Hunger Games. This time around, the Quarter Quell features a slight change of rules, with it being an ultimate survival game amongst past winners.

Without jumping too quickly into the death match, audiences are first taken through the Victory Tour that Katniss and Peeta embark on. Lawrence embodies every bit of her character’s hard-headed grit, doing well to emphasize the few moments of vulnerability that reluctantly seep out of Katniss. As every brooding love story goes, her times of weakness open a small window of opportunity for Peeta to step in as a strong shoulder.

Hutcherson is everything you’d expect of someone playing a boy who is pining over Panem’s sweetheart. His sentimental mentality makes way for Katniss’ bold and self-guarded personality, acting as a good supporting character to her overall poise with a bow and arrow. Unfortunately, their forced chemistry as District 12’s love birds may look appealing to the eyes of onlookers, but for someone known as the “girl on fire,” her approach to their relationship is anything but heated at the start of things.

Haunted by her past executions during the games, Katniss has little ability to focus on anything outside of protecting her family and few close friends, but she finds herself becoming the poster girl for the revolution. Heroine of the storyline, the “girl on fire” is like a reinvented Lara Croft, minus the archaeological ventures. Her protective will and stand-alone abilities as a warrior-type survivalist make her the perfect person to aid a film in achieving Hollywood success.

Although the leading lady is forced into her role as the face of courage, she’s not alone. A whole new set of tributes add a few shades of color to the dreary circumstances, with the introductions of Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin), Johanna Mason (Jena Malone) and Beetee (Jeffrey Wright), among others. As fresh faces that act toward the cause of the revolution, their presence offer variety to Simon Beaufoy and Michael DeBruyn’s script.

Catching Fire may not be flawless, but it deserves the increasing attention it has been receiving. After all, films based on teen novels rarely ever meet the standards of excellence. This second installment of a four-film adaptation has a good set of performers that carry the plot smoothly, with Jennifer Lawrence encompassing the story’s core. As the odds slowly begin to change course for the starving districts, Catching Fire enthralls audiences with power-hungry authorities holding the reins of millions of lives in their hands.

Photo Courtesy of Lionsgate