The subject matter has the potential to make a hard-hitting (有說服力) film, especially as the books contain some complex satire (諷刺) about totalitarian states. The first film fell short (不符合) of conveying the horror of children fighting to the death, but Catching Fire really brought it home (讓人體會到). Because of its young audience, some sceptics (懷疑論者) thought the Hunger Games franchise would be trashy (同垃圾一樣), but the second instalment had the makings of (有資格) a mature film that took itself seriously. The depth of cruelty in Panem (Katniss’ country) was explored more fully in Catching Fire, as within the first five minutes we see acts of senseless brutality by the state. The unfeeling ruthlessness of protest oppression set the tone (決定氣氛) for the rest of the film. Characters that seemed like tired clichés (令人厭倦的陳腔濫調) in the first film were given complexity and multiple dimensions (多角度) , although the dichotomy (二分法) of pure good versus pure evil only intensified, and some of the political complexities of the book were glossed over (掩蓋) in Catching Fire.

 

Then again, comparing a book to its film adaptation does not do justice (公平) to either medium (媒介). What Catching Fire gave us was a visually spectacular realisation (視覺上壯觀的體現) of the book’s very filmic (電影的) plot, and setting thathinges on (取決於) visual impact. The cinematography (攝影) got me completely engrossed (著迷) in the film and made the bleakness of District 12 very believable. Like a lot of new Hollywood films, Catching Fire has been made for 3D with large panoramas (全景) and lots of action close to the camera. It is impressive, but in my opinion the gimmick (噱頭) of 3D doesn’t add anything to the substance of the film.

 

Jennifer Lawrence shot to fame (成名) in the first Hunger Games film, and in Catching Fire I got the impression that she had grown into (發展成) the role of Katniss and matured along with her character. Liam Hemsworth (who played Gale) gave a competent performance, but didn’t step out of the shadow (走出陰影) of his brother Chris, who has recently been enjoying most of the limelight (焦點). Like in the Harry Potter franchise, a (relatively) young cast has tackled increasingly difficult scenarios (可能出現的情況) and come out on top (成為贏家), on the whole giving more convincing performances than the more venerable (受尊敬的) cast members like Donald Sutherland (President Snow) and Elizabeth Banks (Effie Trinket) who were sometimes wooden (表演呆板) in their performances.

 

After the success of The Hunger Games last year, there was a lot of pressure on Catching Fire to buck the trend (成為逆勢) of disappointing sequels, and it did not disappoint. Sticking to the cliffhanger (扣人心弦) ending of the book, it left everyone on tenterhooks (懸疑) for the conclusion of this trilogy.