In the last issue of Tiger Topics I wrote a story previewing the new movie “Catching Fire.” After seeing the film with a rather pessimistic attitude, not enjoy its predecessor, but came out happily surprised with how the movie turned out.

“The Hunger Games,” series takes place in a very interesting dystopian world and the first movie did not do it justice. The Capitol felt plastic, not in the way it supposed to but like it was done with bad special effects. “Catching Fire,” was much more competent, especially in the way they showed “District 11.”

The biggest problem with “Catching Fire” the book was its repetitiveness and Katniss’ goth emotional  moments. While the book still feels very similar to its predecessor, the movie feels much more original and different. The movie is also able to explore Katniss’ internal emotional struggles without overpowering the rest of the film, unlike the book were they seem to be half the book.

Even with a cast full of talented actors the majority of the dialogue felt unnatural and forced. It was like the writers simply took all the lines straight from the book without any changes. Some characters still stood out, Haymitch and Effie are absolutely perfect, the actors played them exactly like they acted in the book and looked spot-on. Katniss still felt plastic and unlikeable, which really is not much of a change from her print appearance.

It isn’t perfect, but “Catching Fire” is still an enjoyable movie. Maybe not “good” in an objective sense, but it is fun, which is all that really matters. I recommend watching it, even if the first “Hunger Games” did not tickle your fancy, since it is much better. Plus it has tons of fabulous wigs.