The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Trailer Review

Now for me, The Hunger Games wasn't all that special in the sense that I found it to be a toned down, Hollywood, teen version of the Japanese classic 'Battle Royale'. Both were equally similar in plot and shared tendencies like how the government or superior force in the film chose the participants of the games. I'm sure just like everybody else, I knew that the first film was going to be a success and that this would no doubt form a franchise in which we would at least see a trilogy of these films within the next 10 years. But for me, I didn't necessarily have a problem with this, as it didn't particularly affect me.

I would say that the real thoughts going through my head when a sequel was inevitably announced was the direction that this second film would take. As I have never have or plan to read the books, I was left puzzled in how a sequel would play out. Surely there couldn't be a second Hunger Games in which either the existing characters were thrown back into the mix for whatever reason - or a new set of characters were introduced, maybe from the predecessor, and ultimately picked out for the challenge.

Now the trailer is up, and I think I can safely say my questions have been answered. Now although I may have some slight bias within this discussion, there were some things that sparked an interest for me. On the whole, the trailer didn't blow me away. Did it do enough for me to invest in watching the sequel? Possibly. And I will tell you why.



The concept of the aftermath of the Hunger Games is undoubtedly a factor that sparks up all sorts of images and thoughts in my mind and certainly could make a great film, if of course handled correctly. The Hunger Games clearly has a significant effect on this society that is shown in the film and it seems that an uproar will be one of the main focuses in this film. The ending of the first film showed that Katniss and Peeta combined together to ultimately overcome the Hunger Games and a decision to allow both contestants to be set free as opposed to the usual one, was a controversial decision from the decider. This has therefore left discontent with many whereas others have taken an approach and been inspired by the actions of the two. 

Another thing that caught my eye from the trailer was the addition of Phillip Seymour Hoffman to the cast. Definitely what I feel will be a fitting choice from the casting department as I personally believe he is one of the best actors around nowadays. He has a very wide array of talent that has seen him play a number of diverse roles from Owen Davian in Mission Impossible III to Brandt from The Big Lebowski. This is certainly a factor that has appealed to me from just watching this trailer and his character seems some what interesting, discussing the actions of Katniss from the previous film and mentioning that he "agrees she should die, but in the right way." Definitely an interesting take on this film, I do hope that this isn't the main focus of the film and that there are plenty more layers to it; offering much more depth to what could be a complete failure otherwise.

Finally, the general tone that is received from the trailer alone sends signals to my brain telling me that I will enjoy this film much more than the previous one. Just like most films these days, a darker 'grittier' approach can clearly be depicted. Although, the first Hunger Games had slight undertones that presented the audience with something fresh and original, it all felt a little too 'been there, seen that'. I well and truly hope that this one can prove me wrong and takes the route that I am expecting from this trailer. It needs to definitely up the boundaries that it is willing to break and give the audience something that will leave them breathless.

Here is the official trailer for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IctcdgbksZ4

Tell me what you guys think, my first blog entry and I'm hoping there will be some demand and interest for me to do more. Just leave me a comment and if enough people seem to like this one, I will do more! Thanks!