In terms of sequels, most people usually expect it to fall short of its predecessor. Especially if the preceding movie was the highly-anticipated Hunger Games movie. The first book has been known to be the favorite of the highly-successful series, and when the movie was released, fans everywhere raved.  Afterwards, many awaited the sequel, Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Fans favor the first book and sequels tend not to be as good as the original.  However, this particular sequel proved to surpass the original in almost every way.

After the seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games, a yearly competition designed to keep Panem’s twelve districts in line, resourceful Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) struggles to return to the old, impoverished life she once led in District 12. Katniss and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) no longer have to worry about poaching to quell her family’s hunger–a benefit of being the two victors. After saving both her own life and Peeta’s at the end of the Hunger Games, Katniss has made herself both a symbol of revolution to the districts and a target of rebellion to the Capitol, both of which send she and Peeta back into the Hunger Games for the third Quarter Quell.

The original Hunger Games moved quite slowly in its beginnings, and though the lifestyles between the Capitol and District 12 were obviously drastically different, viewers don’t get to see just how drastic until Catching Fire. The sequel immediately throws the audience into action, reminding them that even though the Hunger Games is technically over, the ride will never end for Katniss. Constant themes of having Katniss’s every move watched are thrown in with flying colors, leaving the viewers wanting her to succeed more than ever.

In the novels, Katniss is portrayed as a rather cold and cynical character to the point where one might view her as stoic. Jennifer Lawrence’s brilliant acting breathes life into this otherwise emotionless character. Katniss’s reaction to being thrust back into the same trauma that befell her a year prior was one that can cause one to strongly empathize with her. By the time of the second movie, the audience has seen  the tragic Hunger Games firsthand, so they are able to feel the same hopelessness Katniss does when she and Peeta are inevitably sent back. Old faces return, such as fashion designer Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) and the tributes’ handler Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks). However, new interesting characters are also thrown into the mix, including Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin) and Johanna Mason (Jenna Malone), both of which are very memorable tributes that serve to aid Katniss during the Quarter Quell.

The characters are memorable, but other elements added to the movie make it pop as well. As with the original Hunger Games movie, the flare of the Capitol fashion is eye-catching, interesting to look at and other-worldly. When Katniss’s wedding dress burns up and transforms into a mockingjay, one can’t help but gape.

The musical score also serves to be as great as the original movie. It’s not over-dramatic and overused like in some other movies, and even its absence in some places creates tension and a feeling of suspense with the audience. The sets are also fabulous as well, transitioning from the dirty, grungy District 12 through the glamorous lifestyle of the Capitol and finally to the hot tropics of the Quarter Quell arena.

As far as following the book closely, there are a few memorable moments that did not make it into the movie, such as Haymitch’s Hunger Games. One would have liked to see now alcoholic Haymitch Abernathy (portrayed by Woody Harrelson) triumph over the other tributes in his youth and might be disappointed to find out this part was left out.

Despite this minor setback, Catching Fire is no doubt an amazing movie in so many areas, one that even people who are not long-time fans should definitely see in theaters before it hits DVD. It earns a very satisfactory 4.5/5.