Everything is clearer, more precise, and immensely more entertaining. The action in Catching Fire pops off the screen in a way it never does in the first Hunger Games. There's a reason he's helmed every Hunger Games movie since 2013 (including the upcoming Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes). No disrespect to Gary Ross, but Francis Lawrence makes it clear very early on that he's the right filmmaker for the franchise.

None of the other Hunger Games films can quite stack up to Catching Fire. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) (Photo: Lionsgate) It's the polar opposite of the issues that plague the Mockingjay films. So much of what Collins wrote translates well to the screen adaptation, though the movie trims a lot off of the book it's adapting. Seeing the Arena brought to life in such a tactile and exciting way set the stage for this entire franchise to succeed. The first Hunger Games movie is the simplest of the bunch, focusing solely on Katniss and Peeta's war in the actual games, before things shifted to the actual war taking place in the real world. It also succeeded in making Jennifer Lawrence a household name almost overnight. The Hunger Games arrived and became a force to be reckoned with, setting itself apart from its predecessors and doing justice to Collins' bestselling books. Yes, it's a very different story than those others, but the big budget YA franchises could've faced some real fatigue. The Hunger Games (2012) (Photo: Lionsgate)Ĭoming on the heels of both Harry Potter and Twilight, The Hunger Games had its work cut out for it.

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