The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

"Revisiting the dystopian setting of last year’s The Hunger Games, Catching Fire makes even more of Jennifer Lawrence’s rising star than its precursor. Like her character Katniss, the actress continues to reveal hidden strengths both when this sequel demands more range in her performance and when she’s simply required to cover familiar ground."

"Makes for rousing entertainment in its own right, leaving fans riled and ready to storm the castle."

"Expands Suzanne Collins' novel beyond the confines of the arena to tackle some seriously brutal truths."

"The keepers of Suzanne Collins's trilogy of fantasy novels have dodged the perils of the sloppy second franchise film."

"Not quite a full course, more of an amuse bouche, making its mammoth audience hungry for future, meatier instalments."

"It’s not just bigger, it’s better, and it bodes well for the future of the series, if not necessarily of its unlucky protagonist."

"A safe, serviceable, carefully crafted action drama in which the subversive seeds planted in the first story take welcome root."

"This second grittier, more confident round of Hunger Games thrills us into submission."