The Hunger Games vs. Catching Fire

~The Hunger Games vs. Catching Fire~

Hi movie marauders! If you don't already know, every Friday or Saturday I will post an article called Marauder's Movie Match. This is where two movies that have something in common fight to be the best movie. Today is The Hunger Games vs. Catching Fire! If you want a say in the 2 movies that fight next week, comment below and your match may be picked! If it is, you will find out on Friday when the article is posted (7/14/17) and you will receive a shoutout in the article!! Now, let's get to the match!!

The Hunger Games took the world by surprise when it became extremely popular in 2012. Three books were turned into four movies, and now (sadly) no one really talks about it anymore. The Hunger Games got an 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, and Catching Fire got an 89%. Rotten Tomatoes scores do not truly dictate which movie is better because everyone has their own opinion. I think that the best 2 films of The Hunger Games franchise is the first two (Mockingjay would have been better if it was 1 whole movie). With that being said, let's discuss which movie is better!! Let the match begin!!

~The Hunger Games~

The Hunger Games kicked off the entire franchise. If this movie was bad, we might not have The Hunger Games films. The Hunger Games was an excellent film, and stayed mostly true to the book. The performances were very believable. Since this was the first film, the budget wasn't too big ($78 million). The effects were still very good, and the wardrobe of the Capitol was very eccentric. I think the first movie depicted the major gap between the Capitol and the Districts extremely well. The plot of The Hunger Games is pretty fast paced once the tributes get into the arena. My favorite part of the movie is when Katniss cuts down the Tracker Jacker nest.

I think this scene showed that Peeta wasn't really aligned with the others, and it started the friendship between Rue and Katniss. I also liked how Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith were shown talking to the audiences like it is a regular reality show. This really depicts how messed up the Capitol is, and that people in the Capitol have lost touch with what is acceptable in society. This movie also did a really good job of showing how strong Katniss is, and the threat she poses to the Capitol. From the first time we saw her on screen, we knew she has a rebellious side to her (she is out hunting with Gale in a restricted area).

She becomes even stronger throughout the movie when she shoots the arrow at the pig and bows to them. I thought that was a very funny scene, and shows how bloated with power the Gamemakers are (they didn't care about her performance when she missed her shot the first time). Katniss is also very loyal because she teamed up with someone from her district, Peeta. The final battle scene between Cato and the mutts was such a powerful scene, and showed that The Hunger Games tears apart everyone (Even Cato-who trained for his whole life and expected to dominate).

She is familiar with him, and he also gave her a loaf of bread when she was starving. Katniss paid the price of threatening to kill themselves with berries, since she prompted an entire rebellion (and the Gamemaker was killed). If Katniss hadn't stood up to the Capitol, none of them would be free. Everything may have worked out by the end of the series, but Katniss definitely put a target on her back. Overall, the first movie was very well done and kicked off the franchise in the right way.

~Catching Fire~

As the sequel to The Hunger Games, it was even more anticipated. Catching Fire had a budget of $130-$140 million (which you could tell from watching the movie). This movie showed the effects of the first games, and how Katniss, Peeta, and Haymitch have been living. We also got to see the Victory Tour, which was interesting to watch. This is because of what Haymitch said about never getting off the train. Katniss then realized that even though she made it out of the games alive, she was still a slave to the Capitol.

This film took the themes from the first movie to the next level. My favorite scene is when President Snow announced that victors from all the Districts would be entering into the Quarter Quell. This scene just showed so much emotion and it was very sad to watch (since they have to reenter the horror of The Hunger Games). Katniss once again tries to protect Peeta (by making Haymitch promise to take his place in the Games). Obviously, this won't work out because the story would not be as interesting if Peeta wasn't with Katniss.

I liked the training session (it tied into the first movie), especially because of the scene where Beetee and Wiress show Katniss the force field (and the flaws it is creating). Watching Cinna get beat up while Katniss was enetring the games was terrible. President Snow is literally doing anything he can to get rid of Katniss. Little does he know how strong she truly is. I loved how the arena was set up, and how the movie showed the different sectors of the clock. This game was more interesting to watch because it had much higher stakes (they are fighting victors).

I liked the new additions of Johanna and Finnick. I thought they were both very strong leaders and kept the secret from Katniss very well. The movie ended on a suspenseful note, when Katniss is told that there is no District 12. I thought the camera angled above her was a very good decision, because it showed her anger even better. Overall, Catching Fire was an amazing sequel and showed the effects of the last Hunger Games very well.

~Conclusion~

Catching Fire is the WINNER

Catching Fire is a little bit better than The Hunger Games. It has more emotion, and is a better story. The Hunger Games isn't bad, but Catching Fire just has better action sequences and better performances. 

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• Don't forget---If you want a say in the 2 movies that fight next week, comment below and your match may be picked! If it is, you will find out on Friday when the article is posted (7/14/17) and you will receive a shoutout in the article!!

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