Catching Fire

What about you, girl on fire? Got any secrets worth my time?

Spoiler Free Review. 

After seeing the midnight screening of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire earlier this morning, I was discussing with my best friend what I was going to write in my review. 
I believe what we came up with was pretty accurate: you have to see this movie. It's just that simple. 
I don't think many of you will need much convincing. I know the kind of audience numbers this movie will be raking in and I don't want to give too many things away because I know a lot of people will be watching it over the weekend, so I'm just going to write a few non-spoiler things below (later next week though, look out for a more spoiler-filled/detailed review because I'm seeing it again on Tuesday).

Everyone's performance in this film is absolutely perfect from beginning to end. I want to give a special mention to Josh Hutcherson (plays Peeta Mellark) who is unbelievable, even standing out next to Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence. 
I am a huge fan of the character Finnick Odair and when we got into the car to drive to the cinema I confessed I was nervous that I was going to get bored/restless waiting for him to come into the storyline (those of you who have read the books will know he only comes in about halfway through the book). Fortunately, I did not have to worry about that at all. I was absolutely enthralled from beginning to end. There was not a part where I drifted off and started thinking about what I had to do tomorrow or what time I had to wake up in the morning, which so often happens to me during films. 

Another thing I had been really nervous about were my expectations of the film. They were just so incredibly unrealistic that I could not imagine the movie meeting them, let alone surpassing them which it did by a mile. I don't even know how Sam Claflin (who plays Finnick) managed to exceed my expectations they were so unreasonably high. 
If you are a fan of the book, you'll be a fan of this movie. It used the book so incredibly well. There were so many lines that I recognised to be taken straight from the book, including two of my favourites: Finnick's sugar cube introduction and Haymitch's "you could live a hundred lifetimes and still not deserve him, you know" heartbreaker. I also have a new found love for Johanna Mason, who was played so brilliantly by Jena Malone and I wish she had more on-screen time.

I hope that everyone who hasn't seen it yet has an experience like I did and I would love to hear from anyone who has (or hasn't!) seen it in the comments.