After a long week you want to sit down and be able to watch a quality movie that will make you laugh, cry, sit at the edge of your seat, and have fun. Netflix Your Weekend is Reel World Theology’s weekly pick for a movie currently available on Netflix Instant that will not only entertain but make you think and engage the story you are watching. If you have a suggestion for a Netflix Instant movie, email Josh at J.A.Crabb22@gmail.com with the subject line “Netflix Your Weekend”.
NETFLIX YOUR WEEKEND – THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE
Netflix is full of gems and precious finds for those rainy days or nights in or just for a fun binge watch. Sometimes, Netflix drops in big, giant, rock-sized diamonds for us movie maniacs to gobble up the second they come out. Such is the case when Netflix announced they were dropping The Hunger Games: Catching Fire towards the end of October in anticipation of the next movie, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, coming out in November. I’m excited to sit down and watch this with my wife, who was also anticipating this movie.
Catching Fire is the second installment in the The Hunger Games book trilogy by Suzanne Collins that was adapted into the second film directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. It follows Katniss and Peeta after their victory in the 74th Hunger Games and the surprising rebellion that rises following their joint defiance of the Capitol. Katniss becomes the Mockingjay, a symbol of rebellion for the people in the Districts, and the first part follows the slow unfolding of the scale of this rebellion and President Snow’s response. The second half reveals surprising revelations in an effort to quell the rebellion (pun for those in the know).
This second installment was actually my favorite of the three books, although I found Mockingjay to be masterful and have a lot of gravity, because of the relationship between Peeta and Katniss and Peeta’s willingness to be there for Katniss as she tries to deal with the chaos of rebellion and expectations around her, as well as her own feelings for her childhood friend, Gale, and Peeta. What I like about the book so much was surprisingly lacking, in my opinion, from the movie, but it doesn’t change the fact that this is a really action-packed movie and does a very good job of telling the story of Catching Fire. Where the movie comes up short is in the sheer quantity of material it has to cover in two hours and fifteen minutes. There is so much story to tell and so much action, they sacrifice a lot of the quiet tension and interaction of Peeta and Katniss in favor of making sure the story is told. The final 15 minutes of this movie seemed hastily tacked on and would be a tad confusing for those not familiar with the books. I’ll probably do an extended review of this movie sometime in the near future, since I still really liked it, despite some quibbles and qualms.
I highly recommend watching this movie. I’m sure you will love it and fans of the book will certainly be happy to know, if they have Netflix Instant, they can watch to their hearts content. In fact, while you are at it, watch this movie and then listen to Reel World Theology’s podcast on the movie, where you can listen to Fizz, Erienne Jones, and Alan Hawkins discuss the themes of the movie and the book. Happy movie viewing and podcast listening!
***Please note that these suggestions can be time sensitive, and if you read this article next month the selection might not be there due to the ever changing lineup of available titles on Netflix Instant. All the more reason to watch this movie this weekend!***