Whenever a new film is brought to the screen, there is always a chance that it will eventually fall victim to the dreaded sequel curse. The sequel curse is known a known Hollywood phenomenon where a celebrated film is followed by a second film that dulls in comparison. There are a few films that have managed to thwart this curse, which include Captain America: The Winter Soldier and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

In 2008, Suzanne Collins published the first book in The Hunger Games franchise. The novel would be adapted into a film starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth in 2012. Collins published sequels (Catching Fire and Mockingjay) in the following years 2009 and 2010. All of Collins' novels would be adapted into films (with Mockingjay divided into two parts), but the film that is universally considered the best is Catching Fire.

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Catching Fire picks up shortly after The Hunger Games and provides a glimpse into how quickly life can change in Panem if one is crowned Victor of the Hunger Games. Katniss Everdeen (Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Hutcherson) made history at the 74th Hunger Games, as it is the only Games to have multiple winners. The result did not sit well with President Snow (Donald Sutherland), who begins to demonstrate that while the Games are over, Katniss and Peeta still belong to him and the Capitol. Catching Fire begins with Katniss and Peeta setting off on their Victors Tour across the Panem Districts where they are firsthand witnesses to the rebellion that has been spurred by their actions in Games.

Peeta Mellark, Effie, and Katniss Everdeen

The sequel of The Hunger Games begins with a new reason to survive. As opposed to the first film, Katniss and Peeta are no longer struggling to survive in District 12 or merely in the Games, but they must submit themselves to the political world they now find themselves in. Unlike other Victors of the Games, Katniss and Peeta's win (and defiance of the rules) is far more symbolic. The choices Katniss and Peeta made in the 74th Games begin to carry additional weight in Catching Fire. They are no longer representations of only their District, but of a rebellion. Any successful sequel should meaningfully build on a film's prior events and characters rather than alter or repeat what has already occurred.

Katniss and Peeta may witness the rebellion for the first time during their Victors Tour, but Snow is well aware of it. When Katniss and Peeta fail to dispel the growing rebellion, Snow makes an alteration to the third Quarter Quell (75th Hunger Games). Normally, two names are drawn during the Reaping that reveals the participants for the Hunger Games. Children between the ages of 12-18 are entered into the Reaping but Snow decides that for the 75th Games, the participants will be pulled from previous Hunger Games winners. As the only woman to win from District 12, Katniss is forced back into the Games.

Within the Quarter Quell, Catching Fire continues to separate itself from other films in The Hunger Games franchise. It not only builds on Katniss, Peeta, Gale (Hemsworth), Haymitch (Woody Harrelson), Effie (Elizabeth Banks), and Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) but introduces plenty of new faces that become massive parts of the franchise. While viewers are thrust back into another Hunger Games, there are layers within Catching Fire that make it the most important film in the franchise. Normally, Katniss is the one devising the plans and is the lens the audience uses to learn about Panem through. In Catching Fire, Katniss is the one who is left in the dark.

The new Gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman), arrives with an aura that suggests there is something larger at play. Plutarch carries himself more confidently than the previous Gamemaker Seneca Crane, while in the presence of President Snow. Some of the former Hunger Games Victors emit a similar ambiance, which raises Katniss' suspicions and intrigue. Beetee (Jeffrey Wright), Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin), and Johanna Mason (Jena Malone) are all pivotal introductions to the expanding sci-fi world of Panem.

Caesar Flickerman and Katniss Everdeen

Throughout the Quarter Quell, a number of tributes sacrifice themselves for the benefit of others (particularly Katniss and Peeta). It is not until the end of Catching Fire that those choices are fully understood. Haymitch and Plutarch collaborated on a plan that would ensure Katniss made it out of the Games alive. As the "Mockingjay" of the revolt against the Capitol, Katniss was essential and many in the Games knew that. Therefore, they were willing to sacrifice themselves to guarantee she would live and that the rebellion would continue on. The secrecy surrounding that gives Catching Fire an edge that the other Hunger Games films do not have.

The Hunger Games, Mockingjay Part 1, and Mockingjay Part 2 all present the action as it happens. There is little room for any surprises or depth to what occurs in those films. The Hunger Games establishes Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Haymitch, Effie, and President Snow, and what they hold dear. It sets up Panem, the Districts, and of course, the Hunger Games. Both Mockingjay films are tasked with dealing with the rebellion and what Katniss' role is within it. Peeta becomes obsolete as he is held by the Capitol and further isolated from the rebels once he's rescued because of his irrational actions brought upon by the serum the Capitol injected him with.

Catching Fire escapes the sequel curse by serving as the ideal bridge film between The Hunger Games and Mockingjay Part 1, while also being able to serve as a dominant film on its own. The tension between Katniss, Peeta, and Snow is evident in Catching Fire that even if one hadn't seen The Hunger Games, they would still be able to understand what had transpired between them. The start of the rebellion, the change of rules in the Games, and Katniss' significance to the rebellion is all spelled out in Catching Fire without the need for the other films. It's rare to see a sequel accomplish that and yet, Catching Fire manages to be the best film in the entire franchise.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is now streaming on Hulu.

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