Catching Fire Left Me Breathless

Catching Fire, a cliff-hanger sequel of the dystopian novel-slash-movie or transmedia narrative, Hunger Games, was a story I enjoyed and loved reading and watching. Just like the book, its movie was full of action (especially when Katniss and Peeta were already in the arena for the second time, of course), sprinkled with just the right amount of kisses and necessary talk. In fact, I was literally at the edge of my seat while watching, my muscles tensed up most of the time.

Maybe it was the high technology of Panem (especially in their Capitol) that locked my eyes on the screen and caused me to tense up and stay at the edge of my seat as I've mentioned earlier. Or maybe it was the fighting strategies of Katniss, Joanna, Finnick and the other victors when they entered the arena once again, for the 75^th anniversary of the Hunger Games, called the Quarter Quell, thanks to President Snow and the new Head Gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbeejust to prove that the Capitol cannot be defeated even by the strongest of people. I was also thinking that I was left breathless by the genius of Wiress and Beetee, also known as Nuts and Bolts as they pointed out the flaws of Panem technology like how the force field can be seen and how they helped Katniss figure out the shape and clockwork of the arena and the tricks of the game. I really like that smart duo!

Another thing that I learned from Wiress and Beetee was that even the most advanced technology has its flaws. It was high technology and it was amazing, but it was still not perfect. When tey pointed the flaws out, I immediately remembered one of the Seven Environmental Principles that I was tught when I was stil in high school, “Nature knows best.”

But technology and action (or violence, as ohters may prefer to call it) aside, I found the story and the characters touching and compelling. I felt every emotion that Katniss and Primrose Everdeen (and the other characters as well, they're just too many to mention) conveyed and I was inspired by them more than I was sorry for what they've been through. This might seem weird or insincere of me, but after reading the book and watching the movie, I was moved to become braver, stronger, better.