A few months ago, Meredith Berry ’17 and I entered a contest to see “Catching Fire”, the second movie/book in the “Hunger Games” trilogy, a few days before the actual premiere. Surprisingly enough, we were two in one hundred people who won and got to see the movie before the initial release, Friday at which happens 12 a.m., November 22^nd. To say I’m a huge “Hunger Games” fan is an understatement. Berry and I have both read the trilogy a total of 13 times. We can both recite certain passages of the books verbatim. I have a board on Pinterest dedicated to the Hunger Games that has 806 pins on it solely about the trilogy. Berry has become friends with Willow Shields who portrays Primrose Everdeen over Twitter. We’re completely obsessed and getting to see the movie ahead of time was exciting to say the least.

However, we were nervous about if the director, Francis Lawrence, wondering about if he would do a good job. The first movie, the “Hunger Games”, by director Gary Ross, was done extremely well, so we had high expectations for the new director. The high expectations were met. The movie left Berry and me speechless. The actors were perfectly cast, the special effects and the set were jaw-dropping, the makeup and costumes were breathtaking.

Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence, the lead actress, was especially amazing in the movie. I didn’t think it was possible for her to surpass her portrayal in the “Hunger Games”, but she did. She was heroic, fierce, loving, relatable, emotional, and inspiring all at once. The other lead characters, Josh Hutcherson, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, and Liam Hemsworth were also incredible with their performances. The chemistry between all of the actors was exciting and moving.

Although it is hard to make a well-loved book into a movie without making the fans mad, Francis Lawrence did it. Berry and I consider ourselves the most devoted fans possible, and it was better than we ever could have imagined. Naturally, there was a part I loved in the book that was left out of the movie, when Peeta and Katniss enjoyed their last day together, but all in all, it captured the book perfectly in every aspect. If you have read the “Hunger Games” trilogy and you are a fan, I highly recommend seeing “Catching Fire” as soon as possible. If you haven’t read the “Hunger Games” trilogy and you aren’t a fan, I still recommend seeing it as soon as possible. Bottom line, it was incredible.