7. Special Effects
Now, this is something that I know for a fact has already been picked up in other articles and blogs, so I know I'm not the only one to think this. One issue which struck me as odd in The Hunger Games and needs to be addressed in Catching Fire is the use of special effects. The use of Katniss' dress on fire was cheesy enough, but when it came to the costumes-on-fire-in-the-chariot, it was all a little weird. The effects weren't believable enough and nor was the emotion there to match the shock and excitement that this would bring. Sometimes special effects such as these can bring something new to the movie, but it can also take away. Perhaps in this it might have been better to move away from the fiery dress of the book and create an actual dress design that is unique and fits the occasion rather than rely on effects that fell a little short. This could have been useful, allowing the budget to be used elsewhere while also allowing subtle changes from the books that may be of interest to viewers. Hopefully any effects that are used in the exciting next film will be more successful and will create another film we can all become immersed in for a few short hours.