Rating: Three out of five stars

World-Famous Three-Word Review: Sequel flames out.

Call me crazy, but I was unimpressed by the highly anticipated sequel to the Hunger Games.

I liked Catching Fire. It was okay. But it didn’t live up to major expectations and the hype.

Like its main character, Katniss Everdeen, it did everything it was supposed to: Stayed true to the book. Big budget with lightning-paced action scenes. Good acting from a good cast.

Like its antagonist, President Snow, I’m not convinced. It seemed to be going through the motions.

It was entertaining, but lacked any substance. It felt hollow.

Too many films based on popular novels stick too closely to the book and sacrifice originality.

Perhaps the filmmakers were too busy trying to meet the audience’s expectations that they never considered exceeding expectations.

The best compliment I can give the film is in regard to its impeccable pacing. The storyline moved nicely from one scene to the next, not lingering too long and not rushing passed too quickly.

When you are overly concerned with the source text, the least you can do is balance it well.

Catching Fire was my favorite of the three in the book series. And if I felt this way about the movie, I’m not convinced I will waste my time on the disappointment waiting to happen from the series conclusion in Mockingjay.