Here’s how to make sure Dave Chen enjoys The Hunger Games: Catching Fire:
1) Take away his smartphone
2) Force him to watch a 70-minute live broadcast of the red carpet premiere event immediately before the movie, complete with readings of tweets from rabid fans, commentary on Jennifer Lawrence’s dress, and endless discussion of Jennifer Lawrence’s haircut
3) Have said event be hosted by Ben Lyons
That red carpet event actually brought into stark relief the parallels between Jennifer Lawrence and Katniss Everdeen, both innocent lovely women trotted out for the predatory consumption of the masses on a regular basis in an increasingly troubling fashion. It may have set the tone for the film, but probably not in the way that the event organizers were intending.
As for the movie itself, I am personally baffled by how people continue to find these films remotely acceptable from a storytelling perspective, but I’m also willing to accept that different people like different things.