It’s hard to remember a time in recent years when there wasn’t some series or another dominating the media, box office, and minds of impressionable teens. Harry Potter held the crown for a while, and soon after it finished came Twilight. Now, a new series has captivated theaters: Hunger Games.

After the immense success of the book series and subsequent movie, Catching Fire was one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year. Countdowns for fans lasted months, with each passing day bringing more excitement. When the day finally came, the movie lived up to and surpassed expectations.

Premiering on a Thursday school night, many Ames High students sacrificed precious sleep to attend the midnight showing. Dragging themselves to school the next day was a struggle, but well worth it, many claimed.

When I finally saw it roughly a week after the premier, I was skeptical of the hype. Sure, many movies sound good when fangirls give glowing reviews, but could it really be that good? The answer was a resounding yes.

Many of the same actors were used in continuing roles, and the new characters brought impressive new faces to the series. One character, Mags (played by Lynn Cohen), spoke no lines, but brought about one of the most tearful moments of the film.

The film is gritty, emotional, beautiful, and overall well-done. Fans of the book series, eternally searching for flaws in the script, found a few (where was the Gamemaker’s watch?), but couldn’t help conceding that the people, places, and feelings of the original were impressively captured on the screen.

 Hard to follow if one hasn’t seen the original, Catching Fire really is a must-watch this winter. Enjoy the new movie while it’s still recent, because as soon as the next release date is announced, the countdowns will begin anew- and with the finale looming, it is sure to be bigger and better than its predecessors.