As the screen darkened and a hush fell over the movie theater, I wondered what was in store for me as I sat waiting for the second installment of the Hunger Games trilogy to begin. From the moment Jennifer Laurence emerged clutching a bow and arrow, Liam Hemsworth at her side, I knew I was in for a treat. Catching Fire was a movie I will never forget.

The cast for this film could not have been more perfect. Reading the book, I imagined Katniss Everdeen to possess a scratchy, raspy voice, and Jennifer Laurence fulfilled my fantasy. Woody Harrelson was made for the part of Haymitch Abernathy, the drunken, cranky mentor who kept Katniss and Peeta alive during their run in the arena. Lenny Kravitz could not have portrayed Katniss’ stylist better. Hemsworth, an Australian, nailed the part of Gale and his American accent was spot on.

Moreover, the setting of the movie was incredible. The jungle was alive with fresh, new terrors at every turn as the tributes struggled for their survival. I wondered extensively how the movie would display the scene in which Katniss fights for her life against the horrifying monkeys described in vivid detail in the book, and was glad it was done justice. Through the course of the Games, I felt like I was a part of the District 12 community, rooting for two of my best friends as they fought valiantly for their lives.

Some of the most memorable moments were the small ones – kisses between Katniss and Peeta, the strategic planning of the Games, and President Snow’s conversation with his granddaughter, in which she tells him that all the girls wear their hair as Katniss does. This particular conversation is important because it helps to give Katniss’ major nemesis a reason to assume that the districts are beginning to rebel.

Throughout the movie, I was pleased with the production, cast and plot. I only wish Mockingjay was coming out sooner.