Arts and Culture

Ranking the Hunger Games franchise

It seems prequels, remakes and resurgence of media aren't going anywhere anytime soon -- particularly for a lot of the movies, TV shows and books that I enjoyed growing up. Already I've seen there are plans in the works for continuations of Avatar: The Last Airbender, a Percy Jackson and the Olympians show and, most recently, a trailer was released for a prequel to 2012's "The Hunger Games."

Personally, I'm not super excited about this prequel. I'll watch it, but I never really needed backstory for the books or movies. I kind of liked not knowing how Panem got to where it did. The whole point was how they got to a better future instead.

However, in the spirit of all this Hunger Games resurgence, I've decided it's as good a time as any to rank the original movie franchise. But, before we do that, let's give those who aren't familiar the basic storyline.

"The Hunger Games" follows District 12 teen Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) after she volunteers for the annual games put on by her country's dictators -- The Capitol -- in place of her little sister Primrose (Willow Shields). What are the "games" exactly? It's a barbaric show of The Capitol's power. Following an uprising by then-13 districts within Panem, leaders decided to reap one girl and one boy 18 or under from each area to fight to the death. Yea… it's grim.

And since it's inception, the people of The Capitol have turned it into sick and twisted entertainment. Parading the contestants out, interviewing them and treating it as if it weren't deeply real.

Of course, Katniss takes this entire structure and puts it on its head from the start, leading to a revolution.

So, with that brief introduction out of the way, let's get into my ranking:

1.) CATCHING FIRE

Okay, maybe you were expecting me to say the first movie, 2012's "The Hunger Games" is my favorite. Well… you'd be wrong. Following a rewatch I've decided its sequel "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," released in 2013, is my ultimate favorite. Catching Fire takes place following Katniss's big stunt at the 74th Annual Hunger Games -- when she and her fellow District 12 resident Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) threatened to eat poisoned berries together so there wouldn't be a winner. Katniss's choice to give Peeta the berries, and a few other choices she made before and during the games, have created a spark of rebellion amongst some of the districts. And President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland) -- a sick and twisted, power hungry man -- wants Katniss to help him put things back in order. Specifically, he demands Katniss prove to him that she and Peeta's love story fabricated during the games, is real. When Katniss fails to do so -- Snow decides that the 75th Hunger Games (the Quarter Quell) would be something special. Instead of new tributes, this years group would be chosen from past victors. Meaning, inevitably, Peeta and Katniss find themselves right back where they started. Only this time, there are other games at play neither are aware of. Catching Fire is my number one favorite for a few reasons. The story itself is really compelling -- picking up right where the first movie leaves off. You see Katniss struggling with the consequences of her actions. She never really meant to cause a rebellion, she just wanted her and Peeta to live. That theme stays pretty strong throughout the entire franchise really. Every thread of a story comes together really well in the end. If I hadn't read the books prior to watching it, it may have taken me longer to figure out just what was happening. The other thing is just how gorgeously shot the entire movie is… especially in the new arena. I mean, there were a few shots that kind of took my breath away. Particularly during the quiet moments in the games. All in all, Catching Fire has a lot going for it between its plot, the cinematography and the acting, so it deserves a number one spot.

2.) MOCKINGJAY PART I

Coming in at number two, ironically, is "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I" that was released in 2014. This movie takes place following the explosive ending to Catching Fire, where Katniss quite literally blew up the arena with an electrified arrow. Unbeknownst to her, a group of rebels -- including her mentor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) and most recent gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Phillip Seymore Hoffman) -- plucked her from the destroyed arena along with District 4 tribute and ally Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin), leaving Peeta and other tributes behind. The rebels regroup in the underground city below District 13 -- a place the rest of Panem was destroyed long ago when it attempted an uprising. There, Plutarch and District 13 President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) explain that they want to make Katniss the face of the revolution… The Mockingjay… and shoot promotional videos that they can distribute to districts that haven't quite joined their cause. Katniss soon finds herself on opposing sides with Peeta, who is being forced to serve as The Capitol's voice. This movie features really great battle scenes balanced with some raw and heart wrenching moments courtesy of Lawrence. She really dug deep to portray Katniss's trauma and continued distress regarding surrounding her role as The Mockingjay… something she never wanted to be.

3.) THE HUNGER GAMES

The first movie, "The Hunger Games," ranks at number three in my list. Don't get me wrong, it really sets the groundwork for the rest of the franchise -- both in the books and in the movies -- but it isn't quite as high on my list. Part of it can be attributed to a different budget, meaning the filming choices are a bit different. I enjoyed the documentary style to an extent, but really liked the direction it took later on the franchise. "The Hunger Games" was released in 2012 and pretty much follows the plot that I explained at the start of this column. I really do enjoy this movie, and would probably rank it hire if I hadn't watched it as many times I did growing up. Lawrence proved from the start why she was chosen to play Katniss. And Hutcherson opposite here was a really great choice too, which is cemented the longer the franchise went. But I think the pacing is a little different, and I don't exactly mesh with it as well as the others. I think another reason is I remember more vividly some of the pieces of the book that they removed, which would have added more to the story. Such as how Katniss first finds herself in possession of the Mockingjay pin that would eventually become synonymous with her. Overall, still a great movie but not quite enough to rank higher in my mind.

4.) MOCKINGJAY PART II

Coming in last is the final movie in the franchise, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II," which was released the same year as its first installment in 2014. This movie serves as the culmination of everything. The rebels have grown, Katniss has successfully sparked a full on rebellion and the districts are moving in on The Capitol and gunning for President Snow. Of course, not everything is as it seems and President Coin has her own agenda. Something Katniss, who is too worried about getting revenge for Snow's torturing Peeta, notices. Just like with the first film, pacing is part of the reason why I don't entirely love this movie as much. Sure, it features an explosive finale with some very sad twists, but the action ebbs and flows in a way that doesn't feel right to me. I think if it built to the epic conclusion a little better, I'd have enjoyed it just a bit more. It gets points once again for amazing acting from the entire cast, from Lawrence to Hutcherson and everyone inbetween. And the ending was certainly a far happier one than some shows and movies give us today. Not a bitter sweet kind either, just a full blown happy sequence. Which definitely earns it some points too.

So there you have it folks, an amateurs ranking of the one of the biggest franchises to come out of the 2010s. If you're interested in watching them, they're available on Netflix and Hulu too. All of them are rated PG-13 and could make a pretty good movie weekend if you're in the mood for something dystopian with a dash of hope and lots of action. Maybe by the end you'll find yourself more interested in its upcoming prequel.

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Laura Jameson is Managing Editor of the Express.