Hunger Games Fireside Chat Podcast

In Episode 125 of Fireside Chat, we compare the first film in the Hunger Games franchise with what we've seen of Catching Fire thus far. With its bigger budget, improved CGI (Weta, anyone?), and reassuring quotes/decisions from director Francis Lawrence, it seems as though we're in store for something truly grand come November 22. Some even believe that Catching Fire has the power to surpass $1 billion in worldwide ticket sales. But is bigger necessarily better? In recent weeks, many fans have been quick to praise Lawrence while being very vocally negative about Gary Ross and The Hunger Games. Is this fair? How have our own opinions of the first movie changed since March of 2012? We discuss. (Of course, we also want to know what you think. So leave a comment on our website with your thoughts on the topic and let us know if/how your perceptions of The Hunger Games and Gary Ross have changed now that you've gotten a good taste of what to expect from Francis Lawrence.)