The second installment of the Hunger Games trilogy, “Catching Fire,” struck a match with its audiences on its premiere Thursday at 8 pm.

At the start of the movie, audiences transported into the woods where Katniss Everdeen was hunting as if the Hunger Games never happened. Much too soon, viewers were transported back to the harsh reality of the districts in Panem.

As Katniss and Peeta, played by Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson respectively, continued their journey on their Victory Tour, they unknowingly ignited a rebellion amongst nearly all the districts of Panem. Following many failed attempts to quell those uprisings, President Snow decided to take matters in his own hands by selecting tributes for the 75th Annual Hunger Games from previous victors, leaving Katniss and Peeta with no choice but to re-enter the arena.

From that point in the movie, the plot began to resemble that of the original “Hunger Games,” but Lawrence and Hutcherson’s portrayals of their loss and disappointment made Catching Fire’s scenes even more powerful. Once in the arena, which simulated a deadly clock, the victors were forced to revert to their “kill or be killed” mentality.

Fans were given the opportunity to make new favorite characters as Finnick Odair and Johanna Mason, played by Sam Claflin and Jena Malone, allied with Katniss and Peeta. Instead of fighting to their deaths, the remaining tributes chose to fight against “the real enemy,” also known as the government.

While this part of the movie may have resembled that of its prequel, Katniss and her allies, with the exception of Peeta and Johanna, escaped to District 13 as part of the new head Gamemaker’s plan.

As usual, Lawrence and Hutcherson exceeded any expectations viewers had from their previous movies. Both Lawrence and Hutcherson accurately displayed the post traumatic stress their characters experienced as they re-entered the Hunger Games.

Their portrayal of Katniss and Peeta’s more than complicated relationship caused viewers to empathize with their emotions. Even in the most violent scenes of the movie, there would be collective gasps and coos in the audience. Lawrence and Hutcherson’s superior acting skills engrossed viewers into the plot for the full 126 minute duration.

“The Mockingjay,” Katniss Everdeen, was seen in “Catching Fire” blazing a trail for the latest rebellion against the government in Panem. Even though her fire will never be extinguished, her fight against “the real enemy” will conclude in the first finale of the trilogy, “Mockingjay Part 1,” in November 2014.