If you were worried about “The Hunger Games” franchise glorifying violence, "Catching Fire," the second movie in the series, should squash any possible qualms you might have. Does the movie shy away from the book’s brutally violent scenes? Not at all, but director Francis Lawrence puts emphasis on the “brutally” part of “brutally violent.”

Lawrence, whose name should not be confused with that of Oscar-winning star Jennifer Lawrence (who is no relation), has taken over the franchise from “The Hunger Games” director Gary Ross with able hands—and those don’t just apply to the much more stable cinematography “Catching Fire” features.

READ MORE: Film Review: 'The Hunger Games'

The book’s author, Suzanne Collins, wrote a compelling trilogy, borrowing heavily from Greek traditions (think Theseus and the Minotaur) and setting it a disturbingly plausible Orwellian future. The conceit of the story, if you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, is that the former U.S. has been divided into twelve districts, which annually must supply two “tributes” to compete in the Hunger Games, a battle to the death intended to both entertain and pacify the masses. The masses, however, are more riled up than pacified by the dual victors of the 74th Hunger Games (and subject of the first movie), Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson).

And this is where the action of “Catching Fire” picks up. Briefly acknowledging the romantic storyline between Katniss and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) but not overindulging it to appease those hoping for a “Twilight”-esque tussle for the heroine’s affection, the story quickly moves on to show the aftermath of the 74th Hunger Games. President Snow (Donald Sutherland) sees the unrest stirring in the districts and informs Katniss (in a scene laden with exposition) that she needs to pacify all of Panem. As Katniss and Peeta’s victory tour proves, though, tensions have mounted too high for that to happen, and more radical measures are necessary.

READ MORE: 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire' Premiere: 5 Things To Get The Games Going

Calling in help from new head gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) (remember Wes Bentley’s Seneca Crane? He’s dead. That's how serious this world is), Snow announces a twist for the upcoming 75th Hunger Games: the tributes to the Quarter Quell will be chosen from each district’s champions, meaning Peeta and Katniss are headed back into the arena. There, they form an uneasy alliance with vengeful Johanna Mason (Jena Malone), charming Finnick (Sam Claflin), and an odd duo from District 3, Beetee (Jeffrey Wright) and Wiress (Amanda Plummer). May the odds be ever in their favor?

If this sounds like a lot of plot, that’s because it is. Collins’ books are dense, but director Lawrence and screenwriters Simon Beaufoy (who won an Oscar for "Slumdog Millionare") and Michael Arndt have done a more-than-capable job of condensing the 391-page book into a two and a half hour movie. The film races along relentlessly, emphasizing how important even the smallest moment can be. The acting is all strong, but that’s not entirely unexpected from the aforementioned cast, which mixes Oscar winners with under-the-radar-but-respected actors with aplomb.

READ MORE: A 'Hunger Games' Theme Park Could Be Coming Soon!

The visual elements of the franchise have been stepped up in the sequel, as well—with one exception. The wide shots of the Capitol still looks like cheap CGI, an unfortunate carryover from the first film. Most everything else delivers on a visual level, though, with particularly effective costumes by Trish Summerville.

Most importantly, though, the film tells a cogent story that should make sense to the books’ devotees and those who have yet to read the series. The narrative swings wildly between emotions, packing a wallop when the characters and audience are reminded of the devastating nature of the Games and this tyrannical society, and then almost instantly doing a 180 and making the audience laugh at the ridiculous comments of the people in the Capitol. It’s a testament to Francis Lawrence’s filmmaking abilities that he is able to control the narrative so meticulously, and it’s a treat for the audience to watch the masterful blend of awe-inspiring spectacle and story he has created.

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