Standing in the large crowd see Hunger Games’ newest installment, “Catching Fire,” was worth the wait.

A midnight premiere is always the most exciting time to go see the next big movie, and Thursday night did not disappoint. I believe I saw at least 10 Katniss Everdeen costumes, many of them paired with Gale Hawthornes and, of course, Peeta Mellarks.

The film packed a powerful punch with tons of electrifying action, jaw-dropping costume design, heartwarming sadness and suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire movie. Sometimes, when a movie is more than two hours I become skeptical, but the 146 minutes was well worth my time.

Like myself, the book fans are the harshest of movie critics. Each scene is a hit-or-miss, but even my inner Roger Ebert was silenced Thursday night. Jennifer Lawrence plays the tough, independent teen with a big heart in Everdeen, and her performance was outstanding. Katniss’ emotion, romantic chemistry and impeccable work with a bow and arrow were all executed perfectly by Lawrence. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress from her 2012 romantic drama, “Silver Linings Playbook.”

Lawrence was not the only actor in “Catching Fire” whose performance lit the screen with flames. Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks and Stanley Tucci took on their Hunger Games characters almost flawlessly and left a remarkable impression on their audience.

If you have doubted if the Hunger Games series if worth your money, now is the perfect time to pick up the first Hunger Games movie and give it a try. For those of you who have been waiting for this movie for a year and a half like me, you will not be dissatisfied.

“Catching Fire” most definitely ended with the audience hanging off a burning, revolutionary cliff.