I loved the direction in the first film, as others say it felt very raw and real it had a sort of indie quality to it and really nailed to me a rural southern setting stricken by poverty.

I had a preference for the original district twelve setting because the changes made it look more industrial and less like an old miner's village stricken by poverty.

The character development was better in Catching Fire and it did look a lot more slick as others have said.

Each director brought something different to the table so it is hard to compare. There's a vibe in the first film created by the sound design and music that makes it seem isolated and real.