The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 Review

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

D: Francis Lawrence

W: Peter Craig, Danny Strong

S: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland

This week we see the release of the last installment... I mean the second to last installment of the popular Hunger Games franchise. The story continues after the events of Catching Fire (a big 'no duh' there) as our hero, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) wakes up in District 13 which is the home of the growing rebellion against President Snow (Donald Sutherland). There she reunites with her friend Gale (Liam Hemsworth), her family, and meets the leader of the rebellion, President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore). Katniss was brought there not only for her protection but also because President Coin wants to make her the symbol for the rebellion, the Mockingjay. Katniss agrees as long as they make time to rescue the other competitors of the previous Hunger Games, which includes her friend/love interest, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson).

Before I share my thoughts about this film I'll share my thoughts about the previous installments. 

The first Hunger Games (2012, dir. Gary Ross) I thought was a pretty good film over all. It had some pretty good acting and some good commentary about the media. The only real down side was the relentless shaky cam. But it was still pretty good for a young adult adaptation. 

Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013, dir. Francis Lawrence) was surprising spectacular. While it did tread some grounds already covered in the first film it did give some sharp and rather accurate commentary on what it means to be a celebrity and what it mean to be in the spotlight. Making sure you always smile for the camera, stay prim and proper, don't go outside the norm, and so on. And it got rid of the shaky cam! Thank goodness!

But now onto this film.

The first thing I want to get out of the way that has been bothering me for a while and is this films biggest flaw: Taking the final installment of a book based franchise and making it into a multiple part film. Harry Potter, Twilight, and this film are doing something that doesn't need to be done. The worst example of this is with The Hobbit franchise. I enjoy those films in a way, but there is no reason to make it into multi-parter.  

While I understand what it wants to do, basically build up Katniss becoming the symbol of a cause and the pressures that surround it, but this given how the film's plot is also centered on rescuing Peeta it does make it a rather pointless sit through. This stuff could have been done in the first act of one movie. You've could have made this film roughly two hours or two and half hours long and it could have been fine. I haven't read the books so I don't know if this was how it was done there but still I don't see why it was necessary to make this into a two-parter. 

That being said the film does have good stuff in it, mainly the message and themes I brought up earlier in the film. Each installment seems to have comments about the use of media and what comes with stardom. The first film had Katniss and Peeta becoming reluctant love interests for their survival, the second movie dealt with what comes with stardom and the lack of privacy and their identities seemed to get shoved aside, this film deals with becoming a spokesperson for a movement. 

Both sides use a well known person to the rebellion and makes them speak for their side, almost reluctantly.  It really is something to think about and it is nice that it brought the topic up for discussion. 

The film also plenty of good performances from its all-star cast. Lawrence is great as always, but there are two people who don't get enough praise in my book: Elizabeth Banks as Katniss's stylist Effie, and Donald Sutherland as President Snow. Banks completely transforms into her character and is completely unrecognizable, which for me is a sign of a terrific actor, and Sutherland is perfect as Snow. He is completely menacing and threatening without going hammy and over the top. 

Also this particular bit of music great:

  

Lawrence's voice is pretty good in this. It also reminds me of chain gang songs in a way, and old folk songs, specifically old Irish rebel songs. Thankfully it isn't that Marty Robbins song. No I'm not posting a link to it. 

All in all it was okay. I didn't really see the need to split into two parts but it still had some good stuff in it that makes it worth viewing. If you're a Hunger Games fan, then go check it out in theaters, if you're mild fan or not much of one, then I'd say wait and rent it if you're curious.  

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Thank you for reading.