The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014) User Reviews

Why is this in two parts?

[Vartiainen · 6/10 · 31 January 2015]

The Hunger Games story continues with the third installation, Mockingjay. And it's about as padded and needlessly long as every other two-parter we've had since the studio executives came up with this money-grabbing monstrosity of an idea.

Not to say you shouldn't see this one if you've liked the previous Hunger Games films. This continues the story just fine. Jennifer Lawrence still shines as Katniss Everdeen. Her presence and talent hold us through even through scenes you instantly recognize as needless padding and waste of our money. The returning cast is also as talented as they've always been and most of the new characters are also casted without hitches. Julianne Moore is perhaps a bit too... Julianne Moore to play President Coin 100 percent convincingly, but she has certain presence as well, that cannot be denied.

What bugs me is the story. The book itself was the weakest of the trilogy, though not by much, and it seems that its faults bleed into the film. Especially because the iron tight pace of the previous installations is thrown straight out of the window and we spent most of our time building up atmosphere. And building. And building. And... You get the point. There's very little bang for your buck here and even when something substantial happens, it simply lacks that edge.

Plus, they had the perfect closing scene, and for some reason they decided to keep going for about five minutes. Trust me, you know where they should have ended it when you've seen the movie.

This is a good movie. It still looks great, the main actors are brilliant and it has enough depth to impress through its story alone. I just wish they had had the integrity to go with one movie. It very well might have been the best Hunger Games movie of the three. It would have had two movies before it to build up momentum and steam. Instead it lifts up the pedal from the gas and decides to stroll over the finish line. Poor form, extremely poor form.

My least favourite installment.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 6/10 · 15 November 2023]

Having put an end to The Hunger Games forever, President Alma Coin uses Katniss as a beacon for hope. A reluctant Katniss has only one thing on her mind, to save Peeta.

I have to be honest, I have always struggled with this movie, it isn't bad, I just wish they could have got the story done in one go, I like the second part, I find this first half too fleshed out, it lacks any real content. It does get going, but later on, it's all build up for the second.

The visuals are great, there are plenty of action sequences and explosions, and of course sets and costumes look great. Lawrence is very good once again, but the script doesn't offer her the range that Catching Fire did.

Julianne Moore was excellent as President Coin I thought, very strong performance.

I did enjoy that scene where Peeta turned, having been absent for most of the movie, it was good to see him put to good use.

I liked that there was a message at the end for Philip Seymour Hoffman, RIP.

6/10.

Dull as dull can be

[memefactory · 6/10 · 21 December 2014]

Like watching paint dry. Boring to a mind-numbing degree. How many times can we see Katniss be horrified and/or emotionally distraught? Maybe the filmmakers thought they were adding depth to their characters. Well, they were wrong. Instead we, the audience, sit through one scene after another in which really nothing happens at all. This whole thing could have easily been compressed down to 40 minutes and then we could have had the rest of the book as the rest of the film. This felt very much like they were stretching it out so they could make two movies - which is the new thing to do in Hollywood with these franchises. Not good storytelling.

Sprint to a dull crawl

[vistheindian · 6/10 · 23 November 2014]

Quickie Review:

After the events of 75th Hunger Games, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is rescued and brought to District 13 where the rebellion is brewing. Now she must become the face of the rebellion as both sides use propaganda against each other. Meanwhile, Katniss is overwhelmed by balancing her responsibility to the people of Panem with her desire to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson). Mockingjay Part 1 is strong when it comes to the acting talent involved and showing the behinds the scenes propaganda of war. However, the decision to split the story into two parts has really hurt this movie by making it feel incomplete and filled with overstretched melodrama. While it is not a complete failure, it may be better to hold off watching this movie till Part 2 is released.

Full Review:

I never read the books but I enjoyed the last two movies in the franchise, especially Catching Fire. While I can't say I was aching to go see Mockingjay Part 1, I was interested to know how the story progressed after the cliff-hanger of the last movie. I was concerned that splitting the story into two parts may have been a detrimental choice, unfortunately my concerns were legitimate.

I know I'm coming off really negative but there are definitely some gems in the movie. Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss and Donald Sutherland as President Snow, were the best part of the movie. Watching them clash and play strategic moves against each other was intriguing. The rest of the cast do a good job in showing how they have been affected and changed by this war. This is the first time we see the world outside of the actual Hunger Games and District 12, which helped enrich this movie's universe. Uniquely we get see how propaganda plays an important role in the war. I can't remember the last war movie that delved into that aspect. On top of that, these propaganda pieces were very moving thanks to the rage fueled words of Katniss and the fear mongering of Snow.

A lot of the problems for this movie stem from the fact we are spending 2hrs on half a story. This led to us having an entire movie where Katniss keeps crying and moping about either Peeta or the people of District 12 being dead. The feeling that the movie is overstretched is only compounded by how several scenes are just a rehash of a previous scene, for example the recording of a propaganda (3 times) and multiple scenes per character sulking about the people suffering. Look I'm not heartless, I understand those are devastating things to happen to a person, but we want to see the story move forward. I can honestly say that apart from Katniss becoming the face of the rebellion, there is no significant plot development since Catching Fire. There is all this slow build up but that's all it is, a build up to an end that is unsatisfying. Essentially this is a 2hr preview ad for Mockingjay Part 2, and quite frankly I felt mad about this when I left the cinema, and that doesn't happen often.

The pathetic cash-grab moves by studios to split the movie into two parts is the root of all the problems for Mockingjay Part 1. To fill the run time the movie is stuffed full with melodrama without much weight to make you care for long. All the momentum that the previous two movies had built has now come to a dull crawl. I'd recommend skipping this movie till Part 2 is released and hopefully enjoy a more complete story.

Check out more on my movie review blog The Stub Collector: http://thestubcollector.wordpress.com/

A realistic drama in dystopia

[DLSchindler · 7/10 · 17 December 2015]

This is not the mediocre first two movies that were a fun-filled joy ride in the spirit of Running Man, Battle Royale or Blood of Heroes. This is a realistic version instead, with a character-motive driven plot. Unlike the first two films this one actually matters. I hope the creators of this film are proud of their accomplishment. Instead of a cheesy thrill ride we have been introduced to the realities of war and rebellion and we were given good acting, good screen writing and characters we can identify with and care about. After watching hundreds of movies in the post apocalyptic genre this one stands out as significantly better than the others, especially the first two films. Thank you for making the Hunger Games series into something meaningful.

A Two Hour Preview of What to Expect in the Final Movie.

[prospectus_capricornium · 6/10 · 19 November 2014]

You may want to save your money and time seeing this movie and wait for the last installment to come out next year, instead. Aside from Jennifer Lawrence, this movie offers nothing more than just a long and tiring tale of preparation for an impending rebellion.

Readers shouldn't get surprised: Mockingjay's first half chronicles District 13's efforts to groom Katniss as their heroine against the ruthless ruling Capitol. The process of transforming her into what they call the 'Mockingjay', a symbol of revolution, is engaging enough to ignite interest, but only up to a point, when long speeches and depictions of what the Hunger Games' downfall has caused, have almost become the only few things eating up the biggest slice of the movie's airtime pie. There is nothing much to see here, and while its refreshing to finally see the landscapes to have finally shifted away from the arenas, lack of action eventually makes the scenes that are almost only showing the events in the confinements, hard to appreciate, not to mention difficult to extract sense from.

Fortunately, it has Jennifer Lawrence, and that alone, is enough to pull the entire movie away whenever it leans toward making the audience fall to sleep. Jennifer's charm proves to be the biggest asset of this movie, and she alone, singularly saves the film from being a total nonsense. Toward the end, it isn't clear whether the makers of the film have made their point (aside from making more money of course) in splitting the book into two movies. This first half only presents a preview of what to happen next in the other half, only stretched into two hours of tiring sameness and boring exchanges of bland dialogues. The new characters are interesting yeah, but I'm not sure if anyone of them has offered something more than Lawrence, to spark further interest. Well, at least we can take comfort from the fact that the last movie next year will certainly offer a lot more, gripping action and drama, and that's really something to look forward to.

Mockingjay Pt.1 falls below the heights reached by the previous two films. Minus Lawrence, this film is a real bore, and its hard to seek something more than her to recommend. I give this film 6 of my 10 stars.

CHARLIE WHITE

[sofusenpetersen · 10/10 · 7 November 2020]

I love this movie, especially the part with Charlie White. He moves this film from an alright b-film to a masterpice. Imagine this movie without him

Mockingjay would've been a rushed mess as one movie

[PyroSikTh · 8/10 · 22 November 2014]

When it was first announced that Mockingjay was going to be split into two movies, I gawked. It's one book. How can there possibly be enough to fill two movies? It didn't help that my sister also found it weird, having read the book. She couldn't see any obvious place for the split. Despite what feels like everyone else on the internet is saying, I actually support the split now. Mockingjay marks a massive tonal shift in the franchise, so it would have been a bit jarring introducing this tonal shift for the final movie, leaving you no time to settle into the new status quo left from Catching Fire. The biggest reason for my support though is how rushed everything would have been. When a book is adapted into a movie, there are certain time constraints to be taken into account. That inevitably means things are cut, which leaves many fans unhappy with the final product. With Mockingjay they decided to give it time to flesh out the characters; give everyone a bit of limelight, expand on various elements in the book, and just generally make sure it doesn't frenetically jump from scene to scene or cut out important plot points. Having now scene Mockingjay Part 1, I can't imagine it being compressed into half the running time without sacrificing the emotional resonance or rushing through everything. The emotional resonance is the big selling point of Mockingjay. For some it might be seen as boring, drawn-out melodrama, but for me it made Mockingjay a darker, more harrowing movie than the previous two, which says a lot about a franchise hinging on a fight-to-the-death between children in order to keep the tyrannical dictatorship in place. Katniss has lost her district, lost Peeta, and now lives in hiding with a group of rebels intent on overthrowing the Capitol. To not dwell on how that affects her and the people around her would have been a massive misstep. The franchise needed to slow down and focus on the characters. To say it's only half a movie is misinformation as well. It feels like a complete movie, at least more complete than Catching Fire ever did. As I mentioned, Peeta is kept prisoner by the Capitol, and he's being used as a propaganda weapon in response to Katniss' propaganda by the rebels. The whole plot of the movie is about this cat and mouse of propaganda as the two opposing sides try to get an upper hand on the people of Panem. The big final climax feels like the big final climax of a story, bringing this cat and mouse to an end. It's final moments are a resolution to the beginning and middle, and in that respect it absolutely has all three acts. Of course it has a cliffhanger moment right before the credits to segue into the next movie, but so did Catching Fire (and Desolation of Smaug, and Fast & Furious 6, and every Marvel movie etc. etc.) Everything else ticks all the right boxes as well; the acting is top-notch, especially from Jennifer Lawrence and Philip Seymour Hoffman (with a little memoriam for him in the credits). The visuals are on the nail. District 12 is now depicted in ruins, the CGI of the various ships and futuristic cityscape of the Capitol is flawless. There was also some fantastic use of CGI on Josh Hutcherson to make him look progressively thinner and beaten up as the movie goes along, showing the torture he must have been enduring. The musical score is fantastic, with the Mockingjay theme coming well and truly into it's element, as well as a fully fledged song that brings the rebellion to full strength in the propaganda war. Mockingjay proves that milking extra movies out of a franchise doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing (looking at you, Desolation of Smaug). It slows the franchise down and gives you time to breathe before the big conclusion next year, injecting plenty of heartfelt emotion to the whole situation, fleshing out the world, developing the characters etc. However it's not without it's higher-octane moments. There's a number of action scenes despite it's calmer narrative, which expand what was in the book to blistering effect (the fantastically suspenseful climax is apparently just a few lines in the book, largely glossed over). It's tense, unpredictable, emotional, yet has it's light-hearted moments. I give Mockingjay Part 1 a very good 8/10. It's made me very excited for next year when I can marathon the whole franchise in one go.

Boring but not bad

[DansLeNoir · 3 July 2018]

In general, the drama part of the story is the movie. It is off by the action. Again new characters were included. The film is not able to spend permanent staff. The song "The Hanging Tree" was very beautiful. Also the sarcastic bird melody is already perfect. It was a troubled film that could have been nice.

Decent but it needed to be completed.

[Bruce722 · 7/10 · 30 November 2014]

While still a good movie, Mockingjay Part 1 was clearly only a portion of a story and the actual film suffered for it. Everything about the movie was done really well. The special effects and action sequences were top notch and the continually increased budget is evident here especially. The acting was fantastic and the setting was detailed and felt incredibly real. Even all of the little emotional elements delivered perfectly. The real problem is that, as I previously mentioned, it's only half of a story. The movie builds to something that never really occurs and the void in action will be even more obvious when the extreme action in the next film comes to fruition. Yes, I understand that the Lord of the Rings films do something similar. The difference is that those films manage to build towards their individual climax without actually failing to develop the overall story arc. I think Francis Lawrence tried to accomplish that with this film but the source material wasn't made for that to be done, where as the Lord of the Rings movies were. Mockingjay Part 1 is still a good film and ultimately will be incredibly important in setting the stage for what should be the best film of the franchise but it is still incomplete.

Transition Episode

[charliep14 · 7/10 · 23 November 2014]

This episode serves to move the story along - and does it well. It is served by a great cast : we're happy to see the now familiar faces and some new characters are introduced with good casting. The high point of the movie is the usage of propaganda from both sides of the conflict - this will what one will remember from this installment of the series While it is a good episode for the Hunger Games saga, it is not as exciting as the first two - the action that gripped us is simply not there. Also, definitely do not start Hunger Games with this movie; I imagine it would be virtually impossible to enjoy if you don't know the characters and context. Not a disappointment but definitely can't wait to have a stronger episode next!

Greed Hollywood

[tinovalkki · 6/10 · 22 November 2014]

The Huger Games has clearly grown up in Mockingjay. Social criticism is much stronger than previous movies. Films theme is much more brooding and ominous than before. But that doesn't save this picture totally. Dividing the movie in two parts is clearly a huge mistake. Many scene are way too long and some of them are clearly just vain. Topmost feeling is just making more money. It would be much better to make only one movie instead of two. One three hour long movie is much easier to keep together, than two over length movies. It is clearly Hollywood's greed to capitalize on movie (and book) series fans. How many times more the audience will accept that? Jennifer Lawrece is great at her role as Katniss, but somehow Josh Hutcherson as Peeta's role as brainwashed puppet doesn't convince. There is a lot of good elements in this movie so it is a shame that Hollywood want just get few more money from the fans. Mockingjay part 1 is despite that quite eligible movie that end up in green money making. Good movie ends up to mediocre action flick and that is shame.

Is there such thing as a set-up movie?

[jmacdavidson · 4/10 · 21 November 2014]

I had never heard the term "set-up movie" before today. There has definitely been a trend of splitting up a story into multiple movies. These movies don't have a beginning-middle-end the same way other movies do but at the very least there's some progress.

The problem with the Mockingjay Pt 1 is not that it's boring or poorly made. In fact, there is a lot of excitement in this movie. The problem is that from beginning to end there is hardly anything that changes. If you look at where the characters are in the beginning and where they are in the end there isn't much that's changed except for what happens in the very end. Katniss has been doing things but we haven't seen much of the effects of her actions.

I didn't dislike this movie that much despite it's slow beginning. I just can't give this my seal of approval when I left the theater feeling like I saw half a movie. By the time the story gets its payoff my memory of this movie will be worn-off.

Love it!

[kelthietruong · 10/10 · 24 November 2014]

I wasn't that excited for Mockingjay at first, with all of the new movies-from-books coming out. Also, it didn't sound that great, since it was only HALF of the third movie. But, once I watched it, I was all in. Nearly everything from the book was actually in the movie so far, and the acting was incredible. The movie seemed quite long though, but it's not like I ever wanted it to end. The movie had a lot of exciting action, even though the games did not take place in this movie. I was so happy seeing the characters that I had imagined in my head come to life in this movie. I can't wait for part two! *I want to say though, that someone had a seizure in the theater because of a scene with bright flashing lights, so be very careful, please!*

Too Long and Disappointing

[claudio_carvalho · 5/10 · 7 March 2015]

After the bombing of District 13, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) finally accepts the request of President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) and her adviser Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and becomes the symbol of the rebellion, the Mockingjay. However, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) in the Capitol broadcasts a message of Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) live contradicting Katniss. She believes that his life is in danger and convinces President Coin to rescue Peeta and the others Victors. But she has a surprise with his reaction.

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" is a disappointing movie too long for a short story with a lead character hysterical and too sentimental. In the other two movies, the plot was tense and full of action. Katniss is irritating with her reactions and despite the destruction of the Districts by Snow's army, her major concern is with Peeta. Prim's attitude leaving the bunker to save her cat is ridiculous and why Peeta's broadcasting is live is hard to understand. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Jogos Vorazes: A Esperança - Parte 1" ("Hunger Games: The Hope - Part 1")

Propped artifice

[chaos-rampant · 8 March 2015]

This is the third time I'm going to note about one of these that they're a product of the most blatant cynicism where Hollywood "sponsors" pretend to educate about things they don't believe in and have consigned beyond the sphere of having any relevance.

This is obvious here in a revolution against oppressive authority that can only happen with a video crew tagging along and turning it into film, with spontaneous speeches and reactions because the heroine is being paced through scenes where she can be filmed in them.

Underneath it all of course we're supposed to see real destruction, pain, oppression, but in context of this cartoony world what is it but more unreal and distanced? No contrast escapes the mawkishness; nature is pure, democracy a drab necessity, oppression a blatant evil.

And however much value it purports to place on the power of image, the truth of spontaneity and so on, it ends up doing the opposite, image that has no real power, spontaneity that has been staged, the real thing beyond anyone's grasp and care; it's enough for images to be stickied on a narrative that justifies the means.

In this sense it's disastrous work that closes portals in the imagination, but then again I'm not fussed; teens and preteens will outgrow it like we did the inanities of our time and grow to find value in something that chronicles the hardships of making sense without the contrivance.

If I could nudge them in that direction it would be Harmony Korine, a film like Spring Breakers; a film without pretense of an important message, whose truly radical importance is a balancing it demands of the viewer between the colorful urge to revel and truth of its value.

Emotionally and Socially Powerful...The Best One Yet

[matthewssilverhammer · 7/10 · 28 November 2014]

Since taking on Hunger Games, Lawrence has arguably become Hollywood's most successful and revered performer, blowing up box-offices and frequenting award stages. As MjP1's Katniss, a character burdened with being the hope AND the cause of Panem's war, she carries the responsibility placed on her with complexity, strength, fear and heartbreak. Add in the film's exploration of faith and fear, and its criticizing political spins of all kinds, and it becomes clear: the Hunger Games franchise is a cinematic force to be reckoned with. To shove this aside with the other YA films is grossly inaccurate; MjP1 proves that this is among the premiere SciFi franchises of this era. We catch up with Katniss in underground District 13, reluctantly leading the rebellion against President Snow and the Capitol. The story is skillfully told, with the power of fear palpable in the oppressed 99%, and the fear of power creeping up in the 1%. It's a solemn affair, to be sure, but not without its moments of levity, solidly exhibited in the high-caliber actors that are the strength of the series. Lawrence, Banks, Sutherland, and Hoffman are all standouts, with the nice addition of Moore as a political player with dubious motives. Like Harry Potter's second-to-last film, MjP1 is essentially a glorified first act to a two-part story. This will leave some wanting, especially in the areas of action and closure. However, with the amount of passion, scenery-chewing, and complex commentary within, it left me more than satisfied, while excited about the next one. Emotionally powerful and socially conscious, MjP1 is a massive step up in the zeitgeist-y franchise.

I don't understand the bad reviews. The movie was good and different than the first 2.

[girly_shu · 10/10 · 24 November 2014]

I honestly do not understand the bad reviews. I thought that the movie was really good. The acting was perfect. Everyone did a wonderful job. Jennifer Lawrence is very convincing. I loved Julianne Moore as President Alma Coin - she did a great job representing this cold and manipulative character. I think the first part was a great built-up. There was tension and some action enough to prepare you for the 2nd part. I think people are expecting Hunger Games 1 and 2 and this is why they get disappointed. This part was more about building up the tension and the frustration. I have read the books and they are really good. I think they did a great job on the 1st part of the 3rd book.

I suggest that you don't read the bad reviews and just go see it :)

Sad, Pathetic & Lame - Corporate Kleptocracy Money Grab

[pluslife · 3/10 · 22 December 2014]

Boring to point I got up and went to back of theater to check IMDb on my Tablet to see what was I missing. Obviously I was lacking somehow and must be missing something I figured with all the rage around this movie.

What I found was it was not me but the movie just does not connect, has no draw and feels like just a corporate money scheme. I feel cheated, dirty, like a stupefied sucker and want to take a shower. I get better vibes from used car sales lots than this movie as well the industry of late.

There were some good movies this year; but all that has come out pre- Holidays have been lame to terrible and I see a lot of movies. Maybe the "Interview" had real potential compared to this tripe I have seen here and in other recent releases of movies.

I watch a wide genre of movies and am open to diverse visual and story arts but this and the recent movies are so terrible literally. I am finding better more engaging shows on TV than what the theaters offer nowadays. Heck they can not be original and rehash same old stories; well okay that might be fine if the surpassed the originals and yet even special effects seem at best B movie compared to the epics of the 60's and such.

Dang maybe they just need to go back to Spaghetti Westerns; at least they were entertaining somewhat....

All I feel is fleeced; again by the movie industry and it is getting old. But all they seem to care about is cha-ching, cha-ching, cha- ching. Guess the 4th Quarter is more important than their long term outlook as a industry. More people are catching on and just say screw it and why theaters are more and more empty.

We know the technology, actor resources and financial might of these studios more than ever and how they are refusing to do the real work it takes to put something out that is worthy out dollars. No wonder so many people seek other media sources over theater these days; with ticket cost outrageous, $2 in snacks costing $20 for stale muck, floors your feet stick to when walking and seating that needs a biohazard warning label. I have no idea why people are over the theater experience with such bad movies to boot!

Character driven to an extreme

[jaywensley2004 · 9/10 · 23 November 2014]

Mockingjay is a study in charisma and political leadership, and a text-film on acting.

Donald Sutherland, Julliane Moore and Jennifer Lawrence present three clear variations on the theme of "How Leaders Lead." This, along with a somewhat heavy handed study on propaganda are the movies primary attractions.

This is not the kind of action film audiences of the first two "Hunger Games" movies enjoyed. There is a fair amount of fighting, but this movie is about charisma: Who has it, how its used and what it means. At this, "Mockingjay Part 1" is brilliant, primarily because Jennifer Lawrence HAS charisma. At several points in the movie, watching Lawrence draw me into her Katniss Everdean, I thought of politicians who were able to evoke passion in the populace. Lawrence has that ability in large quantities.

I also found the direction of the film to be outstanding. A particularly well-crafted scene occurs early when the Rebel's leadership are asked to suggest moments when Katniss was most effective at touching the spirits of the populace. This scene not only approaches a breach of the fourth wall, it could have caused viewers to suspend their "suspension of disbelief." But through precise timing and a brilliant performance by Woody Harrelson this scene succeeds in getting the audience involved interactively as we are invited to think of those moments from previous movies and nod our heads as we sub-vocalize our "Uh-Huh's."

This movie is about the why and the how of making of "The Mockingjay-the symbol of the revolution." Why Katniss? How Katniss?

WOW! Katniss!

A Snooze Fest..

[cooldude000788 · 19 February 2015]

I don't know where to start. Being a fan of this franchisee i had so many expectations but the movie is so slow that even if you go out and grab a cup of coffee you will come back to see that the movie has not gone anywhere. I admire Jennifer Lawrence but this is probably her weakest performance till date. She has sounded screechy and devoid of emotions for most parts which is a surprise considering what a fine actress she is.The movie is unbelievably stretched out that it gets to ridiculous proportions as you start praying for the movie to end.

The Mockingjay should have been a one part movie but as we all know for commercial interests a 45 minutes plot has been dragged out for two painful hours. Only Jennifer Lawrence has hogged the lion share of screen time while other actors like Woody Harrelson are criminally wasted. The direction lack vision. The editing is probably the weakest part of the movie. The story of the movie can be told in 5 lines and they have made a two hours movie out of this. The high rating for this movie is surprising to see.

Mockingjay Part 1 doesn't feel like a complete movie and fails to reach the heights of its predecessors

[YJLcool · 7/10 · 25 November 2014]

After the huge success of two Hunger Games movies, it was announced that Mockingjay would be split in two parts. The film picks up after the events of Catching Fire, where the story continued with Katniss, our reluctant heroine from District 12 finally becomes the titular head of a growing rebellion against the Capitol through a series of propaganda videos. This time, the film is lesser on the action, explosions or heavy violence and chooses to focus on being a political drama that takes the themes of war and revolution to the next level instead.

The Hunger Games has always been a character-driven story filled with meaningful themes by exploring real-world issues about rebellion, politics, conflicts, war, survival that ultimately stands out among the other Young Adult franchises. Katniss' several acts of defiance against the fascist Capitol government during the Hunger Games in the first two films have finally fan the flames of rebellion among the districts of Panem to take back their nation. While the country is on the verge of war, Katniss must also try to find a way to rescue Peeta and the rest of the tributes, who have been taken hostages, tortured and imprisoned by the Capitol.

Throughout the years, the franchise has done a great job in showing us that Katniss is truly the Mockingjay - the symbol of hope and rebellion in Panem. The books are written in Katniss' point of view, but the movies have made the effort of showing us other events largely unseen by her to allow us to gain a better understanding of the events that are happening in the film, such as the political meetings or discussions of President Snow or the control room of the games in past films. Mockingjay Part 1 takes time to give us a closer look at the beginnings of war by showing us some details about the uprisings that are taking place in other districts. From the brutal public executions, aerial bombing of cities and threatening speeches by President Snow himself, people are suffering and dying. The film also shows how easily people can be manipulated by media, by showing us that the people of Panem (Capitol and all the other districts) are easily influenced by what they see and hear, especially on TV. However, the ways the Capitol uses media to control all of Panem, it also shows that the rebels can use the same strategy to fight back as well. Both sides is using propaganda as a form of psychological warfare.

The film essentially tries to tell the audience that there are no perfect governments or political systems. Political ideologies always fail in reality because of the greed of men who only seek wealth or power. In Mockingjay Part 1, we see how Katniss is being used by the rebel leaders to fight the war. There's even one particular scene where Peeta asks Katniss whether she truly knows the people she's working for, letting us in doubt whether the rebels of District 13 are fighting for the right cause or it's just another Capitol in the making. Once again, Jennifer Lawrence pulls another strong performance as Katniss as she's the one who gets the most character development in this film. With Peeta captured by the Capitol for the entire film, Liam Hemsworth gets more screen time this time for his character, Gale after being left out of the story in the first two films. The film also introduces new characters, especially District 13's rebel leader, President Coin who will soon becomes one of the antagonist that Katniss need to face in Part 2. Elizabeth Banks' character, Effie serves as comic relief this time around, but her character also shows that not all people in the Capitol are vain and oppressive as we think they are.

However, Mockingjay Part 1 doesn't feel like a complete movie and fails to reach the heights of its predecessors. It's the first half of the final book adapted to film, which doesn't really provide any conclusions, it doesn't feel like it has a self-contained plot as none of the character arcs are fully resolved. The film keeps on setting the necessary pieces for the final epic showdown between the districts and Capitol but there's nothing significant happening throughout the film as all the relevant plot twists, the actual fight is in part 2. The film spends most of its time to show us the beginnings of war but couldn't provide further details on why the rebels in District 13 have so many resources and doesn't look malnourished compared with people from other districts. In my opinion, it felt unnecessary to split the final chapter into two parts as many of the scenes actually hurts the pace of the movie. It could be a far better film with a run time of probably 3 hours or so. We are all excited for the story's conclusion and yet we were asked to be patient and wait for next year's Part 2 instead. As the credits roll, I find myself leaving the cinema asking, that's it?

Rating: 7/10 http://yjcool.blogspot.com/2014/11/movie-review-hunger-games- mockingjay.html

It should have been only one film

[raymondobasildon · 7/10 · 24 November 2014]

There seems to be a fashion for splitting final movies of a film series into two parts. I understand some of the reasons for this. Often in a book series, the earlier books include a lot of thoughts and internal conflict in the protagonist, which has to be portrayed by a few carefully selected images in a film. Whereas the last book is often full of actions and it is difficult in a film to decide how to cut any of them. Nevertheless, the film makers should take these hard decisions. The problem with splitting to two movies is that they are inevitably splitting what is in essence a single story. Stories have an important structure. Splitting them destroys this. The first part becomes an introduction and some of the middle. The second part has the rest of the middle and the conclusion. Basically neither have a proper structure. The result is a loss of impact. I have read the books and Mockingjay is a great and thought-provoking finale to the series. The film Mockingjay Part 1 worries me. It wasn't impactful. It didn't even work as a great trailer to part 2. To split this story into two parts has been I think a grave mistake.

Wary of a split film?

[CocoaFuerte · 7/10 · 21 November 2014]

"Nothing happens!!!"

"2-Hour Exposition!!!"

"SET-UP!!!"

If you're hesitant to see Mockingjay because of these claims, understand that they're both reasonable and misleading. Misleading because, if you're not expecting an action-fest, the plot is actually full. There's nothing wrong with the story itself, and the "poor pacing" claim is false. Although there are fewer developments here than there are in Catching Fire, they all definitely require the length of time it took them to develop. There are many scenes in this film that are similar to scenes in other good films of the same genre, and most of them elapse the same amount of time.

But the claims of uneventfulness are reasonable because its execution is lacking. The movie is actually composed of equal parts subtext, exposition, and action. Meaning that the screenplay routinely cycles a scene that portrays a strong conflict, followed by characters verbally exploring that conflict, and concluding that conflict by taking an action. If the movie was perfect, these parts would have equal weight, because, since the story is less action- oriented than the previous films, the subtext and exposition are more important to creating the story. Unfortunately, the action is shot much better than the exposition is, and the exposition is shot so similarly to the subtext that they swallow one another up.

As a small example, in one scene, Katniss attempts to engage in conversation with a character only to learn that he is a mute. You understand why he is a mute immediately, and its significant, and the story immediately becomes weightier and more intense because of this revelation, but the film treats the revelation as though nothing happened. Where other films would have a change in music or lighting or tone or direction to highlight significance, Mockingjay simply continues. Then, a little while later, dialogue is spoken that elaborates on this revelation. The line is delivered well, but because the audience has already picked up on the meaning, the mood that should have been created by this line is dulled.

There are a disappointingly large number of sequences like this: a small, signicant development happens, in plot, or character, or overall implication, and it should change the audience's understanding and appreciation for the story - but the film treats it as though everything is progressing, as though it's just another step toward something big happening in an action sequence. The best way to fix this would have been to adapt a more Gary Ross- esque direction style to the non-action scenes - give them a different look, give them their own mood, and leave them room to breathe. Overall, Mockingjay is still a good film, and a very good story. But unfortunately, many of the things that make the story good are buried.

Nice worth being seen

[marry_uk_84 · 9/10 · 25 November 2014]

The movie was great. I would still count the first two as my favourite rather then this one only because it is a bit different. Obviously subject is still the same but action is completely changed. I can't wait to see part two - hopefully will be a bit more about everybody's abilities rather then the whole idea of war. I don't really like the fact that she - Katniss - is not decided whom she loves or not, or at least if she would be capable of making a difference as in love and caring about one of the boys. But she is a great actress and she was well chosen on representing the movie and even the mocking jay. Can't wait to see the final!