Do you know what, Hollywood? I am sick to death of your use of gimmicks to expand your franchises in order to make more money, whether it be pointless spin-offs, reboots far too early, or, in this case, the splitting of a final entry to the series into two parts! Now, in some cases, I get it. Potter deserved to have its final entry divided due to the size of the book and the amount of detail that would be missed out if it was only one part. But doing it to Twilight, Divergent, and now, The Hunger Games, is simple money-grabbing! Do it where necessary but do not do it if it is not needed! OK, rant over, so let's actually get to "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1." I have enjoyed seeing this dystopian future come to life over the past two years in a different way to anything that we've seen before. Normally, the future is portrayed as a magical place filled to the brim with technology that we can only dream of today. The Hunger Games has shown that in the Capital but has focused on the oppressed people of the Districts and the revolution sparked by the defiance of Katniss Everdeen.
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| Katniss stands in the middle of the destruction caused by the Capital as the unwilling symbol of the rebellion |
It is very easy to be wary of the approach this movie takes. Having escaped from the Capital and the Games with the help of Haymitch, Finnick, and revealed revolutionary Plutarch Heavensbee, but at the expense of Peeta, Katniss finds herself being forced to become the symbol of the revolution, headed up by District 13 leader, Alma Coin. Jennifer Lawrence is one of the best and most popular actresses in the business right now and her performance here only continues to prove that that reputation is well-earned. She puts in a powerful performance as the unwilling Mockingjay symbol, conveying that the character is really mentally fragile after her ordeals and does not want to be in this position. Liam Hemsworth also gets more of a chance to shine in this movie as Gale as Josh Hutcherson's Peeta takes more of a back seat. The same can be said for Woody Harrelson's Haymitch and Elizabeth Banks' Effie Trinket, who provide some well-needed comic relief at points, contrasting with the overall dark tone of the movie. I also enjoyed watching Julianne Moore's adaption of President Coin, who comes across as extremely unlikable at first, but as her motivations are revealed, you really connect emotionally with the character. Unfortunately, the supporting cast, besides a great performance from the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman, do not fare so well. Sam Claflin, who plays Finnick, easily the most likable character from the last movie, has a greatly reduced role while I cannot even remember a few character names, such as Coin's right-hand man.
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| Remember the really likable Finnick from "Catching Fire?" Yeah, he's not in this one nearly as much. |
As previously said, the movie deviates quite drastically from the formula the previous two films have had, acting as more of an insight into what makes these characters tick, rather than partaking in more action sequences than are needed. That's not to say there aren't any as Katniss gets out in the field for the revolution in one of the most visually striking sequences of the series, as a hospital comes under attack. The effects here are beautiful and look incredibly realistic. Of course, that is helped by the staging created. The costumes and make-up are some of the best that I've ever seen, and this all helps to immerse you in this world of death and disaster. The music is also very impressive, being intense during action sequences and downbeat during the various emotional moments. It's also become something of a trend to bring in real singers to add a movie's soundtrack nowadays, and "Mockingjay, Part 1" has up and coming singer Lorde, whose single for the film "Yellow Flicker Beat" has recently been nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Original Song. I'll post a link to the song after my rating so you can hear it for yourself.
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| Katniss and Gale run through the destruction of the Districts, trying to get to the shops before the pre-Christmas sales end. |
In a world where so many teen books are being adapted into movies, including "Divergent", "The Maze Runner", and the now-finished but still hugely successful Potter saga, "The Hunger Games" still manages to prove to me that it is one of the best in film. Made special by its stellar cast, headed up by Jennifer Lawrence, gorgeous effects and incredible soundtrack, but unfortunately let down by only a few poorly developed side characters and at some points its pacing, "Mockingjay, Part 1" is worth seeing right now as it will amaze you visually and emotionally pull at your heartstrings at the same time.
Rating : 8/10
Original Release Date: November 10th, 2014
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Donald Sutherland, Woody Harrelson, Julianne Moore, Phillip Seymour Hoffman
