The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 had a significant knock-on effect before it even hit the screen. And that was that the book was split into two movies. I have been having a big problem with this. It’s a three-series book. Make it a three-series movie. That’s what it would have been if the first movie hadn’t taken off and smashed the box office. I understand why the studios want to break the last book into two movies. I would do it too. But as a fan, a moviegoer, and someone who pays lots of money at the movie theaters, I have a problem paying an extra $12 when I don’t feel I have to. I know I am the exact reason for this issue. I saw the first two movies in the theater. I contributed to that astronomical gross that each of these first two movies reached. And it’s not The Hunger Games franchise that upsets me.
All of the moneymaking franchises have been doing this. Twilight. Harry Potter was seven books, but eight movies. The Divergent series will split its final story into two separate films. The film gets watered down in many cases, including Mockingjay Part 1. I understand that some believe there is too much great material to squeeze into one movie, but at the same time, there isn’t enough material in this one to make it a killer movie. My solution would be to make the movie three hours long. I would also complain about that, but it would be my preference over two films, each of which is not going to be the first two movies in the franchise.
With all of that said, Mockingjay is still a pretty good movie. Whereas The Hunger Games and Catching Fire were very similar, this one feels very different. There is no arena for this one. Instead, it takes part exactly where Catching Fire finished. At the end of the 75th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence – Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle), Finnick (Sam Claflin – Snow White and the Huntsman), and Beetee (Jeffrey Wright – Broken City, The Ides of March) are pulled out before the game’s completion. The other tribute of District 12, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson – Red Dawn, The Polar Express), has not been saved and is still in the arena. Katniss and the others are with Kale (Liam Hemsworth – Knowing, The Expendables 2) in a secure facility in District 13. She learns that she has been pulled out by District 13 President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore – Still Alice, Crazy, Stupid, Love) and Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman – The Savages, Doubt). Since the Quarter Quell (75th anniversary of the games), there have been riots in all 13 districts.
The Capitol is not happy about this and is taking more extreme measures than ever to stop this. They are annihilating rioters. Alma and Plutarch hope that Katniss can assume the role of a Mockingjay. A Mockingjay, in simplest terms, is a creature with a spirit of its own. The bird itself was created as a mistake when mockingbirds and jabber jays mated. Katniss has worn a Mockingjay pin since the start of the 74th Hunger Games. She has become a symbol of hope, someone who has broken free of the Capitol’s control. Alma and Plutarch want to make a bunch of propaganda videos against the Capitol, giving citizens in each district the ability to fight back.
The more Katniss does to inspire hope, the angrier Capitol President Snow (Donald Sutherland – Ordinary People, A Time to Kill) becomes. He has already wiped out Katniss’s District 12 and has no problem doing that to the other districts. His main tactic is first to fear and second to act if this fear isn’t enough. His direct quote, “Any action against The Capitol will be punished, and any association with the Mockingjay is forbidden.” The Capitol sends out its “peacekeepers” to enforce the policy, which means executing any rebels. And that is the movie. Katniss and her people inspired the people of each district to revolt against the Capitol, and the Capitol did what it could to prevent it. There are some twists along the way, most notably with Peeta. It sets this up nicely for Mockingjay Part 2. But again, the story could have been told in this setting. The middle was a rehash of the same scene over and over. We could have moved on more quickly than that.
Mockingjay Part 1 is a reason to keep watching the franchise. You most likely will not think this movie is as good as the first two, but it is the one needed to develop this story further. If the first Hunger Games was not your thing, I suggest you stay away from this one. The Hunger Games franchise is entertaining. As a 40-year-old man, I am not exactly part of the young adult target audience. But if I like it as much as I do, I could see how the 12-21 age demographic would love it. I wish there had been a franchise like this around when I was a teenager. I’m excited about the final installment of the movie. I don’t read the books, but the heading is highly predictable. We might lose some people, but it’s sure to be fun.
Plot 7.5/10
Character Development 7.5/10
Character Chemistry 8/10
Acting 8/10
Screenplay 8/10
Directing 7.5/10
Cinematography 8.5/10
Sound 8.5/10 (Lawrence signing the Mockingjay song was surprisingly poignant)
Hook and Reel 8.5/10 (It is very different than the first two movies, but in the right way; I wouldn’t want to see a third version of the first two movies)
Universal Relevance 8/10
80%
B-
Movies You Might Like If You Liked This Movie
- The Maze Runner
- Divergent
- Battle Royale
- Surviving the Game
- Lord of the Flies