REVIEW: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1

RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

RATED: PG-13

RUNNING TIME: 123 MINUTES

SCORE: ****/*****

 

THE PREMISE: (VIA IMDB) With the Games now destroyed and in pieces, Katniss Everdeen, along with Gale, Finnick and Beetee, now end up in the so thought "destroyed" District 13. Under the leadership of President Coin and the advice of her friends, Katniss becomes the "Mockingjay" and the symbol of rebellion for the people. 

 

THE PRO'S: Great storytelling, fantastic performances, great use of tension, a very faithful adaptation of the source material, great additions to the story through SHOWING the rebellion.

 

THE CON'S: Drags along at parts.

 

THE REVIEW:

 

Let me start by saying that I am in the minority in this series. Going by the books, I liked Catching Fire the least, and Mockingjay the best. Something which is usually the opposite, of course. And though Catching Fire as a MOVIE was great, I still have not changed my stance as far as books go. And here, I still believe that Mockingjay - Part 1 is by far the strongest of the three movies so far.

 

So, if you're seeing this movie, you probably know a bit about the story. But just in case, here's teh rundown. After the devastating, and shocking events at the end of Catching Fire, Katniss Everdeen finds herself in long-thought destroyed District 13 in the midst of a revolution. Driven to save Peeta, but with very little choice, she is unwillingly drawn into the conflict as a catalyst known as the "Mockingjay". A role that will help her start a revolution that is steadily beginning around Panem.

Mockingjay is a departure from the last two movies, and the first two books in many ways. We are finally not restricted to the arena, and rather the story moves into the revolution that has been stirring against the Capitol. And for the movie, this works to amazing lengths not even the book reached. Whereas in the book, we only saw it from Katniss's point-of-view, it excellently handles showing us what is going on beyond just this one point of view. 

And that's where some of Mockingjay's strongest scenes come from: the revolution. Scenes of bloodshed and revolt are difficult, with tons of intensity in this one. But without a doubt, it works well to hammer the point they are trying to make in: this is a very real war, and revolution. Rather than skip around the harder points of it, Mockingjay shows just how horrifying and intense things have become, and that's what makes it so strong.

As always in this franchise, the acting is superb. Jeniffer Lawrence is especially great, nailing many emotionally jarring scenes perfectly. Her rendition of the "If we burn, you burn with us!" scene was even met with a fierce applause from the entire audience. (I won't say the context for those who have not read the books, but it's definitely an amazing scene) While other stand-outs come from Julianne Moore, Josh Hutcherson, and Donald Sutherland who all simply own every scene they're in.

But someone who truly brings some great things to this adaptation is Effie. She was absent for almost all of the book, but here, she really brings her spark and charm into it. Her presence is greatly noticed, and her character is slowly beginning an interesting and well-written transformation. One which I am very interested, and dare I say it, excited to see play out on screen. Especially given my love for the character.

 

But while this movie is action-packed, and fun, I will admit its fault is that it can drag sometimes. It's a very faithful adaptation, and it was great to see some scenes expanded. But other expanded scenes could have been kept shorter, and as a result there are times I really wish they had had their focus elsewhere. Though it doesn't detract from the movie much, it is highly noticable, and hurt this one just a little bit.

 

But none of this matters, because in the general scheme of things, I can definitely say that...

 

IN CONCLUSION

 

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 is a fantastic adaptation of the first half of the last book. Its expansion of the storyline, and great performances drive it towards what I'm sure will be an awesome conclusion. It's definitely a movie to check out, especially if you're a fan of either the movies or the books.

 

4/5 STARS

HIGHLY RECCOMMENDED