The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1

[K1stpierre]

Discuss

Capitol TV notice,

Citizens of Panem should be aware that giving grades of C or lower is strictly prohibited and are subject to arrest and further disciplinary action if done so.

Panem today. Panem tomorrow. Panem forever.

Sincerely,

President Snow

Edited November 17, 2014 by k1stpierre

[K1stpierre]

Moderation: I just cleaned this thread up as we have our first user whose seen the movie and will later post thoughts. No more Katniss trolling!

[Plain Old Tele]

Yes, Katniss should definitely stop trolling!

[#ED]

[K1stpierre]

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Reason: Too much trolling

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[Impact]

Unlocking as I have gotten a request from Wormy who has seen it

[Wormow]

Saw this film a few days ago - finally got around to typing up my review. Spoiler-free [it's also on here]. I'll probably do a more spoilery review when the film comes out, or maybe a day or two before. 

 

When Lionsgate announced back in 2012 that they were splitting the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy into two parts, people were skeptical at how they were going to make them a cohesive and alluring final two films. Considering the lukewarm reaction to the final novel 'Mockingjay' by Suzanne Collins and the less than encouraging history of film adaptions being split into more than one film (Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hobbit), the odds weren't exactly in this penultimate chapter's favour. However, two years on, it looks like director Francis Lawrence defied the odds and Lionsgate has another winner. 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1' is the most daring, thought-provoking, rawest, darkest yet humorous film in the Hunger Games franchise filled with powerful performances from its new and returning cast members as well as an intelligently and beautifully written screenplay by Peter Craig and Danny Strong.

The film immediately opens to a powerful and haunting scene, mainly due to Jennifer Lawrence's stunning portrayal of our heroine Katniss Everdeen, that sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Katniss is no longer forcing smiles in flaming dresses or dropped into a televised reality game show wearing latex wet suits all designed to appeal and appease the Capitol audiences, she's now hidden underground in the bleak and gray District 13, a district that months prior, none of the characters even knew had still existed since its 'alleged' obliteration during 'The Dark Days'.

One of the biggest surprises is that 'Mockingjay - Part 1' doesn't feel like a 'Hunger Games' film that we've come to know in the previous two installments, more so than how many felt about the third book to the previous two books before it. It almost feels like a complete reboot of the entire franchise. The film is almost entirely set in District 13; besides the short but poignant visits to District 12, 8 and little cutaways to scenes outside of Katniss's perspective in the Capitol, 5, 7 and 11. There are no more "games" - which means no more reapings, no more chariots, or any of that lead up. Mockingjay has well and truly reinvented the franchise to reveal what 'The Hunger Games' series at its core is really all about and gives us a shocking and horrifying portrayal of war in Panem and how media manipulation is used through the use of propaganda videos ("propos") in battle to control the populous.

The score by James Newton Howard is also so wonderfully done and woven so seamlessly into the scenes. The use of cues from the previous two films, blended with some new melodies really help set the tone of the scenes, whether it'd be a more tense, thrilling action sequence or a scene with a more quieter, somber atmosphere. But the biggest thing in the music department that I took away from this film is 'The Hanging Tree,' a haunting but beautiful song that fans will recognize from the novel. Walking out of the theater, I could hear the room -- filled with not fans, but local celebrities and members of the press repeating the tune. That was how powerful that song had on the people in my screening, and it still echos in my mind days later.

Despite having a shared budget with next year's 'Mockingjay - Part 2' of only $250M (films like The Avengers, Man of Steel, The Dark Knight Rises, Harry Potter; to name a few, all had individual budgets of over $200M) and an extremely tight and short principal photography and post production schedule; director Francis Lawrence, visual effects supervisor Charles Gibson and production designer Phil Messina all make the most of what they had to provide fans and viewers with a film worthy of blockbuster status with huge, epic production designs and beautiful, stunning cinematography. Surprisingly, a lot of the set pieces are all real and practical - there's very little CGI or green screens in the scenes that you'd expect.

The tricky source material was adapted onto the big screen by Danny Strong (Game Change, The Butler) and Peter Craig (The Town). Each screenwriters bring something different to the table; Strong laid out the groundwork for the political arc of the film and Peter Craig's contribution was evident in the action sequences. The two manage to work with Francis Lawrence and Suzanne Collins to create a cohesive screenplay from the first half a novel and make it feel as if it really was just one story.

Despite the 'young-adult' connotation that has been placed on the franchise, Mockingjay - Part 1 is daring and never does it feel like they're ever holding back on the emotional value of a scene. The film is dark, gritty and horrific, which is what it needed to truly be able to convey the horrors from the novel and the film successfully manages to do just that.

The film, however, would probably not be half as good without Jennifer Lawrence's incredible and honest portrayal of Katniss Everdeeen. Since the first film, she has brought something refreshing and relatable to our archer and it's assuring that at no point during the movie does Katniss ever feel like a 'superhero'. Katniss Everdeen doesn't have any superpowers, she isn't invincible, she doesn't look badass during big action sequences - Katniss Everdeen is a survivor. Only 17 years old and with two games under her belt, never do we once question her deteriorating mental state and motivations. Jennifer also does best during smaller, quieter moments with little to no dialogue. She doesn't need words to convey Katniss's emotions; we see, feel and understand everything just by her facial expressions alone.

Returning cast members include Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, the once oblivious and 'oh so Capitol' escort to Katniss and Peeta during the 74th and 75th Hunger Games has now been completely stripped away from the bizarre dresses and wigs; making do with the District 13 gears (or as she refers to it as, "jumpsuits") and only agreeing to be part of the rebellion due to her connection with Katniss Everdeen. Haymitch Abernathy played by Woody Harrelson is also in District 13, having now been forced to "dry up" and put behind the days of excessive drinking. His relationship with Katniss is complicated and tricky, Katniss no longer trusts him after he broke his promise with her on ensuring Peeta's survival before hers. The late Philip Seymour Hoffman shows us who Plutarch Heavensbee really is - someone more warm, humorous and witty than what we thought was the 'real Plutarch' in the previous film. All three bring moments of levity and hilarity in what would have been bleak and melancholic film. These moments also never feel overblown or out of place, there is a good balance.

Liam Hemsworth finally gets an opportunity to shine here as Gale Hawthorne - receiving a lot more screen time than he did in both 'The Hunger Games' and 'Catching Fire' combined. We begin to see more of on what his character represents for Katniss and his views on how to handle the war; a view that causes friction between him and Katniss. Josh Hutcherson, despite the decrease in screen time (appearing most of the film only through broadcasts from the Capitol) still manages to excel in his portrayal of Peeta Mellark. If people were still questioning his casting as Peeta Mellark, than this film will relieve those doubts as Josh manages to bring out the Peeta fans have come to know in the books, while showing incredible range during scenes where Peeta has supposedly been tortured. Donald Sutherland as President Snow is still so creepy and so very effective. Snow manages to become even more brutally evil, no longer pulling no punches in his attempts to show Panem who's really in control.

Sam Claflin is excellent as Finnick Odair. This is the movie where we finally get to peal the layers from the charismatic and at times cocky Finnick Odair that we were introduced to in the previous film. In this film, he's someone with a lot of soul and heart who cares deeply for his girlfriend and is feeling slightly lost in District 13. Unfortunately though, mainly due to the script, some of his key signature moments from the books are either lost or underplayed. You only get a few seconds of Finnick tying a knot and one of the most defining moments in his character arc - his 'revelation' is downplayed as the audience's attention is more focused on the film's climax, which is intercut with Finnick's major scene. Stef Dawson, who made a short appearance as Finnick's lover Annie Cresta in Catching Fire, has very little to work with here but manages to show so much emotion in the short time. Annie and Finnick both steal the show when they're together, you can feel their love oozing out of the movie screen.

As with every film so far, we're introduced to a plethora of new characters. Easily the biggest and best addition is President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), whose portrayal is so charismatic and great that you believe on why the citizens of District 13 would put their trust in her and the rebellion. It should be very interesting to track her political arc from this film as we enter into next year's final chapter.

Unfortunately, my one criticism is that despite the split, a lot of the side supporting characters seem to fall flat in terms of character development and screentime. We see more of Primrose Everdeen (Willow Shields) and Mrs. Everdeen (Paula Malcomson) than in prior films but it never feels like enough. Beetee (Jeffrey Wright) and Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) both have crucial scenes - but they get far less than they did in the previous film. Besides Coin, the rest of the new characters don't have much to do as well. Natalie Dormer as Cressida is intriguing and seems like it has a lot of potential, but the character of Cressida never really goes anywhere. The same with the rest of her camera crew - Messalla, Castor and Pollux, who all don't say another word outside of their introduction. Patina Miller as Paylor is unrecognizable, but she's also forgettable. All of them seem very comfortable in their roles, but are unfortunately all underused.

There was a lot of speculation and buzz surrounding Robert Knepper's casting as newly created character Antonius, and yet I can't recall if he even had a line. However, when you're working with a movie that's less than two hours in a story solely focused on Katniss, it's hard to put much attention to every single person in the enormous and growing cast. The problem also lies within the source material... there are just too many (crucial) characters to really do them all justice. Considering the influx of new characters in next year's Part 2, there probably won't be much development outside of the core group of characters once again.

The film's split was not a problem at all. Out of the three novels in the Hunger Games series, 'Mockingjay' was easily the novel that required a split to fully flesh out the characters and to give justice to their arcs. There is a clear objective at the beginning of the film, laid out by our heroine and by the end, that objective is solved but also sets up another plot line that will most definitely be followed up on in next year's final chapter 'Mockingjay - Part 2'. The way the creative team are handling the split feels slightly like a television show - you get 24 episodes in a season, and that is usually split into two with a mid season break in between. Part 1 ends with a bang, it has a conclusion and resolution, but you know the story isn't over just yet.

Overall, 'Mockingjay - Part 1' manage to overcomes its obstacles to become another dark, epic and very chapter in the unstoppable 'Hunger Games' franchise. The film will surely make back its entire budget for both films alone within the first week of release alone. If 'Mockingjay - Part 1' is anything to go by, than next year's 'Mockingjay - Part 2' will be an absolute treat as we follow Katniss and her squad in their final journey to stop the Capitol. And I can't freaking wait.

 

tl;dr - I loved it. I thought it was dark, gritty, epic and thrilling. The split was not a problem for me. Then again, I'm kind of biased because I loved the source material but I have faith others will love it as well. 

Edited November 17, 2014 by Wormy

[K1stpierre]

Saw this film a few days ago - finally got around to typing up my review. Spoiler-free [it's also on here]. I'll probably do a more spoilery review when the film comes out, or maybe a day or two before. 

 

When Lionsgate announced back in 2012 that they were splitting the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy into two parts, people were skeptical at how they were going to make them a cohesive and alluring final two films. Considering the lukewarm reaction to the final novel 'Mockingjay' by Suzanne Collins and the less than encouraging history of film adaptions being split into more than one film (Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hobbit), the odds weren't exactly in this penultimate chapter's favour. However, two years on, it looks like director Francis Lawrence defied the odds and Lionsgate has another winner. 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1' is the most daring, thought-provoking, rawest, darkest yet humorous film in the Hunger Games franchise filled with powerful performances from its new and returning cast members as well as an intelligently and beautifully written screenplay by Peter Craig and Danny Strong.

The film immediately opens to a powerful and haunting scene, mainly due to Jennifer Lawrence's stunning portrayal of our heroine Katniss Everdeen, that sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Katniss is no longer forcing smiles in flaming dresses or dropped into a televised reality game show wearing latex wet suits all designed to appeal and appease the Capitol audiences, she's now hidden underground in the bleak and gray District 13, a district that months prior, none of the characters even knew had still existed since its 'alleged' obliteration during 'The Dark Days'.

One of the biggest surprises is that 'Mockingjay - Part 1' doesn't feel like a 'Hunger Games' film that we've come to know in the previous two installments, more so than how many felt about the third book to the previous two books before it. It almost feels like a complete reboot of the entire franchise. The film is almost entirely set in District 13; besides the short but poignant visits to District 12, 8 and little cutaways to scenes outside of Katniss's perspective in the Capitol, 5, 7 and 11. There are no more "games" - which means no more reapings, no more chariots, or any of that lead up. Mockingjay has well and truly reinvented the franchise to reveal what 'The Hunger Games' series at its core is really all about and gives us a shocking and horrifying portrayal of war in Panem and how media manipulation is used through the use of propaganda videos ("propos") in battle to control the populous.

The score by James Newton Howard is also so wonderfully done and woven so seamlessly into the scenes. The use of cues from the previous two films, blended with some new melodies really help set the tone of the scenes, whether it'd be a more tense, thrilling action sequence or a scene with a more quieter, somber atmosphere. But the biggest thing in the music department that I took away from this film is 'The Hanging Tree,' a haunting but beautiful song that fans will recognize from the novel. Walking out of the theater, I could hear the room -- filled with not fans, but local celebrities and members of the press repeating the tune. That was how powerful that song had on the people in my screening, and it still echos in my mind days later.

Despite having a shared budget with next year's 'Mockingjay - Part 2' of only $250M (films like The Avengers, Man of Steel, The Dark Knight Rises, Harry Potter; to name a few, all had individual budgets of over $200M) and an extremely tight and short principal photography and post production schedule; director Francis Lawrence, visual effects supervisor Charles Gibson and production designer Phil Messina all make the most of what they had to provide fans and viewers with a film worthy of blockbuster status with huge, epic production designs and beautiful, stunning cinematography. Surprisingly, a lot of the set pieces are all real and practical - there's very little CGI or green screens in the scenes that you'd expect.

The tricky source material was adapted onto the big screen by Danny Strong (Game Change, The Butler) and Peter Craig (The Town). Each screenwriters bring something different to the table; Strong laid out the groundwork for the political arc of the film and Peter Craig's contribution was evident in the action sequences. The two manage to work with Francis Lawrence and Suzanne Collins to create a cohesive screenplay from the first half a novel and make it feel as if it really was just one story.

Despite the 'young-adult' connotation that has been placed on the franchise, Mockingjay - Part 1 is daring and never does it feel like they're ever holding back on the emotional value of a scene. The film is dark, gritty and horrific, which is what it needed to truly be able to convey the horrors from the novel and the film successfully manages to do just that.

The film, however, would probably not be half as good without Jennifer Lawrence's incredible and honest portrayal of Katniss Everdeeen. Since the first film, she has brought something refreshing and relatable to our archer and it's assuring that at no point during the movie does Katniss ever feel like a 'superhero'. Katniss Everdeen doesn't have any superpowers, she isn't invincible, she doesn't look badass during big action sequences - Katniss Everdeen is a survivor. Only 17 years old and with two games under her belt, never do we once question her deteriorating mental state and motivations. Jennifer also does best during smaller, quieter moments with little to no dialogue. She doesn't need words to convey Katniss's emotions; we see, feel and understand everything just by her facial expressions alone.

Returning cast members include Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, the once oblivious and 'oh so Capitol' escort to Katniss and Peeta during the 74th and 75th Hunger Games has now been completely stripped away from the bizarre dresses and wigs; making do with the District 13 gears (or as she refers to it as, "jumpsuits") and only agreeing to be part of the rebellion due to her connection with Katniss Everdeen. Haymitch Abernathy played by Woody Harrelson is also in District 13, having now been forced to "dry up" and put behind the days of excessive drinking. His relationship with Katniss is complicated and tricky, Katniss no longer trusts him after he broke his promise with her on ensuring Peeta's survival before hers. The late Philip Seymour Hoffman shows us who Plutarch Heavensbee really is - someone more warm, humorous and witty than what we thought was the 'real Plutarch' in the previous film. All three bring moments of levity and hilarity in what would have been bleak and melancholic film. These moments also never feel overblown or out of place, there is a good balance.

Liam Hemsworth finally gets an opportunity to shine here as Gale Hawthorne - receiving a lot more screen time than he did in both 'The Hunger Games' and 'Catching Fire' combined. We begin to see more of on what his character represents for Katniss and his views on how to handle the war; a view that causes friction between him and Katniss. Josh Hutcherson, despite the decrease in screen time (appearing most of the film only through broadcasts from the Capitol) still manages to excel in his portrayal of Peeta Mellark. If people were still questioning his casting as Peeta Mellark, than this film will relieve those doubts as Josh manages to bring out the Peeta fans have come to know in the books, while showing incredible range during scenes where Peeta has supposedly been tortured. Donald Sutherland as President Snow is still so creepy and so very effective. Snow manages to become even more brutally evil, no longer pulling no punches in his attempts to show Panem who's really in control.

Sam Claflin is excellent as Finnick Odair. This is the movie where we finally get to peal the layers from the charismatic and at times cocky Finnick Odair that we were introduced to in the previous film. In this film, he's someone with a lot of soul and heart who cares deeply for his girlfriend and is feeling slightly lost in District 13. Unfortunately though, mainly due to the script, some of his key signature moments from the books are either lost or underplayed. You only get a few seconds of Finnick tying a knot and one of the most defining moments in his character arc - his 'revelation' is downplayed as the audience's attention is more focused on the film's climax, which is intercut with Finnick's major scene. Stef Dawson, who made a short appearance as Finnick's lover Annie Cresta in Catching Fire, has very little to work with here but manages to show so much emotion in the short time. Annie and Finnick both steal the show when they're together, you can feel their love oozing out of the movie screen.

As with every film so far, we're introduced to a plethora of new characters. Easily the biggest and best addition is President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), whose portrayal is so charismatic and great that you believe on why the citizens of District 13 would put their trust in her and the rebellion. It should be very interesting to track her political arc from this film as we enter into next year's final chapter.

Unfortunately, my one criticism is that despite the split, a lot of the side supporting characters seem to fall flat in terms of character development and screentime. We see more of Primrose Everdeen (Willow Shields) and Mrs. Everdeen (Paula Malcomson) than in prior films but it never feels like enough. Beetee (Jeffrey Wright) and Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) both have crucial scenes - but they get far less than they did in the previous film. Besides Coin, the rest of the new characters don't have much to do as well. Natalie Dormer as Cressida is intriguing and seems like it has a lot of potential, but the character of Cressida never really goes anywhere. The same with the rest of her camera crew - Messalla, Castor and Pollux, who all don't say another word outside of their introduction. Patina Miller as Paylor is unrecognizable, but she's also forgettable. All of them seem very comfortable in their roles, but are unfortunately all underused.

There was a lot of speculation and buzz surrounding Robert Knepper's casting as newly created character Antonius, and yet I can't recall if he even had a line. However, when you're working with a movie that's less than two hours in a story solely focused on Katniss, it's hard to put much attention to every single person in the enormous and growing cast. The problem also lies within the source material... there are just too many (crucial) characters to really do them all justice. Considering the influx of new characters in next year's Part 2, there probably won't be much development outside of the core group of characters once again.

The film's split was not a problem at all. Out of the three novels in the Hunger Games series, 'Mockingjay' was easily the novel that required a split to fully flesh out the characters and to give justice to their arcs. There is a clear objective at the beginning of the film, laid out by our heroine and by the end, that objective is solved but also sets up another plot line that will most definitely be followed up on in next year's final chapter 'Mockingjay - Part 2'. The way the creative team are handling the split feels slightly like a television show - you get 24 episodes in a season, and that is usually split into two with a mid season break in between. Part 1 ends with a bang, it has a conclusion and resolution, but you know the story isn't over just yet.

Overall, 'Mockingjay - Part 1' manage to overcomes its obstacles to become another dark, epic and very chapter in the unstoppable 'Hunger Games' franchise. The film will surely make back its entire budget for both films alone within the first week of release alone. If 'Mockingjay - Part 1' is anything to go by, than next year's 'Mockingjay - Part 2' will be an absolute treat as we follow Katniss and her squad in their final journey to stop the Capitol. And I can't freaking wait.

 

tl;dr - I loved it. I thought it was dark, gritty, epic and thrilling. The split was not a problem for me. Then again, I'm kind of biased because I loved the source material but I have faith others will love it as well.

wow! I'm so happy to hear some of the things you said. It's doesn't surprise me that the additional characters aren't drawn up, only so much you can cram in. Can't wait for this!

[GuardiaStar]

Saw this film a few days ago - finally got around to typing up my review. Spoiler-free [it's also on here]. I'll probably do a more spoilery review when the film comes out, or maybe a day or two before. 

 

When Lionsgate announced back in 2012 that they were splitting the final book in the Hunger Games trilogy into two parts, people were skeptical at how they were going to make them a cohesive and alluring final two films. Considering the lukewarm reaction to the final novel 'Mockingjay' by Suzanne Collins and the less than encouraging history of film adaptions being split into more than one film (Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hobbit), the odds weren't exactly in this penultimate chapter's favour. However, two years on, it looks like director Francis Lawrence defied the odds and Lionsgate has another winner. 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1' is the most daring, thought-provoking, rawest, darkest yet humorous film in the Hunger Games franchise filled with powerful performances from its new and returning cast members as well as an intelligently and beautifully written screenplay by Peter Craig and Danny Strong.

The film immediately opens to a powerful and haunting scene, mainly due to Jennifer Lawrence's stunning portrayal of our heroine Katniss Everdeen, that sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Katniss is no longer forcing smiles in flaming dresses or dropped into a televised reality game show wearing latex wet suits all designed to appeal and appease the Capitol audiences, she's now hidden underground in the bleak and gray District 13, a district that months prior, none of the characters even knew had still existed since its 'alleged' obliteration during 'The Dark Days'.

One of the biggest surprises is that 'Mockingjay - Part 1' doesn't feel like a 'Hunger Games' film that we've come to know in the previous two installments, more so than how many felt about the third book to the previous two books before it. It almost feels like a complete reboot of the entire franchise. The film is almost entirely set in District 13; besides the short but poignant visits to District 12, 8 and little cutaways to scenes outside of Katniss's perspective in the Capitol, 5, 7 and 11. There are no more "games" - which means no more reapings, no more chariots, or any of that lead up. Mockingjay has well and truly reinvented the franchise to reveal what 'The Hunger Games' series at its core is really all about and gives us a shocking and horrifying portrayal of war in Panem and how media manipulation is used through the use of propaganda videos ("propos") in battle to control the populous.

The score by James Newton Howard is also so wonderfully done and woven so seamlessly into the scenes. The use of cues from the previous two films, blended with some new melodies really help set the tone of the scenes, whether it'd be a more tense, thrilling action sequence or a scene with a more quieter, somber atmosphere. But the biggest thing in the music department that I took away from this film is 'The Hanging Tree,' a haunting but beautiful song that fans will recognize from the novel. Walking out of the theater, I could hear the room -- filled with not fans, but local celebrities and members of the press repeating the tune. That was how powerful that song had on the people in my screening, and it still echos in my mind days later.

Despite having a shared budget with next year's 'Mockingjay - Part 2' of only $250M (films like The Avengers, Man of Steel, The Dark Knight Rises, Harry Potter; to name a few, all had individual budgets of over $200M) and an extremely tight and short principal photography and post production schedule; director Francis Lawrence, visual effects supervisor Charles Gibson and production designer Phil Messina all make the most of what they had to provide fans and viewers with a film worthy of blockbuster status with huge, epic production designs and beautiful, stunning cinematography. Surprisingly, a lot of the set pieces are all real and practical - there's very little CGI or green screens in the scenes that you'd expect.

The tricky source material was adapted onto the big screen by Danny Strong (Game Change, The Butler) and Peter Craig (The Town). Each screenwriters bring something different to the table; Strong laid out the groundwork for the political arc of the film and Peter Craig's contribution was evident in the action sequences. The two manage to work with Francis Lawrence and Suzanne Collins to create a cohesive screenplay from the first half a novel and make it feel as if it really was just one story.

Despite the 'young-adult' connotation that has been placed on the franchise, Mockingjay - Part 1 is daring and never does it feel like they're ever holding back on the emotional value of a scene. The film is dark, gritty and horrific, which is what it needed to truly be able to convey the horrors from the novel and the film successfully manages to do just that.

The film, however, would probably not be half as good without Jennifer Lawrence's incredible and honest portrayal of Katniss Everdeeen. Since the first film, she has brought something refreshing and relatable to our archer and it's assuring that at no point during the movie does Katniss ever feel like a 'superhero'. Katniss Everdeen doesn't have any superpowers, she isn't invincible, she doesn't look badass during big action sequences - Katniss Everdeen is a survivor. Only 17 years old and with two games under her belt, never do we once question her deteriorating mental state and motivations. Jennifer also does best during smaller, quieter moments with little to no dialogue. She doesn't need words to convey Katniss's emotions; we see, feel and understand everything just by her facial expressions alone.

Returning cast members include Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket, the once oblivious and 'oh so Capitol' escort to Katniss and Peeta during the 74th and 75th Hunger Games has now been completely stripped away from the bizarre dresses and wigs; making do with the District 13 gears (or as she refers to it as, "jumpsuits") and only agreeing to be part of the rebellion due to her connection with Katniss Everdeen. Haymitch Abernathy played by Woody Harrelson is also in District 13, having now been forced to "dry up" and put behind the days of excessive drinking. His relationship with Katniss is complicated and tricky, Katniss no longer trusts him after he broke his promise with her on ensuring Peeta's survival before hers. The late Philip Seymour Hoffman shows us who Plutarch Heavensbee really is - someone more warm, humorous and witty than what we thought was the 'real Plutarch' in the previous film. All three bring moments of levity and hilarity in what would have been bleak and melancholic film. These moments also never feel overblown or out of place, there is a good balance.

Liam Hemsworth finally gets an opportunity to shine here as Gale Hawthorne - receiving a lot more screen time than he did in both 'The Hunger Games' and 'Catching Fire' combined. We begin to see more of on what his character represents for Katniss and his views on how to handle the war; a view that causes friction between him and Katniss. Josh Hutcherson, despite the decrease in screen time (appearing most of the film only through broadcasts from the Capitol) still manages to excel in his portrayal of Peeta Mellark. If people were still questioning his casting as Peeta Mellark, than this film will relieve those doubts as Josh manages to bring out the Peeta fans have come to know in the books, while showing incredible range during scenes where Peeta has supposedly been tortured. Donald Sutherland as President Snow is still so creepy and so very effective. Snow manages to become even more brutally evil, no longer pulling no punches in his attempts to show Panem who's really in control.

Sam Claflin is excellent as Finnick Odair. This is the movie where we finally get to peal the layers from the charismatic and at times cocky Finnick Odair that we were introduced to in the previous film. In this film, he's someone with a lot of soul and heart who cares deeply for his girlfriend and is feeling slightly lost in District 13. Unfortunately though, mainly due to the script, some of his key signature moments from the books are either lost or underplayed. You only get a few seconds of Finnick tying a knot and one of the most defining moments in his character arc - his 'revelation' is downplayed as the audience's attention is more focused on the film's climax, which is intercut with Finnick's major scene. Stef Dawson, who made a short appearance as Finnick's lover Annie Cresta in Catching Fire, has very little to work with here but manages to show so much emotion in the short time. Annie and Finnick both steal the show when they're together, you can feel their love oozing out of the movie screen.

As with every film so far, we're introduced to a plethora of new characters. Easily the biggest and best addition is President Alma Coin (Julianne Moore), whose portrayal is so charismatic and great that you believe on why the citizens of District 13 would put their trust in her and the rebellion. It should be very interesting to track her political arc from this film as we enter into next year's final chapter.

Unfortunately, my one criticism is that despite the split, a lot of the side supporting characters seem to fall flat in terms of character development and screentime. We see more of Primrose Everdeen (Willow Shields) and Mrs. Everdeen (Paula Malcomson) than in prior films but it never feels like enough. Beetee (Jeffrey Wright) and Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) both have crucial scenes - but they get far less than they did in the previous film. Besides Coin, the rest of the new characters don't have much to do as well. Natalie Dormer as Cressida is intriguing and seems like it has a lot of potential, but the character of Cressida never really goes anywhere. The same with the rest of her camera crew - Messalla, Castor and Pollux, who all don't say another word outside of their introduction. Patina Miller as Paylor is unrecognizable, but she's also forgettable. All of them seem very comfortable in their roles, but are unfortunately all underused.

There was a lot of speculation and buzz surrounding Robert Knepper's casting as newly created character Antonius, and yet I can't recall if he even had a line. However, when you're working with a movie that's less than two hours in a story solely focused on Katniss, it's hard to put much attention to every single person in the enormous and growing cast. The problem also lies within the source material... there are just too many (crucial) characters to really do them all justice. Considering the influx of new characters in next year's Part 2, there probably won't be much development outside of the core group of characters once again.

The film's split was not a problem at all. Out of the three novels in the Hunger Games series, 'Mockingjay' was easily the novel that required a split to fully flesh out the characters and to give justice to their arcs. There is a clear objective at the beginning of the film, laid out by our heroine and by the end, that objective is solved but also sets up another plot line that will most definitely be followed up on in next year's final chapter 'Mockingjay - Part 2'. The way the creative team are handling the split feels slightly like a television show - you get 24 episodes in a season, and that is usually split into two with a mid season break in between. Part 1 ends with a bang, it has a conclusion and resolution, but you know the story isn't over just yet.

Overall, 'Mockingjay - Part 1' manage to overcomes its obstacles to become another dark, epic and very chapter in the unstoppable 'Hunger Games' franchise. The film will surely make back its entire budget for both films alone within the first week of release alone. If 'Mockingjay - Part 1' is anything to go by, than next year's 'Mockingjay - Part 2' will be an absolute treat as we follow Katniss and her squad in their final journey to stop the Capitol. And I can't freaking wait.

 

tl;dr - I loved it. I thought it was dark, gritty, epic and thrilling. The split was not a problem for me. Then again, I'm kind of biased because I loved the source material but I have faith others will love it as well. 

Thank you for your detailed review, and taking out the time to write it!  I'm very much looking forward to this movie especially now..

[cozmeesah]

So 6 people have seen this already? Come on, trolls.

[K1stpierre]

So 6 people have seen this already? Come on, trolls.

Whatever makes them happy.

[K1stpierre]

It was funny for the first week. Now, it's getting tired and annoying. I don't know about other users, but I for one did not go to the Interstellar RTM thread and troll it. It's immature really. I'm asking you guys to please stop and be respectful to the users who care for this movie.

[Plain Old Tele]

Aight, guys, settle down. We'll re-open Thursday night.

[DeeCee]

I thought it was very good. Definitely the most dark and somber. Everyone gives good performances and there are some quite chilling scenes. I know it's a two parter but really ended on a bit of down note.

I haven't read the books.

Edited November 20, 2014 by DeeCee

[ShouldIBeHere]

So, how to rate this... not sure.

 

I certainly liked the atmosphere - not just of the movie but also in the cinema. Lots of fans but all calm (we are in Germany, after all  ). Somber excitement or whatever one wants to call it. It also helped that my better half is a pretty big fan of the movies and kind of got me excited as well (also the reason I was at the "pre-premiere" last night).

 

I also really liked how they handled the political context... I was afraid they would play it up too much and make it seem deeper than it is (it isn't very deep at all). But the movie never ventured in the "pretentious" area, imho - mainly thanks to Moore and Hoffman who simply nail their parts.

 

Lawrence also carries the movie and is fantastic indeed - but she needs to be. The movie does not offer much else and whoever isn't sold on the whole love-aspect might find several scenes to be pretty boring and cringe-worthy. The tension and drama of these scenes simply didn't reach me at all - so the chocking scene was impressive in its brutality but failed to deliver as a climax, imho. 

 

I was never really sold on the Potter franchise, but DH1 really moved me. It was so important for the characters and did a perfect job in setting up the finale without me feeling that I was just seeing a very long preview.

 

For this one... it simply ended when it would be natural for a movie to reach a climax or some sort of resolution. For some "Part 1s" this is done rather nicely... for this one it seems they did not even try to hide the fact that the split was not needed in any way. Strangely, it lowered my interest in seeing the resolution of the plot instead of increasing it (as DH1 and CF did very much).

 

By the way - a lot of people here will probably argue that the only reasons some reviews aren't stellar is the lack of action. But that did not bother me at all. The exposition is good, the atmosphere as well (I could look over the fact that I have to cringe whenever Hemsworth is on screen)... but it simply leads nowhere. It doesn't help that apart from Lawrence's great character-building the franchise loses its originality with the end of the Hunger Games. One simply longs to see more of the revolution going on in Panem.

 

I am sure this might be a good exposition once one can watch Part 1 & 2 at home in a row or next year in double features. But as a cinema experience in November 2014, it simply is neither a very compelling nor a very good movie.

 

C- 

 

(THG: B+, CF: B-  )

 

 

PS: This from someone who sees this is a fun franchise without major expectations in one direction or the other. So I am sure fans of the franchise will get enough to live with until next November.

Edited November 20, 2014 by ShouldIBeHere

[antovolk]

Gah, the critics were right. Annoyingly, it's a slog to get through. More passive than active. There are some individual bits (and the last act) that are great, and thematically (the propaganda stuff, I loved how meta they went with that) it's great, but not cinematically. Weakest of the 3 definitely, the cast (especially PSH, Julianne and Jen, Josh was super chilling too) saved this. Script is SUPER stretched, this is a way way overlong and dragged out first half with some bits (and those were the best bits) added for world expansion and to try make more standalone. One thing, fans are eating this up for sheer faithfulness, which was essentially (along with the stretch and split) the downfall. And The Hanging Tree must be submitted by LGF for awards consideration, seriously.

 

6/10

 

My disappointment of the year, hope Part 2 is MUCH better, Francis showed with CF he can nail this.

 

Full review coming in a bit...

 

 

I am sure this might be a good exposition once one can watch Part 1 & 2 at home in a row or next year in double features. But as a cinema experience in November 2014, it simply is neither a very compelling nor a very good movie.

100% agreed

[luna]

etdgfx

Edited November 20, 2014 by lisa

[antovolk]

Full review:

 

It’s great to see franchise films go “Into Darkness” and tackle themes that are more relevant to society today - propaganda, surveillance, militarisation of the state. Like Star Trek Into Darkness and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Mockingjay - Part 1 touches on the concept really well with its broad thematic strokes, especially thanks to how these themes were covered in the source novel. The whole “meta” feeling of the propos is definitely something that I really really enjoyed. Thematically the film is very compelling, maybe even more than the first two installments, but unfortunately it’s not as compelling cinematically.

One thing’s for sure about this film, fans will absolutely love it because it’s every bit as faithful to the novel as everyone expects it to be. The nuances are there, so is the thematic material. The additions and very few changes to the source novel, and even the way the much debated split was handled are extremely welcomed. However even the best and most faithful adaptations don’t make compelling cinema, and unfortunately unlike The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, this faithfulness to the source novel is to the detriment of the film as a piece of cinema. A faithful adaptation of a story with issues is going to have these same issues. It’s definitely a slog to get through. Not to say slow paced films are bad (personal example: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) but too little actually takes place in the so-to-say “A-plot” of the film for even the slower pace to be appreciated. The bits director Francis Lawrence and his team added to the novel to expand the scope outside the main setting of District 13 and the main point of view of Katniss Everdeen were actually the best parts of the film, and these changes/additions especially benefitted the bookends of the film that take place within the main point of view and the final act which was a really great crosscut between the two perspectives. The stretching of the middle chunk of the main plot of the film to fill up the rest of the runtime really made this film feel like a bit of a chore to get through, but there are a couple individual set pieces of the main plot that are also great.

It is with these individual moments and set pieces, additions and changes that director Francis Lawrence shines, and he did the best he could with the rest of the film given the material he had to work with. Visually and in terms of settings, especially District 13, the film is definitely impressive. James Newton Howard’s score does 60% of the time just reuse pieces from his Catching Fire score, but the original material towards the end of the film was a welcome and chilling evolution of the themes, and The Hanging Tree is a very understated but chilling performance that is one of few great bits of the film too. Will be interesting to see if it’s out forward for award consideration, which I believe it should be.

The main thing that pulls the film up to some extent is the cast and the acting from several key players - Jennifer Lawrence, working with what the story has her do which is unfortunately underwhelming (a complaint with both the first half of book and the film, N.B. I purposefully did not revisit the book to try stay fresh in regards to how the story goes and how it is on screen), does what it asks of her convincingly and incredibly well. The real standouts were Julianne Moore and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the gravitas and the attitude they brought to their roles was very welcome even in the most mundane moments. And I have to single out also Woody Harrelson and Elizabeth Banks who both were a breath of fresh air in this film. Unfortunately the rest of the cast is underused due to the story and the script despite great potential - especially Sam Claflin, Jeffrey Wright and Donald Sutherland who shone in their roles in the previous films. This applies to some of the new cast too especially Natalie Dormer and Mahershala Ali who are just there for plot’s sake mostly. Liam Hemsworth as Gale does get a more expanded role and it is appreciated closer to the end of the film, but for the rest of the time the expanded role is servicing the love triangle aspect and using that as basis and motivation for his character (which book fans are probably mega happy about). Hopefully all members of the cast will get a much much better chance to shine in Part 2, especially those who didn’t get the chance this time around.

Overall, the film, likely by design because of the split, is essentially an overstretched first half, and if one was tasked with making a 160-170 minute cut of the two films, there are definitely bits that could be cut and trimmed to make this first half just that much less of a slog to get through, but this may mean losing bits of the story and characterisation that a lot of book fans will see as crucial - personally if it benefitsMockingjay as a film, then I’m all for it. And unfortunately the efforts to make this installment stand on its own with the changes and additions to the book’s story, in the overall sense aren’t that effective as a whole due to the issues of the book that are transferred to the by the faithful adaptation (although it can be said to be less faithful than the first two films, but it’s still too faithful to be a compelling film). I was hopeful before seeing the film that it can overcome issues posted by the split and the book, unfortunately, especially the latter, is all highlighted when the story is presented as a film. Hopefully Part 2 will be a massive improvement and maybe this film will look better back-to-back/alongside the second part. But as a standalone piece of cinema? I’m afraid that’s a no. Nonetheless, it’s sure to rake up massive box office (although I wonder with the critical reception how the “legs” will fare, especially outside the YA demographic), fans who loved the book will love the film all the same, fans who hate the book will hate it even more, and the more general audience…hard to say. Unfortunately the biggest disappointment of the year for me, but best of luck for next year.

Ultimately, Mockingjay - Part 1 is a good film, with a few great bits; but cinematically it doesn’t reach the high bar set by its predecessors due to the weaknesses of the source material and to some extent but less than I anticipated, the split. To the cast and crew, as Effie would say in Catching Fire, “you deserved so much better”.

6/10

[tommycruise]

[rockNrollaDIM]

Thought this was pretty good. I went in with no preconceptions, having read no reviews. I've heard that they are mixed but I don't really see how anyone can call this a bad movie. It's quieter than the last two but that's to be expected. In a way it's also much grander and bigger in scale.

I'd give this a strong B+ pending re-watch.

Random thoughts from MJ thread in the other forum:

Hanging Tree sequence was really beautiful.

I love Effie. Banks so nails it. Theater was rolling at all her snarky comments about being a political prisoner, Coin's hair etc etc.

Julianne Moore as Coin is great. I always rooted for Helen Mirren to get the role but Moore plays it well, with strength. Can't wait to see her turn "bad" in the final installment.

Hutcherson was okay, I guess. His screen time is thankfully minimal in this one but I still find him wooden as hell even though he's meant to be "scripted" for most of this movie. And yeah, same question as Cozo, did he really lose weight? They must've CGI'd that.

JLaw of course is wonderful though it doesn't match up to her performance in the previous installments, I guess this one doesn't feel as natural- again maybe partly intentional because she's being used as a propaganda tool in the film.

Could've used more Harrelson. He elevated every scene he was in.

I'd go straight for Natalie Dormer.

I'd stay gay for Claf.

Glad they didn't ignore his past history of sexual abuse/pimping by the Capitol. Thought that scene was really cool, with his speech as a backdrop for the rescue mission.