The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 – Movie Review
When going into “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, you should keep in mind that this is only half of the final book and for the most part, it is a build-up to what I would expect as a major payoff by the time “Mockingjay Part 2” arrives. Because of this, there isn’t a whole lot of action but unlike the previous installment, “Mockingjay Part 1” runs just under two hours. Trust me when I tell you, that there is enough build-up here to keep the audience captivated.
Picking up where “Catching Fire” left off, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) has been rescued by District 13 after destroying the games. Her home, District 12 has been bombed by President Snow (Donald Sutherland) with only about 900 survivors out of 10,000. Thankfully, her mother (Paula Malcomson), sister (Willow Shields), and close friend/boyfriend Gale (Liam Hemsworth) were among the survivors. Also taking refuge in District 13 are Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) and Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks).
The main focus for Katniss is to rescue Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) who has been captured by the Capitol. While the rest of the districts believe Peeta has turned into a traitor by going on TV and telling the resistance to cease fire, Katniss believes he is being tortured and forced to make those statements. Each time Peeta appears on screen his appearance becomes more altered.
Despite her wanting to rescue Peeta, District 13 President Coin (Julianne Moore), Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Beetee (Jeffrey Wright) have something else in store for Katniss. They need her to be the face of the revolution, the Mockingjay. They need Katniss to film a series of propaganda that can be broadcast to the various districts in hopes of getting people to join them and stand up against the Capital. Much of the film is centered on getting others to follow Katniss and thankfully the cast helps make it exciting. “Mockingjay Part 1” isn’t as entertaining as “Catching Fire” but it did leave me hungry for the final installment of “The Hunger Games”
By: Marc Ferman