The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part I
Director: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, and Donald Sutherland.
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images, and thematic material.
Harry Potter did it, then Twilight, The Hobbit has done it with three movies, and now The Hunger Games series is the latest to make multiple films out of one novel. Is it necessary? For Harry Potter, maybe, but not for Mockingjay. It's even more questionable since the third novel in the series was generally the least liked among fans. But this first installment of the two-part finale will make somewhere around $700 million at the worldwide box office, and it cost $250 million to make Part I & Part II together. That means that when Part II comes out next November it will make close to $1 billion of pure profit. If you were the head of Lionsgate Films, would you not do the same? I would. While Mockingjay - Part I clearly is an incomplete film, it still provides some exciting moments and enough intrigue to make you ready for Part II.
Mockingjay - Part I picks up soon after the closing scene of Catching Fire, and we are introduced to a whole society living underground in the supposedly abandoned District 13. The leader of District 13 is President Alma Coin (series newcomer Julianne Moore), and she is determined to rally and unify the districts in an organized rebellion against the Capitol. Convinced by Plutarch Heavensbee (the late Philip Seymour Hoffman), Coin decides to use Katniss' image as the Mockingjay to further the rebellion's cause in a series of propaganda films. Katniss (Lawrence) is broken from having survived two Hunger Games and losing Peeta to the Capitol. In order to fully embrace her role as the Mockingjay, Katniss must rekindle the fire that made her rebel against President Snow in the previous two Hunger Games.
This series has found its success among audiences and critics because the filmmaking team behind it has completely embraced the intelligence and drama in Suzanne Collins' story. This is so much more than just a love triangle story told in a dystopian future. In fact, I don't think it is a love story at all. This is about oppression, fascism, and one character's reluctance to ignite a full scale revolutionary war. Unlike the first two films, Mockingjay - Part I has no Hunger Games. The film may be a bit less exciting as a result, but it's important to understand that this is now a war drama.
I have read the books, and while I enjoyed the final book unlike many other readers, it still was my least favorite in the series. That being said, I have appreciated how the filmmakers have actually expanded on the source material with the other films, and they continued to do so with this one. There are scenes that are actually much more exciting on screen than they were on the page. In that regard, Mockingjay - Part I is better than the book. There were a couple exciting sequences when I really felt the tension, even though I knew how they would turn out. That's good filmmaking. However, there were a handful of scenes in the last 40 minutes or so that really felt like they were being stretched too thin. I still believe this film would have been better had it been produced as a two and a half or even three hour film.
Mockingjay - Part I ultimately is only a tease for its second part. It's incomplete. I almost do not want to give it an actual rating because it is not a whole film. I know there are many who are not fans of the series or think it is overrated. If it's not your cup of tea, then I'm not going to be the one to convince you. For myself, I am a big fan of the series, and I think the filmmakers have done a fine job bringing it to the big screen. It must also be said that the series would not work were it not for its outstanding lead, Jennifer Lawrence. The supporting cast around her take their roles seriously, while also having fun with them. Julianne Moore was a welcomed addition to an already stellar supporting ensemble. It may not be Catching Fire, but Mockingjay - Part I is a solid installment and leaves you waiting for Part II to start right away. Too bad it didn't.
RATING: B+
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