Movie Review 134: Mockingjay, Part 1

Welcome back!

How y'all doin? Yes I'm southern or something now.

I just got back from a movie! My first movie in a theatre since Big hero 6! this time it's the Half a movie, Mockingjay! (Part 1)

This is going to have spoilers. If you don't care about spoilers feel free to read on but it's just a warning.

Movie Review:

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay

(Part 1)

Review:

Lets preface this review with how I liked the previous installments. The first movie was a great start, gritty, dark, well acted. The Second just got better and better. This one, well, it feels like a small episode of TV in comparison. 

The first two movies were very well conceived and moved along at a brisk pace but managed to really get into the characters and the drama inside of them. this one almost felt like it wanted us to watch Katniss and the rest just going about their every day lives.

There was very little urgency in this one. I never felt like Katniss or anyone was really in any danger. she's survived a couple of bloodsports but she is locked away in a bomb proof bunker through almost the whole thing. 

District 13 could have been really interesting but we never got any back story on it. I've read the books so I know it's history but nowhere in the film was it ever elaborated on. I mean it's a huge bunker with rockets and guns? wouldn't the capital know that and bomb them harder? It makes no sense to me that they'd just leave them there.

So let's talk about the new characters. I generally liked the new cast. Julianne Moore played her role well and 4400 vet Mahershalahashbaz Ali was fine. (Yes, that's his name) Natalie Dormer was pretty good as Cressida. and the rest were window decorations. They ultimately have a role later, but are just set up now, not a bad way to do it.

Jennifer Lawrence Still brings her all. She's still one of the best young actresses at the moment. But she is completely upstaged by Josh Hutcherson as Peeta. He easily had the best character moments and I'm really interested to see where it goes from here. The reveal after he's saved is just amazing.

Next up: the writing. This is the biggest flaw. The writing and the pace is completely lacking this time around. Throughout the movie I kept thinking 'is this a really important scene?' or 'could this visit to district 12 have been tied into the last visit to district 12 so we don't have to waste a second 10 minute long scene on the exact same thing?' there were scenes like that which reminded me that this was in fact half of a movie.

The recent trend to split finale episodes is a real problem. Harry potter did it because they had a whole lot of story to get through. Hobbit had a 5 hour movie with another hour they wanted to shoot. Twilight was a cash grab. Then there's this one. It made no attempt to hide that it was just a business move. this one was about half an hour or more too long. which would leave it at about an hour and a half long. plenty of time to finish up the story and give a good movie experience instead of a long meandering repetitious bore.

I honestly stopped caring after a bit. a lot if show happening but none of it actually happens in person. the hospital is bombed, seen from a ways away. the Tributes are saved, seen on a computer. 13 is bombed, never shows anything. Dam is bombed, we see a quick scene. Riots are mentioned, not seen. The best scene in the movie was Katniss shooting a plane with an arrow then her monologue after. Yet it was all shown in the trailers.

Final Notes:

I enjoyed the film but it never lived up to the heights of the previous two. It was like battle royale compared to Battle royale. What? You'd think I'd make it through a hunger games review without a Battle Royale reference?

Final Notes: 57

Good acting and overall Idea, killed by the need to split it into two.

now to go sit in the corner, and do maths. or violin.