7/10

The revolt against The Capitol and President Snow is in full swing in the 3rd installment that slices the final book of The Hunger Games series into two parts. The first part is about the aftermath of the Quarter Quell which finds Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) in District 13 after she literally shatters the games forever. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her trusted friends, Katniss spreads her wings as she fights to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and a nation moved by her courage. There was plenty i liked and didn’t like about this film. One thing i can say for sure is that it was much better than the novel, which i found sloppily written compared to the first two installments. The film follows the outline of the book, but does the small stuff with different variations. I will not spoil it for the reader, but i felt like this movie was stretched very thin with what little it was given from the book. For a film that is 1 hour and 52 minutes, there is about 30% of the actual novel used in this film, which means the other 70 will be used for the 2015 part 2. That makes this movie just too unimportant with the events that happen compared to the first two Hunger Games. It’s the main reason why i don’t support a split between these Mockingjay films. Individually, it will be tough for these films to compete with the other two, but if they were together to make one movie, “Mockingjay” could easily make a run for best film of the series. For all the people who had a problem with the first movie, there is one thing you can’t deny; it was paced wonderfully with the most impacting moments carefully spread out to never leave a dragging part in the film. Mockingjay Part 1 drags because it’s mostly dialogue exposition driven while abandoning it’s action scenes that made “Catching Fire” the 2013 powerhouse that it was. We get a lot of sizzle and not a lot of steak when it comes to the invasion by The Capitol’s army. The film’s producers choose to focus entirely on the impact it has on Katniss and the rest of District 13, and showing none of the explosions or terror happening above them. I know this won’t be a big deal to some people, but one thing i enjoyed about the other two films was it’s careful build before the bang went off in the actual Hunger Games. There is no games in this film, and nothing that even remotely comes close to that excitement we felt when alliances were being formed, and tributes were running for position. I give “Mockingjay” a lot of credit for the haunting visuals that it casts as a consequence to standing up to those in power. The film has a very deep political tone that we can relate to in our real lives, and it works to show that the biggest rewards cost the biggest repercussions. I was also very pleased with the makeup work of this film. Peeta in particular appears weaker and weaker in every Capitol interview he gives. Even though his words are meant to calm to the watcher, you can tell there is something very wrong beneath the surface here. From the calises underneath the eyes, to the sickly wrinkled skin representing the stress that these captures have endured, the makeup/props work is the very best of the series. The acting was also very noteworthy. Lawrence in particular is given her deepest role since “Winter’s Bone”. It’s clear that she feels this Katniss character, and it’s that fire in her eyes that shot goosebumps piercing my skin. Other great turns are Phillip Seymour Hoffman in one of his last roles as Plutarch Havensbee. Hoffman gives his warm smile on top of motivating presence to Katniss and her image to rule a revolt. Elizabeth Banks isn’t in the film often, but she gives the darker than normal tone of the film it’s few smiles to light the mood. There is simply no one else who could come close to playing Effie like she does. Donald Southerland has always been my favorite part of this series. He doesn’t ever have a lot of screen time, but the veteran actor always makes the most of his scenes, and serves as a villain so evil that you can’t wait to see him get his. A big problem with the cast is that a lot of them aren’t given any sort of meaningful screen time. Between three movies, we know roughly 20-30 characters by this time, and many of them are easily forgotten in a crowded script. Finnick Odaire has always been my favorite character in the books, but i felt he took a HUGE step down in this movie. His character has changed for the worst, and it’s much further than just watching people die in the games. This doesn’t feel like the same charasmatic gem we got in “Catching Fire”. It’s unfortunate to see so many characters who have led the way this far take a back seat into obscurity. Overall, “Mockingjay” is a good enough film to entertain the Hunger Games legion of fans. Hardcore fans might be a little disappointed with a movie that feels pointless for being split in two, but this film definitely gets you geared up for the battle and bigger events in the book in part two. It’s my least favorite of the three films easily, but it’s not terrible at all. “Mockingjay” serves as a bridge between “Catching Fire” and the big finale during the final pages of the novels. It feels unnecessary for it to be it’s own movie, but the story is given many new and different layers to pave the way for a part two that will be jam packed.