If Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2012) was an archetypal example of how to one-up an original movie and create an enthralling and captivating movie franchise, Mockingjay Part 1 is the all too typical way of crushing that excitement. What was shaping up to be a memorable franchise that would become logged in the public discourse and be mentioned in the same breath as Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia was unceremoniously extinguished by a completely lackluster third installment. Disappointing in many regards, it lacked so many of the things that made the first and, especially, the second movie so fun to watch. Whatever momentum the series had before this was lost in something that was simply a mediocre sequel.

What made Catching Fire so good? It was the intense and unique action in The Games that never let you relax for a moment. It was the reliance on heavy hitting talent in Jennifer Lawrence, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Donald Sutherland. It was the beautiful imagery of The Capital and the contrast to the bleak existence in the cities. It was the sense of fulfillment in seeing an oppressed society rise up against its oppressors. Most of this was lost, or at least made bland and boring in Mockingjay Part 1.

One of the most unfortunate critiques in this movie compared to the last is the fact that it is entirely generic and forgettable. It feels like you could plug this movie into almost any science fiction fight-against-the-man type of film series. Was this The Hunger Games or was it Maze Runner? Or was it Divergence? One could imagine a nearly identical course of events in almost any anti-establishment narrative. Clearly, the story couldn't just repeat the Hunger Games for a third time or it would become stale, but these are not the only things that make the world unique. You have the exorbitant extravagance of The Capital Citizens. There is the uniqueness of each of the 12 districts and how they interact with each other. There are the Gamemakers and their sleuthy, creative killing methods. All these things and more were forgotten in place of a plug-and-play rebel alliance story.

Another disappointment was the onscreen chemistry of the actors and the lack of use of some amazing actors. In Catching Fire, Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Finnick (Sam Claflin) play a strong supporting role to Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence),who puts in a masterful performance in being a broken, scared girl to growing up and accepting the challenge and becoming the heroic figure. Plutarch (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) is an enigmatic wildcard with a sly smile who keeps us guessing. In Mockingjay Part 1, Lawrence gets very little time to shine. The intense action scenes which she does so well are few and far between. Hutcherson is rarely in scenes and when he is, his acting abilities are subdued. Hoffman is made to take a backseat as only a mere pawn in the grand scheme of things. And unfortunately, Julianne Moore (who plays President Alma Coin) put in a less than inspiring performance as the aspiring leader of a rebellious uprising.

Catching Fire gave us a sense of purpose as audience members, when we could cheer for the gradual uprising in the districts mirrored by Katniss' success in The Games, both her physical defeats of Capital sympathizing stand-ins from the first districts, and her emotional grapplings with killing and its repercussions. Once we are introduced to District 13 and the underground rebellious movement, headed by Alma Coin, it seems to lose its luster. This is no longer Poncho Villa versus the oligarchical dictatorship, it's the Allies versus the Axis, a feeling of an even playing field. Gone is that feeling of an underdog that's building up to something special, led by an unexpected hero. Instead we jump-cut to the point where the Districts have an established military system and a next-in-line dictator who doesn't seem to care much about her people. It's a fight without a face and heel, just machine against machine.

There is something that feels artificial about Katniss and her Mockingjay persona in this film. The film itself is almost a meta-critique of this. The Mockingjay is quite literally an artificial construct used by District 13 to inspire the rebellion. Katniss, however, wants to be genuine and passionate in the propaganda videos and has the opportunity to make grand speeches in the face of real crisis. However, even these moments of supposed truthfulness feel like a reenactment. This whole idea of having film cameras follow around Katniss, and especially the propaganda films they make, feel like something from a cheesy satirical comedy. It recalls images of "I'm doing my part!" from Starship Troopers (1997). Starships Troopers has the benefit of not taking itself too seriously, being purposefully lighthearted in contrast to the dark reality. Mockingjay Part 1, on the other hand, attempts to be only darkness, a bleak reality of war. Scenes with that comedic spin feels forced and out of place rather than tension breaking.

In the end, what we all wanted this movie to be, and what the studio needed it to be, was a setup to the inevitable conflict and resolution in the final movie that we all already knew was coming. The audience should be on the edge of their seat in anticipation for the finale after watching this film. However, that feeling is not something I expect many people would be left with. Having split the final book into two parts, the film is left with many voids of space compared to the first two films which were so jam packed with action and plot progression it almost felt rushed. It is a slog to get through this, and the final film can only hope to compensate in some ways.

Writing this review a few years after the movie was released, and looking back on it in retrospect, it seems unfortunate that the series has exited public consciousness for the most part. You never see Hunger Games themed toys at the store, and people don't usually bring it up in conversation. This pales in comparison to the extreme hype when the first film was released. Perhaps this is the natural progression of things, that a series should run its course and have its day in the sun. Not everything can last like certain stories. It is just disappointing to know that something that started with so much promise will end with a whimper and not a bang.

This is not the mediocre first two movies that were a fun-filled joy ride in the spirit of Running Man, Battle Royale or Blood of Heroes. This is a realistic version instead, with a character-motive driven plot. Unlike the first two films this one actually matters. I hope the creators of this film are proud of their accomplishment. Instead of a cheesy thrill ride we have been introduced to the realities of war and rebellion and we were given good acting, good screen writing and characters we can identify with and care about. After watching hundreds of movies in the post apocalyptic genre this one stands out as significantly better than the others, especially the first two films. Thank you for making the Hunger Games series into something meaningful.

Quickie Review:

After the events of 75th Hunger Games, Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) is rescued and brought to District 13 where the rebellion is brewing. Now she must become the face of the rebellion as both sides use propaganda against each other. Meanwhile, Katniss is overwhelmed by balancing her responsibility to the people of Panem with her desire to save Peeta (Josh Hutcherson). Mockingjay Part 1 is strong when it comes to the acting talent involved and showing the behinds the scenes propaganda of war. However, the decision to split the story into two parts has really hurt this movie by making it feel incomplete and filled with overstretched melodrama. While it is not a complete failure, it may be better to hold off watching this movie till Part 2 is released.

Full Review:

I never read the books but I enjoyed the last two movies in the franchise, especially Catching Fire. While I can't say I was aching to go see Mockingjay Part 1, I was interested to know how the story progressed after the cliff-hanger of the last movie. I was concerned that splitting the story into two parts may have been a detrimental choice, unfortunately my concerns were legitimate.

I know I'm coming off really negative but there are definitely some gems in the movie. Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss and Donald Sutherland as President Snow, were the best part of the movie. Watching them clash and play strategic moves against each other was intriguing. The rest of the cast do a good job in showing how they have been affected and changed by this war. This is the first time we see the world outside of the actual Hunger Games and District 12, which helped enrich this movie's universe. Uniquely we get see how propaganda plays an important role in the war. I can't remember the last war movie that delved into that aspect. On top of that, these propaganda pieces were very moving thanks to the rage fueled words of Katniss and the fear mongering of Snow.

A lot of the problems for this movie stem from the fact we are spending 2hrs on half a story. This led to us having an entire movie where Katniss keeps crying and moping about either Peeta or the people of District 12 being dead. The feeling that the movie is overstretched is only compounded by how several scenes are just a rehash of a previous scene, for example the recording of a propaganda (3 times) and multiple scenes per character sulking about the people suffering. Look I'm not heartless, I understand those are devastating things to happen to a person, but we want to see the story move forward. I can honestly say that apart from Katniss becoming the face of the rebellion, there is no significant plot development since Catching Fire. There is all this slow build up but that's all it is, a build up to an end that is unsatisfying. Essentially this is a 2hr preview ad for Mockingjay Part 2, and quite frankly I felt mad about this when I left the cinema, and that doesn't happen often.

The pathetic cash-grab moves by studios to split the movie into two parts is the root of all the problems for Mockingjay Part 1. To fill the run time the movie is stuffed full with melodrama without much weight to make you care for long. All the momentum that the previous two movies had built has now come to a dull crawl. I'd recommend skipping this movie till Part 2 is released and hopefully enjoy a more complete story.

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