'Mockingjay-Part 1' is Satisfying Buildup to Finale (Review)

A year long intermission.

That's what Hunger Games fans are in for as they wait for November 2015's conclusion to the series. Splitting a final book into 2 films seems to be a popular decision. Some see it as a blatant cash grab; others choose to think of it as a way to include some character beats that might get rushed in an ordinary 140-minute adaptation. The debate is meaningless, of course. Fans of the series will show up to see the movie regardless and Hunger Games is a reliable enough franchise with a terrific adult star cast to attract even casual fans.

Directed by Catching Fire helmer Francis Lawrence, the film stars Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Julianne Moore, the late Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Jeffrey Wright, Natalie Dormer, Stanley Tucci and Donald Sutherland. The film is written by Danny Strong and Peter Craig, who are also writing Part 2.


Days after the ending of Catching Fire, Katniss (Lawrence) is suffering from PTSD and recovering in the underground, secret District 13. President Alma Coin (Moore), leader of the rebellion against the Capitol, is attempting to get Katniss to become the "Mockingjay," the face of the rebellion. She and Plutarch Heavensbee (Hoffman) are creating propaganda films starring Katniss with the help of Haymitch (Harrelson), Effie (Banks) and a director named Cressida (Dormer). But Katniss's main concern is keeping her loved ones alive including Peeta (Hutcherson), trapped in the Capitol and used as a pawn by President Snow (Sutherland).

Much like its "split in 2" predecessors Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Parts 1 and 2 and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Down Parts 1 and 2, Mockingjay Part 1 has to find a balance between being its own complete film while setting up the final showdown. While this film may not have many Big Events going on, the political intrigue, media satire and human drama keep the momentum going strong.

Hunger Games has proved itself to be a reliable film series and so I don't think splitting the book into 2 parts was a bad choice artistically. With a cast this talented, a director this confident and a universe this intelligently assembled, only the most impatient of filmgoers will have reason to bemoan a table-setting installment.

In fact, political intrigue, media satire and human drama are the main reasons why I watch Hunger Games; these perhaps esoteric themes are more interesting to me than extended action sequences. That's why so many Harry Potter fans like Deathly Hallows part 1; we love the characters and the world they live in. I personally enjoy seeing the rebellion shape up with the Mockingjay campaign bringing together the Districts in battle against the Capitol. I have not read the book so maybe Part 2 will be even more exciting but for now I am satisfied.

Putting any actress in a role where she rejects being a "Symbol" for a movement is ripe for metaphor but that is especially true with Jennifer Lawrence. I don't know what goes on behind closed doors but I feel like once her team and/or the media got an idea of her quotable interviews and awkward-kid persona, she was suddenly turned into a "role model" and a "one of us" cool girl. Putting her into that box was just like putting her into any other box. Like Katniss, Lawrence resists being put into any box and has to find her own way.

My only major issue with the film is how sometimes Katniss seems to be fixated on Peeta in the Capitol and doesn't really see the big picture at times. Hunger Games as a series is remarkably progressive in many ways so it's jarring when Katniss cries over Peeta. I know the story plays out this way to keep Katniss human and to place some mistrust in District 13. But the film overplays the former (we know Katniss cares more for her loved ones than politics) and underplays the latter (President Coin is gentler here than in the novel so I've heard).

I've always liked Lawrence's work in the Hunger Games movies. It's a perfect union between actor and character. In fact, I think she's better in this series than she was in American Hustle, though my thoughts on that film are not exceedingly warm. Lawrence is able to bring out Katniss's vulnerability and fear, both through her red-hot rage and her sad confusion.

Josh Hutcherson is also doing really great work; he plays a tricky role because if he "acts" too much, then it would give away a lot of suspense in his arc. The other returning cast members are all fine--at this point, they're a well-oiled ensemble. Hoffman, Harrelson and Hemsworth are terrific, bringing meat to potentially thin "Katniss support team" roles. Elizabeth Banks brings a much needed levity to the film. Newcomers Julianne Moore and Natalie Dormer bring life and uniqueness to their characters. It's refreshing to see women in these gender-neutral roles though I guess we have Suzanne Collins to thank for that.

Mockingjay Part 1 is a handsomely-made film, one that offers more drama than action. On a technical level, it's not exactly groundbreaking but does offer some neat directorial choices. Director Francis Lawrence isn't actually a flashy director but his films (including I Am Legend and Water for Elephants) exude confidence. One sequence that is particularly striking is where Katniss and her sister are running to get to an underground bunker in the District. It is a sequence that is simple in theory but its execution raises the suspense factor.

Mockingjay Part 1 may not be the most viscerally exciting entry in the series but it does offer some rewards for fans of the series. The movie is making money at the box office (though it has little direct competition). I really like how the series is going. If they are able to stick the landing for Part 2--and I have no reason to believe they won't--Hunger Games could become one of the most consistent movie series in recent memory.

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