"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" Review

I can't help but feel that as the Hunger Games series continues, I'm watching the director's cut of the whole story. Am I issuing a new complaint by saying the trilogy shouldn't be stretched out into four movies? As evidenced by the Divergent and Twilight series, I'm late to the party. However, I feel more disappointed by this truth than in those series, because the newest installment, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, moves in the right direction: a new direction. Whereas Catching Fire spent half of its movie repeating the events of the original, Mockingjay is an Empire Strikes Back of sorts, testing our heroes' resolve and villain's strength, building to a cliffhanger climax. This movie is fine on its own, but here's the problem: this has to add on to Catching Fire, and with a combined 269 minutes of a second act, Mockingjay does too little, too late.

After sabotaging the 75th Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) finds herself in District 13, an underground colony where the members of the resistance hide, plotting to take back the country of Panem from the rule of the Capitol and its leader, President Snow (Donald Sutherland). Recognizing Katniss as a symbol the public can rally behind in a rebellion, the president of District 13, Alma Coin (Juliane Moore), along with Capitol-executive-turned-rebel-spy Plutarch Heavensbee (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), plan to use her influence to turn the tides, gain supporters and spark a revolution. 

However, our heroine is conflicted. She feels guilt for the kidnapping of her best friend/lover Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), now a Capitol stooge, used to simultaneously taunt Katniss and quell any whispers of rebellion. Jennifer Lawrence, usually reserved as Katniss, allows her a bit more room to be impulsive and vulnerable, feeling the full brunt of the mental and emotional damage such events can do to a person..

The rest of the cast is hit or miss. Hutcherson gives a strong, nuanced performance; Hoffman settles in snugly with the ensemble; Sutherland is venomous and confident. However, actors such as Sam Claflin and Natalie Dormer are underused, Moore seems to be going through the motions, and Liam Hemsworth is as boring as ever.

Mockingjay - Part 1 switches up its satire, going from the madness of media to a look at public perception and the cult of celebrity. In order to promote their message, the rebels get the idea to create propoganda videos (endearingly entitled "propos"), and broadcast them across the districts to elicit public reactions. Time is spent analyzing every choice in order to help maximize the result, all while Katniss is groomed as a fierce symbol of defiance, to her awkward confusion. (Watching Jennifer Lawrence act as Katniss acting as a piss-poor actress is hilarious.) 

Although watching the seeds of rebellion spread and grow is fascinating, the studio's decision to split Mockingjay into two movies leads to filler, at times moving the plot along at a snail's pace. With love triangles, forced humor, and fight scenes that feel like an obligation to the promises of the trailer, the film's most emotional scenes are diluted. Instead of focusing on the little details, why not provide us with information about the war? Three movies in, and I still don't understand why the war between the Districts and Capitol started, who were the main players, why the Hunger Games were chosen over any other form of punishment, and why no one in 75 years ever chose to outwardly rebel as Katniss did. The series may be saving these answers for the last movie, but I'm getting Lost flashbacks.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 would have worked better instead of Catching Fire, slimming down the overall story. The cast works well; the satire is solid for the most part; the developments raise the stakes. However, how high can the stakes be raised until it's too much? With such a long second act, the last movie is now left to wrap everything up efficiently. I worry that Part 2 will either be overdone or left to bare bones, but there's potential in these characters and this subject matter. I'll remain optimistic.

Thank you all for reading; I'm the Man Without a Plan, signing off.