The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

Dustin: 3.5 of 5 stars Nick: 2 of 5 stars Average: 2.75 of 5 stars (Woozy Canary)

Dustin: The new Hunger Games movie doesn’t actually feature any Hunger Games. This is a welcome direction for the series, as the second movie had a “here we go again!” feeling. This time around, survivors of the Hunger Games join the Rebel Alliance in District B13 to overthrow the Big Brother government oppressing the world.

Nick: I normally disagree with Matt Zoller Seitz, from rogerebert.com, he basically wrote my review of Mockingjay Part 1. The only part I disagree with is when he cites Harry Potter as another book that needlessly became two movies. The Mockingjay book is under 400 pages, while Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is more than 750. One of these is a more obvious cash grab… The films lacks action. It keeps promising action, but when we get to the scene it’s either after all the action or we follow Katniss who is nowhere near the action.  

Dustin: I actually thought this movie was better than Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (my least favorite of the Harry Potter films). Both seemed like half a book stretched out to a movie. The first act of Mockingjay, especially, was slow and should have been trimmed. I haven’t read any of the Hunger Games books, but for the most part, it seemed like there was enough story here to make two movies. But I’ll reserve judgement on that until I see Part 2. Having said that, I thought Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was the best of the Harry Potter movies, so I sort of forgave them for splitting the book in half.

Nick: I agree that Deathly Hallows: Part 1 was the worst in the HP series, and this film isn’t the worst in its own series, but I still like DHp1 more because the HP films actually had me caring about its characters enough to follow them through that very boring movie. While MJp1 was long and boring while following characters who never grow enough in order for me to care.

Dustin: There was actually a guy a few seats to my left who fell asleep. I imagine he just brought his daughters and then mentally checked out. Other than the first act, I didn’t think this movie dragged too much. Some scenes with the cat could have been cut, as well as the portions of Katnip Evergreen becoming the Mockingjay for the Rebel Alliance’s PR campaign. Overall, I found it suspenseful, and I enjoyed the scenes with the Storm Troopers.

Nick: Please stop the Star Wars analogies! The male characters in the love triangle might be the blandest options in love triangle history, and yes, I’m including the constantly awful Twilight. The characters just are bounce cards for Katniss, and when the characters are on screen all they do is look at Katniss while smouldering. Is she the only available woman of that age group? Because, damn, there are slightly more pressing issues going on!

Dustin: Agreed. The love triangle subplot, which I believe we also complained about with the last movie, seems like it was included as part of a formula. I can’t really describe the Liam Hemsworth character without only mentioning his appearance. Any character could have accomplished his basic part in the story without the inclusion of the love triangle.

Nick: I’d argue the love triangle is only a subplot since more time is given to it than the “plot.”

As you mentioned in the intro, I as well enjoyed the break from the Hunger Games, but it makes me wish they’d have started that with the second film instead of having us watch two Hunger Games, which was pretty pointless. I really enjoy Donald Sutherland as President Snow, but in saying that, his character is very much like every bad guy who thinks they have the upperhand. He barely gets any screentime to grow his character, but what he does with it is exceptional. I like the idea of what happens to Peeta, but I don’t like that being the conflict/somewhat resolution of the movie. I thought it was obvious what was happening to him after the first time he appeared, and yet the film treats it as if its a mystery. I also liked Katniss being used as a “Face” for the war, but that idea gets a lot of screentime, which kind of kicks you in the face with what the film is trying to say. There’s a lot of great ideas going on within the film, but it always ends with me saying but what if…

Dustin: I didn’t consider they could’ve just cut the second movie, but now you mention it, I believe they could have. Just like they could have cut Star Wars: Episode I since it doesn’t accomplish anything that Episode II didn’t, and I promise that’s my last Star Wars reference in this review.

Nick: Oh, and all the nicknames everyone has for each other is really annoying! Little Duck! Your sister is becoming a doctor, motherfucker! And you treat her like she’s 7!

The first part of the movie was actually the most engrossing for me, which I believe is the part you did not like. It was promising more would happen and yet nothing really came to fruition or changed. This left me very unfulfilled by film’s end or it might have been a film I enjoyed.  

Dustin: If we’d gone into this movie not knowing it was half a book made into one movie, do you think we’d be more forgiving of the pace?

Nick: I wouldn’t,but that’s because there is no conflict/resolution that actually starts within this film or ends. We say it’s rescuing Peeta, but is that really a big enough deal for one entire movie?

Dustin: I thought Katnip’s song in the middle was kind of catchy. For those who haven’t seen the movie yet, it basically plays to the tune of Pharrell Williams’s “Happy,” but replaces the word “happy” with “hungry.” (I don’t remember exactly how the song went, so I had to invent something that would sound catchy.)

Nick: That was my favorite scene as well. She is singing and everyone listens. The idea adds depth, but once again the camera does the wrong thing and does a one-shot that goes to every individual character multiple times while showing Cressida telling the cameramen what to do in that situation. Instead of going to each character for their reactions, which is very Shonen anime,  they could have had all the characters doing their own thing to the side of Katniss with a wide shot and then switch to a one-shot of the characters a couple of times. Though we do get more shots of Gale (Hemsworth) smouldering away, which we definitely needed.

Dustin: The Hunger Games - Part 3: Catching Fire - Part 1 is a decent continuation of the Hunger Games series, but suffers from “middle movie syndrome.” I should also mention it’s the second best movie featuring the talents of both Philip Seymour Hoffman and Julianne Moore.