Review of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014) by Mikewoodardjr — 19 Nov 2015

'Mockingjay Part 1' is a reminder that splitting and dragging out a relatively small book into two films, while a great financial scheme for studios, kills the value of its story. Where 'Catching Fire' had those who hadn't read the series, (Me!,) captivated, Part 1 crashes back to reality, and reveals the flaws of the franchise.

Katniss, a character you could root for as a strong female protagonist, falls right back into the Hollywood trap of being entirely dependent on a man, and even manages to make her more gullible, naive, and unlikable than she ever was in the first two films.

The story's initial premise, as a battle of political ad campaigns, with both sides taking their shots back and forth, is interesting, but falls victim to slow pacing a repetitive story points. While 'Catching Fire' managed to infuse its political commentary into an engaging story, here we are treated to overblown politics with very little engaging action.

The supporting cast is a delightful but wasted treat, as former Academy Award winners are pushed into mainly support roles. This includes the late Phillip Seymour Hoffman, a real beam of light in the previous film, whose character serves no real arc in this part of the story.

The plot suffers from the two-part problem, as there is no real pay-off or development of the characters, and it ends more abruptly and confusing than its predecessor. The movie grinds to a halt in some areas, with fake-tension scenes that have no real bearing on the overall plot.

It comes to a breaking point when Katniss is literally teasing a cat with a flashlight, and suddenly discovers a realization she should have known from near the beginning of the film. Overall, a huge letdown based on what the previous films had set-up.

Instead of leaving the non-book reading viewers wanting more, it leaves us with more of a deep sigh and leaves us wondering why we devoted our time to this series in the first place.