THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1

"You will rescue Peeta at the earliest opportunity, or you can find another Mockingjay!"



          Like many other final chapters in novel series that have come before or are yet to come (or The Hobbit for that matter), people were critical of the decision to split the final chapter into two parts, claiming it's mostly due to monetary potential. Specifically for this, reasons include the small number of pages & no clear split in the book. It may be true, and I can see what they meant, but in all honesty, I'm glad they did split it into two parts.

          The tone feels very different than its predecessors, even from the start. In here, its all about the revolution, and Katniss (and the audiences) are no longer in the dark. Instead, we have a wider view of what's happening in the whole of Panem, allowing us to really understand the situation. Despite being the third film in the series, it starts like a new film, because it really feel like just the start of the revolution. The only difference being our familiarity with the characters. Hence, the split works for me, because it's a shame if the revolution has to end, despite just beginning. And it gets me wondering what the first two films are, because they seem to be simply Katniss' (and the audiences') discovery of the situation at hand. Mockingjay really kicks in and feels like the heart of the story behind it all, so to set it up for one final showdown was a very nice feeling.

          In more technical terms, there are not a lot of action sequences, but they are powerful. Every single action done is strongly driven by the necessity of the plot. There are no extended fight scenes, instead we have actions which are meaningful & purposeful, which is not a bad thing, really. The plot works & feels fresh, because we no longer have a narrow vision, and the revolution really begins now. Other aspects like humour, drama, or even music is decent, but none of them can really commended. We have been sticking with generally the same cast & characters, so they were great, as we knew it. But even the newcomers are excellent. Slow pacing may be the only thing lacking, given the idea of splitting a small book into two films, while staying true to the books closely. Powerful plot & action opens up the door well for one more ultimate showdown between the rebels & the Capitol, as we wait the final instalment of the series, a year from now.

VERDICT:

Good: Fresh & excellent plot, Powerful plot-driven action, Decent drama & humour, Great cast

Bad: Relatively slow pacing

SCORE: 8.0