(***Warning:
This post includes spoilers for this movie and the next one. If you haven’t
read the books, proceed with caution!)
I waited until I saw this movie
twice before I wrote the review. I had decided my first viewing would be for
pure enjoyment, and the second I would watch with a more critical eye. There is
not much for me to criticize, though. I enjoyed the Mockingjay book, even though it was my least favorite of the
series, and that is why I did not have very high expectations for the movie. I
also didn’t appreciate the fact that they split the film into two on principle,
since it’s just a money grab, but I guess I can’t complain since we’re getting
treated with double the screen time for the book. And after seeing the film, I
can’t imagine the story being cut down to fit into two and half hours. It
allows for better pacing of the story, even if we have to pay again to see the
second part. It’s money worth spending, in my opinion.
Like
I said, I did not have much to complain about, but one thing I did not agree
with was the portrayal of Alma Coin. Julianne Moore wasn’t the best choice for
the role, even though I think she is a great actress. President Coin is a cold,
calculating leader, but right from the beginning she shows warmth to Katniss,
and she continues to do so throughout the film. I know that she is hard and
shows her doubts for Katniss, but she still shows her compassion and tries to
comfort her at some points. This makes Coin seem a little more human and less
robotic, and even though I disagree with the casting and character development,
I think it will make it much more interesting and chilling when (*Spoiler) she
turns out to be a power hungry leader who tries to have Katniss killed for her
own gain.
Now
that the cons are out of the way, I will proceed with my many, many pros for
the movie. Right from the first scene and the first lines, Jennifer Lawrence
showed her acting prowess. Josh Hutchinson also had a very good performance,
even though it was very small. I’m looking forward to (and dreading) seeing
more of Peeta’s transformation in Part 2. I liked seeing more of Gale in the
movie as well, even though I have mixed feelings about the character. The
inclusion of Effie Trinket made me a little uneasy, but I liked seeing more of
her as well, and I thought they pulled it off well. Fulvia and Katniss’s prep
team were characters in the book that I didn’t really care about, so having
Effie kind of take over for them simplified the plot and gave more screen time
to a more memorable and loved character.
The
early trailers for this movie were phenomenal, making the audience feel as if
they were part of Panem by watching President Snow’s addresses on “Capitol TV.”
That very clever marketing continued in the movie, with the propaganda created
by the rebels including the same font and Mockingjay animation that is used in
the trailers. It reminds me of how similar we are to that world, and how swayed
we are by propaganda. I think my favorite part of the film was “The Hanging
Tree.” Jennifer Lawrence stated in an interview that she hated filming that
scene because she is afraid of singing in front of other people and dislikes
her voice. I don’t know what she is talking about because while her voice isn’t
perfect, it has a unique and rustic quality that I thought was lovely. I
thought it was so eerie and beautiful how the people in District Five took up
the song just before they destroyed the dam.
Lastly,
I thought the ending was very haunting, with Coin giving her rousing speech
while Katniss stares hopelessly at a deranged Peeta. It shows that the greater
good doesn’t care about the lives that are destroyed along the way; as long as
their side is winning, the individual soldiers don’t matter. Sacrifice is
needed, of course. The dam couldn’t have been destroyed without the people on
the frontlines giving their life so the others could finish the task. But I
think a theme of the book that was carried into the movie was this: if to make
a better world, you have to become as monstrous as the people you are fighting
against, what is the point? It is this struggle that I think makes the books
and movies so amazing.
The
Hunger Games is one of my favorite series and I let myself fangirl over it a
little. So far, I’m quite happy with what they have done with it cinematically,
and I am eagerly looking forward to Part 2 next November. If I could, I would end
my post by whistling Rue’s four-note melody that has become the battle cry of
the rebellion and of this series.
IMDb rating: 9/10
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