THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 1 REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

The third film in the Hunger Games series, while not the best, is one of the most dramatic in the franchise. Despite there not being a lot of action compared to its predecessors, Mockingjay: Part 1 is still a compelling watch for fans of the previous films and Suzanne Collins' best selling books which this film is based on.

The film immediately picks up where Catching Fire finished. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) has just found out that, due to the events of the previous Hunger Games, her home, District 12, has been destroyed. Fortunately, with her younger sister, Prim (Willow Shields), mother (Sandra Ellis Lafferty) and friend Gale (Liam Hemsworth), she is living in District 13 which was thought to have been destroyed but has turned into a secret base for rebellions run by President Coin (Julianne Moore). Katniss, who is now the leader of the rebellion known as the Mockingjay, tries to persuade the other Districts to join forces with her and take down the Capitol. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, as Katniss' friend, Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), is being held captive in the Capitol. Despite struggling with post traumatic stress disorder, Katniss never gives up and is more determined than ever to take down the Capitol and kill President Snow (Donald Sutherland).

Jennifer's performance is one of the best things about the Hunger Games franchise. I think that her performance has improved with each film and that's no different here. Her portrayal of Katniss clearly shows that Jennifer understands what she's going through and, despite everything she's gone through, she still remains strong and tough for the rebellion. Katniss' 'If we burn, you burn with us!' monologue was one of my favourite parts from the book and also, thanks to Jennifer's performance, one of my favourite lines from the film. With Peeta being trapped in the Capitol, Josh Hutcherson has limited screen time, however, he gives an even more sympathetic performance. Peeta makes appearances via 'interviews' with Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) and is forced to say thing he doesn't want to say. However, we see a whole other side to him in the film's climax and it's this scene that changes Katniss and Peeta's lives forever. Making her first appearance in the Hunger Games films, Julianne Moore is perfect as President Coin. Like Katniss, she is a strong and brave woman who is determined to destroy the Capitol.

The film is mainly driven by Katniss and her journey to save Peeta and destroy the Capitol. However, there's one action sequence that stands out and that's when Katniss, Gale and her team of rebellions travel to District 8 to film one of the propagandas needed to convince other Districts to stand up and fight. Unfortunately, Snow is watching Katniss' every move and orders bombs to be dropped down on District 8 leading to destruction and chaos. It's full of tense and we see Katniss at her best here, fighting arrows at the oncoming squadron in a attempt to prevent the bombs.

Most critics have said that this is the 'most boring' film in the series due to its lack of action but I disagree. The film's focus on Katniss' journey makes it a compelling watch and the amount of tension in this film makes this film impossible to be boring. Unless you've read the book, I doubt many people will see the climax coming. I've read the book so I knew what was going to happen, however, I was shocked at how brutal and scary it was.

Overall, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 sets up the franchise finale with a penultimate chapter loaded with solid performances, smart political subtext and some tense sequences.

9/10

Read my review of The Hunger Games here.

Read my review of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire here.

Read my review of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 here.