I wasn't particularly ecstatic about The Hunger Games last instalment to be split into 2 parts. I personally think it's merely a marketing gimmick by the movie studios to generate more cash from fans. Not to mention the plot is forcefully stretched thinly, leaving many plot gaps to fill in. This is exactly the case for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1.
This 3rd sequel continues after Quarter Quell Games was abruptly ended when Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) shot an electrocuted arrow into the sky, hence destroying the arena dome. Katniss was rescued together with other victors Beetee & Finnick Odair (Sam Claflin), then taken to District 13. Unfortunately, Peeta Mellark & Johanna Mason failed to escape & were captured by the Capitol.
The intial scenes of Katniss' emotional turmoil was heartrending & played very well by Lawrence. However, the magic sizzled off too quickly because for the most part, the film mainly focused on Katniss' close-up shots sulking & hating the world. Capitol's psychological warfare tactic of using Peeta to destroy Katniss deep inside is a brilliant idea. But we don't need to be reminded how incredibly heartbroken & confused Katniss is for almost the entire movie.
Action scenes were so limited that it took effort for me to stay awake. As dark as the film is trying to portray itself, I'd must say the film turned disappointingly dull. Mockingjay Part 1 gave a vibe that the filmmakers didn't seem to know which direction to lead this film to. I reckon there isn't enough source material to fall back & utilise it in filling the gaps in between the already thin plot.
I'm glad that I held back from reading the book. Else, I could've exited the cinema hall feeling like a deflated balloon. Why, oh why is the finale split into 2 parts?? The story is building up so strong since Catching Fire.
Pic courtesy of MoviePosterDB.com
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