Though I would have rather gotten one 4 hour movie, Hunger Games: Mockingly Part 1 is satisfying enough to make me want to see the final story next time

Rating: 7/10 (9 December 2014)

Let's face it, at least once in your life, you've fallen into a leader position for which you were either not ready or simply had no interest in. Some people want to be leaders and some would rather follow. I've heard of people wondering why some people don't take greater control of their life and to quit some dead end job that won't make them which. What the asking people don't understand is that while there is certainly a mindset to be your own person, you also need a particular personality. There are people out that simply feel better to taking instruction rather then give them. It's not that they don't want anything better in life, they simply don't feel like they need more; in another word, they're content.
This leads to Katness Everdeen's position as a leader in The Hunger Games franchise. This poor teenager had never dreamed of doing anything else besides farming and hunting. She may have the survival skills that helped her win the games the first time, but it spiraled out of control when she was seen as the sign of a revolution. She never wanted to take the spotlight, but she at least does her best with the situation. This is what makes her a great character. We are going into the beginning of the end here with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1.
The previous movie ended with Katness escaping the Games into a hideout while Peeta was left behind.
Living under the ruins of District 13, Katness Everdeen (played by Jennifer Lawrence) along with the other tributes that made it out, have been learning more about how a huge group of rebels have been planning an attack on the capital for a while. Katness is reunited with her mother, sister Prim-Rose and even Effie Trinket (played by Elizabeth Banks), but is bitter about leaving Peeta behind. She's introduced to the rebel leader, President Alma Coin (played by Julianne Moore) who asks Katness to be the "Mockingjay" for their cause.
She says no, but changes her mind once she's shown two horrific sites; her District 12 bombed out and Peeta (played by Josh Hutcherson) now appearing on Capital TV, with his mind brainwashed, asking for the rebels to stop. After staring in a series of propaganda commercial for the rebels, she then travels to District 8 to meet the injured, but only before the capital shows to bomb the place. Still going, Katness vows to continue fighting the Capital as she juggles being a symbol and sticking to her oath of saving Peeta.
I've never been a fan of splitting stories. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay- Part 1 suffers from really only being half of a story. I would have been willing to sit through a four-hour movie, and I think fans would have done so too. Does only having a little of a story ruin it? Not totally. In fact, I still recommend this movie as a great continuation of this saga.
I've warmed up to The Hunger Games more recently as it's manages to get across a grim subject to teenagers and young adults about post traumatic stress and a Soviet-like government (I can't recommend this to anyone under 12 though; too violent). As before, the cast from before takes it's story very seriously and all play the parts well. Julianne Moore is a nice welcome who rarely picks a bad role. My favorite newcomer is Natalie Dormer as the resident director of Katness's propaganda movies. She is passionate about the rebellion, but knows when enough work is enough to allow Katness to be herself.
I'll give this seven hanging trees out of ten. What may throw off previous fans is that this is a slower, more political based Hunger Games story. Action fans will probably be pleased, though not as much as before; they just need to really pay attention. I'd see the other movies before checking this out. I'll be checking the final one come next year!