A whole lot of politics to bring the series to a close

Rating: 8/10 (4 January 2015)

So far I'm not a huge fan of the latest concept of splitting final instalments into two parts just to gain more money. I am certain they would have you believe that they need to tell more story but if you look at Harry Potter and now The Hunger Games, you'll plainly see there really isn't any reason to split the last two films. Now, I'm not saying Mockingjay: Part 1 isn't good...in fact it has a lot going for it and its such a great story and series that it would be awfully hard to really screw it up. Even still, there is a lot of dialogue and a ton of politics and this one is very light on the action. This film also is very bleak and jaded. One thing The Hunger Games series (both book and film) has always stood for is the hidden and not so hidden political and social commentary that is so relevant even now. Mockingjay has even more of that but its not the same message. You get to watch the manipulation of Katniss and others by the Capitol and the leaders of the rebellion and there is even a brief but very interesting scene where Plutarch is mouthing the words to the President's speech demonstrating even she is being manipulated. Who are the good guys? Mockingjay blurs the story just a little bit. Mockingjay wins you over with some really powerful imagery, terrific characters and the promise of what the final film will bring.
Jennifer Lawrence is probably one of Hollywood's biggest and youngest superstars and for good reason. As Katniss Everdeen she captured the down to earth heroine and makes you root for her at every turn. She is definitely in a dark place in this film and its hard to watch her being manipulated. Outside of the arena, Katniss is less in charge of herself but the film has a different tone. Lawrence is still great in the role. Josh Hutcherson also returns in a slightly smaller role as Peeta Mellark. However, this might be the strongest he has ever been in his role. Peeta has a very big part of the plot and Hutcherson is good. I've always thought Liam Hemsworth got the short end of the stick in this series. His Gale always seems to be a secondary character and gets very little respect and this film doesn't help that any. He is good in the part but the character seems wasted somehow and always gets shafted by Katniss. One of my favourite actors from the original two films takes a back seat and that's Woody Harrelson and its unfortunate. Haymitch has always been an amazing character and he's hardly in this film sadly. Donald Sutherland returns as President Snow and is amazing at it. The late Phillip Seymour Hoffman also has a significant role as Plutarch and he has some very good lines and a good presence on the cast. Newcomers on the cast include Julianne Moore (she has been popping up everywhere lately) and while I always say she is one of my least favourite actresses, she seems to be growing on me ever so slightly and she is actually very effective as the leader of the rebellion. Mahershala Ali is very good in an unfortunately very small role and I hope he has a bigger part in the final film. Jeffrey Wright, Willow Shields and Elizabeth Banks all return in small roles.
An IMDb reviewer described this as a great advertisement for what is left to come. That is truly a backhanded complimented but that is exactly what this is. There are so many characters and yet some of the best characters (Haymitch, Gale, Beetee, Finnick, Caesar, Effie and Johanna) just to name a few, are very underused and solely lacking. I am very impressed that director Francis Lawrence has an incredible eye for stunning sequences. Catching Fire had some great action scenes and Mockingjay has even more powerful and moving scenes that are very nearly awe inspiring. Lawrence comes almost exclusively from music videos which I find usually means their experience is lacking but Lawrence seems to have a firm handling of this science fiction epic and the characters and while I still don't think this instalment is necessary, it was enjoyable and a good holdover until the final film. Often powerful and moving and a lot of politics which makes for a fascinating story. It might not be at the level of the first two films but its still one of the best franchises in a very long time. 8/10