The Hunger Games: Effie!

Rating: 7/10 (22 November 2014)

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 is a fine film. That's pretty much it. It's fine.
I have probably adored the film more than most, yet I can clearly see what they are struggling with. Although the movie does not progress as boringly as some mention, I agree that it is unnecessarily slow-pacing. The book itself is not "full of events" enough like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to be made into two films, which makes this decision look like nothing more than a greed for money.
I don't think unneeded scenes were added to make the plot look longer, but the events going on - e.g. the first, second and the thousandth propaganda shots - were less essential, worth being sacrificed for the greater good, as done in the previous instalments.
What is appealing to me is once again the scenes added, which are pretty impossible to be in a book from a first person perspective but look great in an action movie. The Gamemaking technology and the conversations between the Head Gamemakers and President Snow were now replaced by "countermoves" from various districts and these scenes not witnessed by Katniss in the book - also the rescue mission in the Capitol - kept the movie alive as far as it goes.
Despite District 13 being nothing close to the underground city I had imagined, it is probably the fault of my imagination inaccurately picturing somewhere more disciplined and somehow flawless, closer to the Capitol.
The acting was nothing special, as more touching scenes still look a bit fake on both Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson. I cannot say the same for Liam Hemsworth, as the director is a huge Peenis fangirl and there has occurred nothing worth mentioning about Gale in the entire film series.
Apart from the main characters, I found Alma Coin quite accurate; although it was not the Coin I imagined, it felt right. Haymitch did not have enough screen time and Plutarch was seldom active. The movie being depicted to the late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman literally gave me the goosebumps. May he rest in peace.
To sum it all up, the movie does not promise anything not awaited, yet it is far away from "bad". It has got 4 extra points from me just by bringing lovely Effie back in spite of that evil Collins woman. Long live Effie!