A weak drama that bit off more than it can chew

Rating: 5/10 (2 January 2015)

First off, let me say that the first two movies in the series were very well done. However, I was disappointed to find 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1' to be shallow and weak.
If you want to see the movie for the action, don't. There are very few 'heart-pounding' action scenes. But I get it, the book series matures into a larger statement about oppressive governments and the concept of freedom itself. That said, the movie was neither political nor philosophical. A good example of a stellar film in this category is 'V for Vendetta.'
The greatest disadvantage this film wrought was its insistence to focus on Peeta's personal struggle. It was hard to sympathize with Peeta's problems because the film dragged it along for so long. In the end, the movie was boring and sluggish. It was neither romantic, political, philosophical, nor a simple action film. It was a dull combination of all of these.