Mockingjay Part I fundamentally fails to capture the essence of Rebellion.

Rating: 6/10 (22 November 2014)

Now before the Hunger Games fans try to gut me for this review, bare in mind I am writing this review without having read the books- which may or may not cloud my judgment, depending on different opinions. Firstly, I would like to preface my review by pointing out that compared to the shallow garbage we see nowadays the Hunger Games franchise is considerably better both in its ability to convey emotion and assert compelling themes ( FYI: they are also coherent). It has been a while since we've discovered a tale of tyranny - via the abuse of power, told from the perspective and voice of the people being subjected with violence. The theme of Injustice has been tackled countless times by Hollywood studios over the years and 90% of the time it was misrepresented or wrongly/poorly depicted. The strength of the Hunger Games is that the underlying motive of Revolt drives every character's story-arc and as a consequence universalizes the plight of the 13 Districts. From the very start of the trilogy, Katniss Everdeen brought conflict straight to the Capitol as soon as she won the Games. Her act of defiance not only sparked a series of events but it eventually exposed the autocracy of the Government- all this purely by accident ( Katniss reminds everyone in this third installment that initially, she did not willingly want to cause the uproar in Panem). Ironically, Katniss volunteered to fight in the Games, however she is made a symbol of the Mockingjay Rebellion involuntarily. Most audiences will be moved by the emotional journey Katniss undergoes throughout the film- however it was paramount for Francis Lawrence to capture the rebellion of the districts with the utmost sincerity and power. Unfortunately, he ultimately fails to do so. What works in the Hunger Games is that it explores an enthralling and extremely vivid background/back-story- namely "The Districts, their diverse terrains and their inhabitants". For instance, in "Catching Fire"- we had a glimpse into the lives of the people living in District 12( and some other Districts such as 8)- this made us empathize with the characters at the helm of this blockbuster because it gave the plot a humane cause. The brave and hard-working people of Panem were given a soul and not just Hollywood props to play around with. To be quite frank, I was quite skeptical to watch Catching Fire after I heard Gary Ross was not attached to direct. Fortunately, to my surprise, Francis Lawrence did an outstanding job and kept the series with a fervent sense of conviction and audacity. Francis Lawrence's greatest accomplishment with Catching Fire was that he explored a plausible juxtaposition of sorts, which was: while The Capitol tried to dehumanize the people under its rule they gained the bravery to humanize their cause through the eyes of innocent Katniss Everdeen. This might sound complicated to understand but at its core is the primary motor for the denouement of the story. The political undertones of the Hunger Games have always been present in the shadows- this made it more than interesting for Lionsgate ( the film production company behind the Hunger Games phenomenon), as they had a young adult adaptation, which at the time of release, coincided with the political issues of today's day and age. From the very beginning, Mockingjay Part 1 had a daunting task to extend both visually and spiritually the magnitude of Panem's universe; in order to give us a look into the mind of the Rebellion- both through Katniss' eyes and the individuals who rally behind her. All in all, the essence of the Hunger Games was not entirely there as the movie failed to capture the Mockingjay Rebellion with enough heart and insight. That being said, I still think the first 2 installments deserve all the praise they get for defying the Hollywood "status-quo" and I'm glad The Hunger Games trilogy was acquired by Lionsgate-( a smaller independent studio compared to the normal typical "powerhouses") as they kept the movies relatively in-sync with the books and allowed both Gary Ross and Francis Lawrence to portray Panem without any influence from higher-ups( to a certain extent of course ). I certainly hope that when Mockingjay Part II hits theaters at the same time next year, we will dive back into a truthful and honest representation of the people of Panem and their fight against injustice. Finally, although Katniss singing "Hanging Tree" evoked the main ideas behind the revolution- the rest of the film falls short trying to do so.