If we burn, you burn!

Rating: 8/10 (28 November 2014)

The Hunger Games has now entered into its penultimate instalment with Mockingjay Part 1, splitting the final novel into two films and shaking up the formula of the series. It has been met with some negative reception, but hell, I liked it and see it on par with the first Hunger Games film, continuing the story while keeping it themes about the media. Mockingjay changes up The Hunger Games into a sci-fi war film as Katniss has to be for the face of the revolution against the Capital and President Snow. The themes of media image, personality and manipulation are still present and this time worked in the context of war propaganda and media warfare, playing a big part in the fight for hearts and minds. The cast is for the most part is excellent, particularly Jennifer Lawrence as the traumatised victim forced to become the face of the rebellion, as her actions in the previous films have had unintended consequences. But Liam Hemsworth as Gale was very stiff compared to the rest of the cast, not being able to match their standards.
There are changes from the novel, some are simply cutting out the fat like the hunting and the daily regimen of living and showing some scenes that we did not get to see in the novel. There are a few moments added to intense tension to scenes and a few characters replace other ones: but on the whole Part 1 is mostly faithful adaptation of the first half of the novel.
Director Francis Lawrence continue to be a solid director with the exploring of the ruins of District 12 being very haunting and the big action sequence, showing the war. But the portrayal of President Coin (Julianne Moore) was not shown to be as a cold or hostile to Katniss as she was in the novel, saving it for the fourth film. This is a minor issue but I pictured Coin wearing her hair in the bun. James Newton Howard raises his game and gives us the best music score in the series so far.
Mockingjay Part 1 is a solid film that fans of the series will be pleased with.