The Hunger Games: MockingJay Part 1

With the Games now destroyed and in pieces, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), along with Gale, Finnick and Beetee, now end up in the so thought "destroyed" District 13. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her friends, Katniss becomes the "Mockingjay" and the symbol of rebellion for the people. She also tries to save Peeta (Josh Hutchinson) from the Capitol's clutches.

Following the trend of other popular book-turned movies like Lord of The Rings, Twilight and Harry Potter, Mockingjay is split into two parts, which means we have to wait a whole year for the conclusion to the Hunger Games saga. That really disappointed me, as this film was merely a set-up to the final clash between Katniss and the Capitol. But I still went into the film with high expectations, having enjoyed the previous films. However, the film was very slow, and even boring at times.

There were a couple action scenes, and they looked visually stunning. . The performances here are great. Jennifer Lawrence reprises her role as Katniss and is excellent in the role once again. Josh Hutchinson's Peeta was great as well, and the effects on his character towards the end of the movie are really good. Julianne Moore was great in the film as the leader of District 13. This is Phillip Seymour Hoffman's last film, and he delivers a really good final performance.

The film's runtime is 2 hrs and at times, it may seem slow because there isn't much that happens, but the stuff that does happen is exciting and will keep fans excited for the epic finale next year. The events that happen in the finale of part 1 are thrilling, but it ends up leaving on a cliffhanger.

Overall, The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1 was a very solid buildup to part 2, with excellent performances, but the film is slow and boring. I would recommend the film still.

3.5/5