Title: Mockingjay Part 1
Genre: Dystopian, Science Fiction
Rating: 5 Star
Movie Series Reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4
Description/Synopsis:
When Katniss destroys the games, she goes to District 13 after District 12 is destroyed. She meets President Coin who convinces her to be the symbol of rebellion, while trying to save Peeta from the Capitol.
Movie Review – MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
I absolutely loved everything about this movie. I am going to assume everyone reading this review has already seen the movie or read the book so this will be your one and only spoiler warning. Towards the end will contain spoilers, you have been warned.
I don’t know about you guys, but when they announced that this last movie was being split up into two parts I was so happy. Some people where annoyed by this because they think that every series ever is now splitting things up into sections because Harry Potter did it, but I don’t think this is just a way to milk the series longer. The last book was not the best one, it was by far the worst in the entire series. You kind of felt rushed the entire time and it did not flow correctly. Lots of new random capital kind of things happen and when I read the book after the first movie came out my first thought was that there was no way they were going to fit that books story into one movie when the book was barely long enough to tell it correctly.
And I was so happy with what I got. I went and saw the movie in its opening week, and after the first few days I had heard from people who had not read the books that it was the worst movie so far and a lot of them did not like it. How pleased I was to find that I think they are all wrong and I actually think its my favourite so far. The first part of the book was slow because it has a lot of build up to the second half, so to those expecting fighting non stop like in the first two be aware that that is not what you are going to get. This part of the movie deals with how the first two games have affected everyone and the lead up to bringing down the capital in the next part.
There were very few changes to the overall story in this movie compared to the book. I have always loved the changes where they show things that are happening in the capital and the other districts that you didn’t get to in the books because Katniss was not there a lot of the time. I enjoy seeing the effect. I also loved the talks between Coin and Plutarch and their reasons for while they let Katnis do all the things she does like go back and visit district 12. I was sad that Finnick was not in their as much as I wanted him to be, but the moments we did get were both sad and touching at the same time. I also loved the inclusion of Effie throughout the movie and little comical tidbits. The part where Plutarch is telling her her door is not locked and she can come and go as she pleases but still acts as though she is in prison is great. It has always bothered me that her father is never mentioned considering that he was such a big part of everything she does, but I get why he is not there. Another thing we got that I was not really expecting was that they humanised Coin a bit and made us see her in a more lighter and sadder way. She still has to die so I am interested in how they are going to make that come full circle.
The things that were the same were all exactly what I wanted from them. Katniss was so so broken is was amazing, and the fact that the wig made her look a little ‘wrong’ I think made the effect better. I couldn’t not see the wig though. I also loved every moment with the cat, when it gets shoved into the bag was amazing. I think the entire theatre laughed there. I loved our moments with Haymitch as well even though he is notmy most favourite person anymore. When he shows up at Katniss’s horrible propo, and then when she breaks down with him after she realises what they are doing to Peeta because she keeps fighting back.
I think the part where Katniss sings The Hanging Tree was the best part of the entire movie. Jen did an amazing job. She doesn’t have a voice that I would describe as one that the birds would stop singing so that they could listen to her, but it was powerful and really captured the moment. I don’t know if I like the lyric change of ‘necklace of rope’ to ‘necklace of hope,’ but I suppose it was a little bit too obviously about death for the younger people if they started sing about necklaces of rope in a hanging tree, and a necklace of hope can have the same meaning so I guess it still all works. When we cut from Katniss singing to… district 5? singing the words with her heading to blow up the damn despite the fact they all know they are going to die if they do it was so well done. I also liked how Katniss singing was spliced into that final communication with the capital and Peeta looks a mess then hears her singing and starts crying and then warns them about the attack. I think this was a nice touch because Peeta had always loved to listen to her sing.
We can all take a guess as to where the movie ends. I really thought it was all over when they bashed the back of his head and everything black. I suppose that would have been a really nasty cliff hanger for those who don’t know what is coming however so they gave us a tiny bit more with much struggling and being tied down.
And there we have it folks. I loved this moving, actually really want to go see it again and I have been listening to The Hanging Tree on repeat since I saw it. This movie seems like it is going to be a far better presented and developed ending to the series. I think waiting a year might just kill me even if I am not ready for that level of sadness is my life.
Till Next Time…
